[pianotech] Square Grand Damper Lift Wires

[Jim Ialeggio]

Terry,

I had to reproduce one damper wire/head  for a square I did a couple of 
months ago. While polishing the heads and wires, one shot off into the 
shop somewhere, and simply dissappeared, despite several hours of 
searching. (still hasn't shown up either...has anyone seen it by chance<G>).

Those are probably "rolled" threads. Rolled means they are not cut with 
a die, but rolled with a custom file-like item on a diagonal to produce 
the "threads".  The file-like thing is a piece of tool steel, maybe like 
a flat cabinet scraper blade, which has a series of shallow, relatively 
tightly spaced grooves the length of the blade. Its actually a simple 
and low tech trick, but you need to put the grooves in the tool steel 
somehow. Then you roll the steel diagonally across the brass to make the 
threads.

I know a guy up here who could make you the steel, or maybe you could 
get a machinist to do it for you there...unless someone else has a 
simpler idea to create the steel.

I looked around a fair bit, trying to find an off the shelf or recycled 
wire, but rolling turned out simpler and cheaper than any else I tried.

Jim Ialeggio




-- 
Jim Ialeggio	
jim at grandpianosolutions.com
978 425-9026
Shirley Center, MA