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

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Fred-

First I make the loop on the short piece.
Then slip it over the long piece and slide it back a bit.
Then make the "counter loop" in the long piece.
Then slide the short piece into place.


Going back to the short piece: I straighten the coil as best as I can, then grab the becket end with vise grips and turn it around into a loop.  Trying to bend back and straighten the becket bend can weaken or break the wire; much better to continue the bend into a loop.  Then when the splice is made, I make a new becket and coil on the end of the string.
Ed

>
>From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
>Fred Sturm
>Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 10:09 AM
>To: ed440 at mindspring.com; College and University Technicians
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT String Repair Class....was unusual repair
>
> 
>
>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
>
> 
>
> 
>