Joseph Musser asked [131212 MMD] why the factory would use plywood
in the first place.  His question seems to assert that a solid piece
of wood is a superior design.

First, it wasn't called "plywood" until the 20th century, it was
called "scalewood" -- the different thicknesses were _scales_ and then
the outer faces were hardwood.  This was a mid-19th century invention.
The design intent was to provide a material that prevents cracking,
splitting, shrinkage and, of course swelling.  In short, a more stable
piece of wood.

These panels were custom orders for furniture makers where they used
the material largely for the unseen parts.  The musical instrument
makers would use them for such things as piano pin blocks.

Originally, they came in sheets of three feet by six feet and were
glued together with hide glue.  Later they used vegetable, casein
and soybean glues and, following The Great War (WW1), they started
using phenol-formaldehyde resin -- an idea brought in from Germany.

In conclusion, I think they selected it because it was much more stable
than trying to control the movement of a large single piece of wood.

Good luck,

Grant Chapman - Curator of Organs
United States Military Academy
West Point, New York