Source for spring stock?

[Floyd Gadd]

I'll shortly be making a return visit to a customer with an Evestaff piano
that has been neglected for many years.  My first visit included gluing on
close to a dozen damper felts that had fallen off, and raising the piano to
pitch.  The action is going to need significant attention--most of the
hammer butt flanges have way too much friction, and the butt springs have
corroded--touch them and they break.

The butt springs are mounted in the butts themselves, like the Yamahas etc.
with the silk cord on the flange.  The tail of the spring is threaded
through the butt, coming out the side, if I remember correctly, and then
being secured in some kind of slot.

The problem has been finding an appropriate set of replacement springs.
I've talked to Schaff, and see nothing in the Pianotek catalogue that would
work here--nothing with a thin enough gauge that has a long enough tail.
The items are available from Fletcher Newman in England, but the terms of
payment for international buyers make placing small orders prohibitive in
cost.

I have Schaff's spring making tool, and could make the springs if I had the
right stock to work with.  The diameter of the existing spring stock is .018
inches, which is the diameter of #7 music wire.  The gentleman at Schaff did
not think music wire would give me the results I needed, and that I might
try brass stock.  Any suggestions as to what I should be using, and where I
might get it in fairly small quantities?

Floyd Gadd
Brandon, MB

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