promised reply (Susan) idea

[pianoman]

Hey , if you have to travel for research for your occupation, that makes it
 deductible, right?
James Grebe
R.P.T. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"I am only as good as my last tuning"

----------
> From: Susan Kline <skline@proaxis.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: promised reply (Susan)
> Date: Friday, December 19, 1997 4:21 PM
> 
> 
> Stephen Birkett wrote:
> >No-one is making wire like the old stuff...zero-carbon with phosphorus. 
> >The way the iron was derived in the foundry for music wire pigs was 
> >a process that naturally produced iron of this composition. Early 
> >pragmatism...nothing fancy. They knew to take the first iron that ran
off 
> >the pig, since it had the most phosphorus, then de-carburized it with
the 
> >blast. That iron was destined for music wire alone. Drawing process was 
> >carefully thought out too, but not complicated.
> >
> >There is modern soft wire that is passable, but not really like old wire
> >since it starts out as mild steel rod I think..alas the best we can do
> >right now. But we know how to make the real stuff...another project for
my
> >rainy days. 
> 
> Stephen --
> 
> This may be a _profoundly_ silly idea, but ... Stelco and Dofasco are
just
> down the pike from you, aren't they? Might one of their R&D departments
> welcome a change of pace, producing your high-phosphorus low carbon iron
as
> a public relations exercise? For them a little trial run would probably
give
> a supply that would last you for many years. They could take pretty
photos
> of you using their historically accurate metal restringing your latest
> reproduction, and put them in a house publication or a TV spot ...
> 
> Well, just a notion. I don't really know anything about metallurgy.
> 
> Susan
> 
> P.S. I begin to see that exploring the "front-end business" on big
> turn-of-the-century grands may involve a bit of travelling. The big
Erards
> are mostly still in France, aren't they?
>