String installation

[John Delacour]

At 18:24 +0000 31/12/07, David Boyce wrote:

>John D, - and anyone else - following your lovely series of photos 
>showing the removal of a string so as to look after the becket, do 
>you have a preferred method for *installing new* strings, at the pin 
>end (considerations of turns etc have already been covered here of 
>course). What is the best way to form a becket in a new string? 
>What are the relative merits of pre-forming with snipe-nosed pliers, 
>as opposed to inserting the straight string end into the pin hole, 
>keeping the string taught, and forming the becket on the pin?

If I'm restringing with new pins -- in other words not fitting a new 
string using the existing pin in the plank -- I stroke the pin with 
resin, stick it in the stringing key, push the wire into the pin and 
turn the key for the required number of coils while pushing against 
the wire with my thumb.  If I'm putting a new string on an existing 
pin, the only difference is that I use a T-hammer and use a hook to 
keep the coils tidy while I pull up.

Some people can't get on with stringing keys and of the four I have I 
can get on with only one.  The others, though they certainly cost 
enough, are just badly designed and very clumsy to use, though I 
guess people must get used to them if they have to.

I have never pre-bent a becket and don't see the point of doing so 
when the pin itself is ideal for the task.

A happy new year to you and everyone!

JD