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

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Eric-

Wow!  Another trick! I can hardly wait for the next broken string!

Ed S.

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)" <WOLFLEEL at ucmail.uc.edu>
>Sent: Feb 28, 2007 2:09 PM
>To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT String Repair Class....was unusual repair
>
>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
>