spinet string repairs

[Mike Kurta]

    Hi Charles:
    Are you replacing all the strings or just one or two, it might make a
difference as to whether taking the action out is worth it.  If it is only a
couple, here's my recipe:  To send the plain wires down to the hitch pin,
Pianotek's "Stringer" tool does a great job.  It is an extendable brass tube
with two holes at the bottom.  You feed the two ends of the wire into the
holes from the bottom until you have a "U" shaped loop coming out of the
tool.  Then feed the loaded tube down to the hitch pin from the top and hook
the loop over the pin.  At this point I use a pair of 6" ViseGrip pliers
snapped over the hitch pin to hold the wire in place.  Carefully pull up the
tube leaving the wires in place and not twisted around themselves or other
adjoining strings.
    A couple of tips:  You can make your own stringer by buying a 3 foot
length of 5/16 straight steel brake tubing at your local auto parts store,
cut both flared ends off, and plug one end with a short piece of dowel
epoxied in place.  Then drill two holes opposite each other  through the
dowel making openings for the wire.  Voila!  You saved $35.00.  The best
pliers I've run across is the ViseGrip model 6BN curved tip model.  Hard to
find, but a joy to work with for a lot of jobs.  Larger hardware stores
might have them, and you can probably find them online.  Good Luck!
    Mike Kurta
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Neuman" <piano@charlesneuman.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 7:26 PM
Subject: spinet string repairs


> I'm curious about techniques and tools for replacing strings on spinets
> without removing the action.
>
> I recently discovered why people recommend removing the action. I could
> get the string on the hitch pin, but it kept popping off, and the whole
> thing took me about 45 minutes.
>
> If I had the right tools, I think I could do it more quickly. I noticed in
> one catalog there was a tool which was like a long straw, and it helped
> you get the string over the hitch pin. The next thing that is needed is a
> good way to clamp the string to the hitch pin and bridge pins while you're
> installing the ends of the string. I could picture a really long vice grip
> needle nose pliers with padded jaws. You could clamp the string in place
> somehow. Or a really thick rubber band that goes around the hitch pin and
> stretches over the brige pins and up to the tuning pins.  This might put
> enough pressure to keep the string on the bridge pins.
>
> Anybody have any techniques or tools to share, or is it really easier to
> just remove the whole action?
>
> Charles Neuman
> PTG Assoc, Long Island
>
>
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