At 13:40 +1000 4/5/08, Ron Overs wrote: >The double eye is certainly more trouble to make, but we have found >that the additional friction-contact with the hitch pin, when at >pitch, makes the double looped version less likely to tighten up on >the pin. The jig we use for making them allows us to make the eyes >with a tighter 'first bend', which seems to prevent the coils from >tightening on the pin, allowing it to be easily removed from the >hitch pin once the tension is let down. We were unable to achieve >this with a single looped eye. So we continue to use double looped >eyes for our instruments. > >Below is a sample of our eyes. Yes, I had forgotten about that. I made a few last time the topic came up and today when I made some more I realised why I had probably dropped the idea the first time -- simply that the hook on my bass string machine is too fat for this sort of eye; at least I guess so. I presume you make the eye so that it is a fairly close fit round the hitchpin. I really must get round to making up a thinner hook, which would be useful for other jobs too. I find your eye is pretty quick to make and if it works as you say, which I don't doubt, it would be a useful alternative to offer to my string customers. But, as I have said, I imagine the diameter has to be made according to the hitchpins of the particular piano. Is that right? JD
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