A tool for Harpsichord pins w/o hole

Ken Eschete k-eschete@nwu.edu
Mon Jan 29 10:23 MST 2001


Hi,
A simple tool can be made to aid making coils on tuning pins that have no
hole drilled in them.  (This includes not only harpsichords, but antique
pianos as well).

Simply cut a 5" section of hardwood dowel, and drill a hole in the end of
it that is only slightly larger than the diameter of the tuning pin.  The
idea is to insert the end of the wire down into the hole and force the
rounded end of the tuning pin along side the wire to clamp the two
together.  Make the coils so that they wrap over the spare end while you
pull back (the other end of the wire being  held by the hitch pin).  Once
most of the coils are made, simply pull the pin out of the dowel.  The
spare end of the wire will have to be cut ( or bent until it breaks) flush
with the last coil.  Now finish the last few coils and tap the pin into the
pinblock, keeping good tension on the string at all times.

Once in a while, the coil will loosen up before you can get enough tension
for it to hold.  In this case, give up and start over again.  Once it slips
once, it can't be trusted to hold.

This tip came from John Watson at Colonial Williamsburg.

Ken Eschete
Northwestern University

PLEASE NOTE: My e-mail address is changing to k-eschete@northwestern.edu
--
Kenneth P. Eschete
Northwestern University
k-eschete@northwestern.edu




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