It's possible, but the thinness of the harpsichord wire might make it problematic. That style machine has you clamp both ends of the wire, while making the intial twist, then loosen a bit to make the finish coil. It's quite possible to break the wire while making the twists, if you don't finesse it quite a bit. Which might mean unclamping in mid-stream, or feeding extra wire to begin with. It also might not be easy to clamp such small wire. I had good luck with the loop maker I imagine you're talking about, when restringing a Mason A and a Viennese piano, but that was making those simpler coiled tails. I tried making a couple bass string style loops "for fun" and found it troublesome. It's something to practice ahead of time (save those borken strings for practice). Fred "David M. Porritt" wrote: > Fred et al: > > I have a loop maker to make bass string style loops (I bought it when > I had to string a Mason & Hamlin "A" with all those single strings in > the treble). Could that make appropriate loops for the harpsichord > strings? I need to put on a string in a few days. The last string I > put on a harpsichord I was not proud of! > > dave > > *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** > > On 2/25/2003 at 9:44 AM Fred S. Sturm wrote: > > >Jim, > > On the assumption you are matching double helix loops with a > coil > >finish (the > >most common, looks like bass string hitch loops): > >1) You need a fixed substitute for the hitch pin. A large cup hook > mounted > >to the > >edge of a table works. Or a headless nail held in a vice. Whatever > it is, > >it needs > >to be positioned so that there are no obstructions in front of it > (to > >allow free > >movement of your hands). It should be of a large enough diameter so > that > >the loop > >formed can easily fit over the hitch pin later. (I mostly use a cup > hook > >screwed > >into the end of a dowel. I attach this with a spring clamp to the > edge of > >my cheap, > >metal harpsichord tool/supply case). > >2) Pull the wire around the dummy pin, so that it goes completely > around > >and > >crosses at a right angle. You need enough "waste length" to get a > good > >grip. 6 to > >10 inches should suffice. Hold the wire in that position with one > hand - > >the hand > >that you will use throughout to hold the speaking length. You will > need to > >have > >decided whether the waste length goes over or under based on the > direction > >you want > >to the coils to go (look at one of the loops you are matching). > >3) Take the hand that is not holding the wire, and place it over or > under > >the other > >hand (depending whether the waste length is over or under the > speaking > >length) and > >grab the waste length. Holding the wire taut with both hands, and so > that > >the > >string forms a right angle where it meets, rotate both arms in a > full > >circle around > >one another (easier to show than describe this sort of thing), > keeping the > >wire > >taut and at right angle at all times, so that it actually makes > clear and > >sharp > >bends/coils around itself (each bends around the other). If you have > been > >successful, you should be able to let go with one hand, and the wire > will > >pretty > >much stay put. > >4) Repeat the above as many times as needed to create the number of > coils > >desired. > >Steady, even movement, with wire held taut at all times, and > maintaining > >the 90 > >degree angle between wire ends, will allow for even, neat > appearance. > >5) For the finish coil, hold the speaking length of the wire taut > with one > >hand, > >pulling straight toward yourself. With the other hand, pull the > waste > >length of > >wire neatly around the speaking length. It is essential that the > wire be > >held taut > >at all times, and a bit of finesse is needed to start the coil > evenly. > >Again, the > >waste length hand lets go, and is moved around the speaking length > hand to > >grab the > >waste length again. And you make as many tight, even coils as needed > to > >match the > >original. > >6) Cut the wire, leaving a short segment (match originals), which > will > >rest on the > >hitch pin rail to help assure the coils don't unwind. It is > necessary to > >plan so > >that the final direction of that bit of waste length is under the > speaking > >length. > > A caution - don't overdo tightness of coils. If they are too > tight, > >you will > >have tail breakage. But if they are not tight enough, they'll want > to > >unwind. You > >have to use good judgment here. > > > >Hope this helps. If it is unclear, please say so and I'll try to > explain > >better. > >It's much easier to demonstrate than describe. I'll also note that > if you > >have a > >helper, you can use a dowel with a cuphook in the end. One person > holds > >the wire, > >tautly, at a 90 degree angle, while the other rotates the dowel. > With good > >teamwork, this can be a very successful method of making coils (it's > what > >the > >Hubbard manual suggests). It does require a second person. > >Regards, > >Fred Sturm > >University of New Mexico > > > > > >James A Busby wrote: > > > >> List, > >> Does anyone have a website or instructions, tricks, etc. for > making > >hitch pin > >> loops for harpsichords? My loops are functional, but they don't > look > >uniform and > >> even. Thanks. > >> > >> (BTW, I know you can buy them premade, but I now have 4 > harpsichords > >and it > >> gets expensive to buy prefabs.) > >> > >> Jim Busby > >> BYU > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > >_______________________________________________ > >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _____________________________ > David M. Porritt > dporritt@mail.smu.edu > Meadows School of the Arts > Southern Methodist University > Dallas, TX 75275 > _____________________________ > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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