| Charles Mackintosh is known for many having | | | | with rain gear. |
| invented many chemical creations during his time. His | | | | In the piano business we know Charles best as the |
| most famous invention, Mackintosh Cloth, is used in | | | | inventor of the Mackintosh fabric used in many piano |
| piano covers and rain gear to this day. This article | | | | covers. The Mackintosh fabric comes in multiple colors |
| describes the background of the invention and the | | | | and helps to make any piano cover bright and |
| uses of it in modern times. | | | | beautiful. I typically describe the fabric as being a lot |
| Charles Macintosh lived from 1766 to 1843 and was a | | | | like a blue jean material that is more tightly woven. |
| Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof fabrics. | | | | The fabric is soft and warm on the outside and is |
| The Mackintosh raincoat is named after him. | | | | lined with felt to protect the piano as the cover is |
| Macintosh was born in Glasgow and at young age he | | | | removed and replaced throughout the course of a |
| was employed as a clerk in a general store. His | | | | week. |
| passion, and how he spent his spare time, was | | | | The material is particularly well suited for piano |
| devoted to his love of science, particularly chemistry. | | | | covering because it is durable, attractive, relatively |
| At the young age of 19 Charles resigned his job as a | | | | lightweight and easy to work with in the |
| clerk to begin to work with the manufacturing of | | | | manufacturing process. The Mackintosh fabric used in |
| chemicals, which allowed him to directly involve his | | | | piano covers is not completely waterproof, as the |
| love of science. He was instantly and highly | | | | original products developed using the material Charles |
| successful, inventing many new processes. His | | | | invented was, because one of the qualities of being |
| experiments with one of the by-products of tar | | | | waterproof is that the fabric would not breathe and |
| called naptha led to his most famous invention of | | | | would cause more harm than good for the piano. The |
| waterproof fabrics. This invention came about when | | | | material used by piano cover manufacturers is much |
| he experimented with the cementing of two layers | | | | like your favorite pair of blue jeans, only woven |
| of India-rubber together. The India-rubber being made | | | | much tighter to allow it to be water resistant on the |
| soluble by the chemical mixture of the naphtha. For | | | | outside. Being water resistant does not mean that it |
| his various chemical discoveries he was, in 1823, | | | | is waterproof, you will have to quickly blot any spills |
| elected a fellow of the Royal Society | | | | that occur on your Mackintosh fabric. Failing to do in a |
| The fabric he developed for use in clothing had the | | | | timely manner can lead to stains. |
| ability to keep the harsh weather of his area in | | | | If this is a large concern for you, you should consider |
| Scotland outside and then to keep the inner layer | | | | covering it with a layer of coating such as camp-dry |
| next to the skin warm and dry. The fabric was much | | | | or scotchguarding. That will allow the fabric to |
| better than traditional rain gear and was instantly | | | | become waterproof and stains would not form from |
| approved by the people living in his time. Clothing | | | | spills that might occur during a party or from a pet. |
| began to embrace the concept and within 10 years | | | | Mackintosh is the ideal fabric for a piano cover, all |
| his name was attached to most products associated | | | | thanks to Charles Mackintosh. |