How Do I use This Hand-held Coil Maker?

[Warren Fisher]

arnold1@mindspring.com wrote:
>
> A technician friend bought the $11 version of the Scortino coil maker, but
> it came with no instructions,

Arnold,

1. Hold the coiler in your left hand (if you are right-handed)
2. Put any tuning pin in the hole becket end up.  If you are starting to
string a piano of course put in the pin you will be using.
3. If the becket hole is not a little over a string width above the top
of the coiler, loosen the wing-nut on the bottom and adjust the screw
until it is and carefully re-tighten the wing nut until it's tight and
in the right position.
4. Insert the end of the wire through the becket hole until it is even
with the edge of the hole in coiler, or in other words extending a tiny
bit out of the becket hole of the pin maybe a 64th of an inch.
5. With your left index finger press the wire firmly against the wire
guide sticking up out of the top of the coiler.
6. Put your stringing crank on the top of the pin with the handle
pointing away from you.
7. Now you will crank the coil, keeping in mind the following:
	aa. You must keep the wire pressed against the wire guide throughout
the cranking procedure.
	a. The first half turn must be very quick. Use a snap of the wrist and
turn it in a clockwise direction.
	b. The function of that quick half turn is to put in the 90 degree bend
for the becket.  If you are slow, you will make a curved becket which
will be instable.
	c. When you get the becket bent in, just keep on turning and count one
each time you pass your initial position.  I use 2-1/2 turns because
with the becket finishing up on the far side of the pin from where the
string turns on to the pin, you have more options to make a neat coil.
8. If you are putting in new pins and wire, mearly take the crank and
pin out together and insert the pin firmly into the block hole and drive
the pin with the wire attached into position.
9. If you are replacing a broken string, gently pry the becket out of
the hole with narrow-tipped needle noses and place the coil over the pin
in the piano.  You may have to open the coil a bit to get it over the
pin in the piano.  Try not to pull the becket too far out when you are
removing it from the "dummy" pin and installing it in the piano because
it will make it hard to get the becket into the hole.
10. Tighten the second coil first one quarter turn, then the first
coil.  Put the beckets in the same relative positions.  Press the
beckets against the pin. Go another quarter turn and pluck the strings
to compare pitches.  To get the pitches together tighten the sharp
string more sharp then bring the becket back to match the other one.
They should be closer in pitch.  Gradually bring up to correct pitch
together.

Hope this helps,

Warren

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Warren D. Fisher
fish@communique.net
Registered Piano Technician
Piano Technicians Guild
New Orleans Chapter 701