[CAUT] CAUT String Repair Class....was unusual repair

[Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)]

Fred,

 

I'm sorry, I meant to mention that I don't remove the short wire from
the pin at all. I make my first loop clockwise on the short wire with
the tail passing beneath the string, feed the long wire through the loop
from the top so it traps the tail, pull it through 2-3 inches and make
the second loop clockwise as well but with the tail passing over the top
of the string. (They are both clockwise because the strings are coming
from opposite directions). I then can spring the wire a little bit and
slip the second loop into place around the short wire while the loops
are still 2-3 inches apart. This all easier to show than to describe.

 

Eric

 

Eric Wolfley, RPT 
Head Piano Technician 
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music 
University of Cincinnati 

________________________________

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Fred Sturm
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:19 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT String Repair Class....was unusual repair

 

Hi Eric,

            Okay, but I'm still wondering about the detail. Is it
basically the Spurlock method, where you make the loop in the short
piece, bend and slide onto the long, then make a reverse loop (one loop
clockwise, the other counter-clockwise, you pick) on the end of the long
wire, bend, work the becket through the loop, the rest is standard? The
only difference being that you have the becket bend you are trying to
protect, as opposed to a "straight" piece of wire in the "standard"
method. Or is there a way of making a loop around the short piece, below
the becket. I can't imagine one, but I'd love to here about a way if
someone has come up with it.

            I'm in a "low impact" school (less aggressive piano students
and faculty), where breaks at the capo or agraffe are the exception, so
the opportunity doesn't arise much. I'm more likely to have it break at
the pin, and often just back off enough from the other pin to make a
new, small coil. In doing that, I usually pull the end of the wire
through the empty pin, make a small bend a la Wurlitzer stringing style,
then make the coil "in place" (a sharp pull on the pin with the hammer,
giving a sudden 90 degree or so turn to create the becket bend, then
normal procedures). I find that one coil around the pin with that little
retaining bend on the other side of the becket hole will hold fine. And
there are still nearly two coils around the other pin. I've been doing
this for years without undue problems. 

Regards,

Fred Sturm

University of New Mexico

fssturm at unm.edu

 





 

On Feb 28, 2007, at 8:54 AM, Wolfley, Eric ((wolfleel)) wrote:





Fred,

 

I've always used the short piece of existing wire I guess because I'm
too lazy to go get wire...also, I think part of the beauty of splicing
(besides all of the other advantages) is the immediacy of it. You break
a wire and then take care of it right then and there. It almost always
takes less than 10 minutes and I've done it in as little as 5 when
everything is going right. This includes straightening all the bends,
leveling the strings and pounding the note until the pitch has pretty
well stabilized. I've had strings break at so many inopportune times
that I just keep the couple of extra tools with me at all times. I had
to splice F2 (#21 wire) on a Steinway D recently the day before a
Concerto. I did have to make a trip to get wire for that splice because
it broke at the tuning pin but even this difficult splice took 15
minutes once I had the wire. It was 100% stable by the next day.

 

We have the perfect set-up to practice splicing (practice rooms) and I
strongly urge everyone to take advantage and hone that skill for the
time where it could save a performance.

 

BTW, of the possibly hundreds of splices here, I find it extremely rare
for a spliced string to break again or fail in any way.

 

Eric

 

Head Piano Technician 
University

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