Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1887 — How to Make an Eolian Harp. [ARTICLE]

How to Make an Eolian Harp.

To make an harp take a deal or mahogany box tome three feet long,, four inches wide, and five or six inches jeep. It is a good plan to make the ends of mahogany one inch thick, so that the rest of the box may be formed of one-hajf deal or yellow pine, dry and free from knots. If there i-s any difference made in the thickness of the timber it must be on the top; and, for an ordinary window harp, the top need not be more than one-fourth of an inch thick. In the center of the top an oval opening of one and a half to twoinches long by one inch wide may be made. The sides and ends must be dove-tailed together. A good harp will have neither nail, sprig, nor screw in it. The bottom board may be fastened with glue and pegs, but the upper should be glued only, but if necessary place a peg at each corner. When the frame work is done and thoroughly dry the bridges may be glued in their positions, about one and a half inches, or at most two inches, from each end. The bridges may be made of bone, rosewood, boxwood, or ebony. They must be perforated. They should be hard, dry, and free from rough fiber. Sometimes the bridge is made long enough to run up from side to side, or they may be elevated from half an inch to one inch above the sounding-board.. Eight or ten strings may be used. An amateur will succeed better at first by confining himself to five strings. As he gains experience he may extend tho number of strings and the size of the instrument.

To string and tune the harp place five ordinary screws in the end of the box half an inch apart; and in theother end use five old string screws from a pianoforte, which are easily obtained and admit of the strings being easily affixed and tuned. This plan does not last long; the tension of the strings loosens the screws, and you are annoyed by the strings being constantly out of tune. If the pianoforte screws or flat-headed thumb screws are made to fit and work into an iron plate about one inch broad and four inches long, this is avoided, as the plate can be secured by six small screws on the end. of the box, where it should be countersunk. We have now a box ready for the strings. These may be of catgut or fiddle strings where the harp is sheltered from the weather, but piano wire is the best and most durable. For eight strings two or more thicknesses of wire may be used, and when strung it will be necessary to tune the harp to one note. This is easily accomplished, when either a pianoforte or flute is at hand, by tightening or loosening the screws. It should be placed in any position where there is a draught of air, either on the sill of a partially opened window, or it may be affixed to or between two chimneys, where the chimneys could be easily reached. Indeed, any out-of-the-way corner where there is a free draught of air would answer the purpose. These instructions would enable any young fellow to construct or superintend the construction of a very interesting toy, which, when judiciously used, is a source of great pleasure and amusement.— Philadelphia Times.