Breaking strings

[Richard m]

	It would be interesting to know how (if possible) to check for "bad "
wire). It would seem though that such a bad batch would exist only in one
size of wire.  However not knowing the manufacturing process, this is only
a guess.
	First check for proper size of wire.  It seems that a mistake of using
the wrong size could occur more easily that the so "bad Batches" of wire
we have all heard of.  Then do a tension check. Easy to do with a computer
in BASIC.  Could someone post the formula for using wire size rather than
weight per inch?
	Wire breaking at the tuning pin is rather rare.  Check for "invisible"
corrosion.  A strong magnifying glass is needed or a low power microscope.
The break if recent should be shiny.  You might see tiny little pits
through the mg.  Do they have roaches in Canada?  I saw one time where
roaches had peed or what ever they do on certain bass string at the
bridge, and the wire broke at that spot.
	The strings were in the temperament section??   This piano wasn't used to
teach tuning by any chance.  You know how much the beginner has to turn
the pins.  I broke my first new bass string (universal) because I kept
tuning and tuning and tuning.  Only took 20 minutes.  But I have never
heard of this happening, or at least it didn't happen to my piano.
	No matter what, re-stringing is in order.  I'd sure check the scale for
tension and correct string size.  I'm surprised you didn't break any
strings even tuning at its lower pitch.  Usually when a string breaks at
the pin, it only takes the slightest pull of the hammer.

Richard Moody

----------
> From: Stan Kroeker <skroeker@MTS.Net>
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Breaking strings
> Date: Monday, October 21, 1996 5:29 PM
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> Having already contacted Kimball's service manager, George Harrison
> (really!), I would appreciate some advice from independent technicians
> regarding the following problem on a Kimball grand.
>
> The piano is a model 5100 (5 foot 1 inch) grand circa 1980 which had
been
> neglected (but not overtly abused) in recent years.  While correcting
pitch
> from -60 cents (to +15 cents in the first pass) strings began to break
at
> the tuning pin in the temperament octave.  The pitch correction was
> abandoned and the piano gingerly tuned at the lower pitch as the
instrument
> was to be used at a party that evening.
>
> Having been in national service management for 7 years, we dealt with
> inexplicable string breakage in only a handful of the many thousands of
> pianos we sold across Canada.  In each of these few cases, restringing
of
> the offending section permanently solved the problem.
>
> Any other suggestions?  I'm accustomed to the occasional broken high
treble
> string during pitch correction, but usually on much older instruments in
> poorer condition and most often at one of the bearing points rather than
> the tuning pins.  Kimball did not admit to any peculiar trends on this
or
> any other model but admitted (after some prompting) from time to time
they
> had trouble with bad batches of wire.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Stan M. Kroeker, RPT
>
> Kroeker & Sons Piano Experts
> 59 Quiring
> Winnipeg, Manitoba
> Canada  R2G 1Y5
>
> Ph. 204-669-5881
>
>