Hi Ed, I wonder if I could ask for a wee bit of clarification. I am with you except for step 5. In step 5, do you make your loop in the long wire, then insinuate the becket through it, following with the rest of the short wire? Or do you have some technique for creating the loop in the long wire "around" the short wire? (BTW, I would add to your instructions for 1 and 2 "while applying tension to the strings - pulling on them to start unwinding the coil" or something a bit better worded). I have never considered using the short piece of existing wire, myself, thinking it too much trouble, and that the difference in "stretchability" wouldn't be that big compared to a new piece of wire. Of course, you waste some time going to get that piece of wire, but I don't carry around my splicing tools on my tuning rounds at the U, so it isn't an extra trip for me. But it's a trick that might come in handy some day. FWIW, a normal splice takes me a bit less time than a full string replacement. Once I read Bill Spurlock's article, maybe 15 years ago, I became an immediate expert <G>. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu On Feb 23, 2007, at 7:58 PM, ed440 at mindspring.com wrote: > Sid- > > This is for strings that break at the capo bar: > > 1) Back off the pin with the long string two turns. > > 2) Back off the pin with the short piece 1 and 1/2 turns. > > 3) Remove the short piece of wire and straighten it. Don't > straighten the becket bend. Grab it in vice grips and make a loop, > as close to the wire diameter as you can. Bend the loop up almost > 90 degrees to the wire. (You are reversing the short piece. What > used to be the becket is now the splice.) > > 4) Go to the back of the piano. Grab the long wire in the vice > grips and pull it straight back, hard. Straighten out the hitch > pin bend. > > 5) Slip the short loop on the long wire and make the second loop on > the long wire, very close to the end. > > 6) Grab the end of the short piece in the vice grips and pull the > loop tight (still toward the back of the piano.) > > 7) Cut the excess side points of the splice close to the loops. > > 8) Pull the wire straight to the hitch pin and bend it around. > > 9) Feed the wire under the capo bar, make a coil on a dummy pin and > snap it onto the tuning pin. > > 10) Begin to add tension on the splice side of the string, > watching to make sure the splice clears the v-bar and comes out on > the front side. (Both loops of the splice must be clear, not just > one.) > > 11) Snap the string between the appropriate bridge pins and space > at the front bearings. (Loosen tension a little if needed to get > the wire between the bridge pins.) > > 12) Pull to pitch, settle the string (pinch becket, pull up coils, > tap at the hitch pin) and pull to pitch again. (If the concert > starts in 5 minutes, pull a little bit over pitch on the "good" > side, and a little bit more over pitch on the spliced side. Or if > you prefer, wedge off the repair and come back in a day.) > > Once you suspend your disbelief this repair is.....a cinch. > > Ed > > -----Original Message----- >> From: Sid Blum <piano at sover.net> >> Sent: Feb 23, 2007 5:46 PM >> To: ed440 at mindspring.com, College and University Technicians >> <caut at ptg.org> >> Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT String Repair Class....was unusual repair >> >> Ed- >> >> This is the first I've heard about splicing treble wire. Please >> explain. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Sid >> >> >>> This thread leads me to think there needs to be a class in advanced >>> string repair for CAUTs (and others). >>> >>> My experience has been that splicing almost always produces the best >>> repair. It stabilizes quickly and has the right timbre to match the >>> other strings. This includes bass strings spliced in the speaking >>> length and treble strings spliced in the front duplex. It is also >>> the fastest repair. >>> >>> These repairs aren't hard to learn, given a bit of commitment to >>> practice. >>> >>> The Technical Exam Source Book has an extensive article on splicing. >>> It's a good place to start. >>> >>> Correct repairs of loose tuning pins and correct string winding and >>> seating procedures also need to be addressed. I am doing some >>> contract repairs at a college where many treble strings have been >>> incorrectly replaced. It is a tuning stability nightmare, and I am >>> beginning to think it is a waste of time to try to stabilize a >>> string that was improperly installed to begin with. >>> >>> Ed Sutton >> >> >> -- >> Sid Blum >> sid at sover.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20070228/eb675862/attachment-0001.html
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