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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=piano@charlesneuman.net =
href="mailto:piano@charlesneuman.net">Charles
Neuman</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, May 26, 2003 5:26 =
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> spinet string =
repairs</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I'm curious about techniques and tools for replacing strings on
spinets<BR>without removing the action.<BR><BR>I recently discovered =
why
people recommend removing the action. I could<BR>get the string on the =
hitch
pin, but it kept popping off, and the whole<BR>thing took me about 45
minutes.<BR><BR>If I had the right tools, I think I could do it more =
quickly.
I noticed in<BR>one catalog there was a tool which was like a long =
straw, and
it helped<BR>you get the string over the hitch pin. The next thing =
that is
needed is a<BR>good way to clamp the string to the hitch pin and =
bridge pins
while you're<BR>installing the ends of the string. I could picture a =
really
long vice grip<BR>needle nose pliers with padded jaws. You could clamp =
the
string in place<BR>somehow. Or a really thick rubber band that goes =
around the
hitch pin and<BR>stretches over the brige pins and up to the tuning
pins. This might put<BR>enough pressure to keep the string on =
the bridge
pins.<BR><BR>Anybody have any techniques or tools to share, or is it =
really
easier to<BR>just remove the whole action?<BR><BR>Charles =
Neuman<BR>PTG Assoc,
Long
=
Island<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>pian=
otech
list info: <A
=
href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org=
/mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Depends on how difficult the action is to
remove. If it's an easy one, I go ahead and take it out (when =
the
stickers come out with the action). But if I have to pop 88 =
stickers off
the backs of the keys, then put 'em back on, I'll try to just take the =
action
bracket nuts off, pull the action back as far as it will go, but leave =
it
sitting on its rests. Then I can at least get my hands down in =
there to
position the string. A long screwdriver with a V-notch filed in =
it helps
to hold the string against the bridge while I get it around the other =
bridge
pin. A hemostat usually works to clamp the loop to the hitch =
pin, or a
Vise-grips, if I can get 'em in there. </DIV>
<DIV> If it's an understrung string, I would =
probably take
the action out. Haven't tried the "straw", but I have a thin =
slat with
two parallel tubes epoxied to it, which works pretty well.</DIV>
<DIV> It's never easy. Is doing anything on a =
spinet
easier than taller models, besides moving it?</DIV>
<DIV> --David Nereson,
RPT<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>