Source for spring stock?

[John Ross]

I wonder if the brass wire used in harpsichords would work?
Schaff bought out APSCO, they had #7 brass spring wire in 1/4 lb coils,
#1B220A07.
Go back to Schaff, and ask for that number, it might be that the person
who you were in contact with, was too lazy, or didn't know how to follow 
through.
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Floyd Gadd" <fgadd at mts.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 8:52 PM
Subject: Source for spring stock?


> 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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