Mark, I posted this about a year ago on pianotech, and may give you another way to "skin the cat". Easier to show in person, but... I assume you already have the other end on the hitchpin and the string is cut to your favourite length. Make a loose "becket" about 25mm in length. Place leg of becket along the pin with the kink at the top of where you want your windings to start. While holding pin & wire in left hand , put tuning pin into tuning hammer/wrench and start winding the string down over the becket part. (i.e. cross over immediately on first turn) After a few turns you should be able to put enough tension on the string to just be able to twirl the winding on without holding your thumb on the becket tail. Keep your coils neat and tight at least at the top. Lower down you may want to spread them out to adjust the downbearing. When you have wound it so that the pin is over the hole, (or earlier if you wish) work the excess tail until it breaks off , and while keeping pin in tuning wrench and keeping tension just push it in the hole. As you are lowering it, you can feed string past jacks and dampers and place on the proper side of the nut pin. Push firmly enough to hold it until you immediately tap it in tighter. Check to see that string is still in proper position on bridge. If not, there is not enough tension on it to keep you from moving it to the right place with your fingers. (and remember the backpinning) Start bringing it up to pitch. You will probably have to retap the pin a couple times before it's at pitch. Clear as mud? Good luck!! Conrad Conrad Hoffsommer - mailto:hoffsoco@luther.edu Musica turbatos sensus animosque removet. Music puts aside troubled mind and spirit.
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