wrong?

[Al Jeschke]

Thanks Les - I forgot to mention to give the strings a twist (in the right
direction) before the strings are hooked up again and put under tension.
        There is a simple way of breaking up the corrosion between string
windings using a simple jig, which can be used with the strings removed from
just the hitch pins.  The action will also need to be removed from the piano.
        A visual description of such a jig is given in the November 1962
issue of the PTG Journal.  I would revise the jig somewhat, to make it less
cumbersome and easier to operate.  With just a few parts, available from
most hardwares, this tool can easily be made.  If there is enough interest,
I'll work at giving a pattern, or at least a logical description.

Al Jeschke RPT
jeschkea@cadvision.com



>One old-time approach to trying to break up the corrosion in a dying
>bass string, and hence improve its tone (hopefully), is to lower the
>tension on it enough that you can remove it from its hitch-pin. Next,
>put a tight loop in the string, about six-eight inches in diameter,
>and then run the loop up and down the string, from one end to the other
>about half a dozen times or so. When re-attaching the string to it's
>hitch pin, try to add a few more twists than you found there original-
>ly, (in the direction of the winding, of course!). In some cases this
>proceedure actually works! It's at least worth a try. Most supply houses
>sell a special spring-loaded tool for twisting bass strings that really
>works quite well, and can save your fingers, too!
>
>Les Smith
>lessmith@buffnet.net
>
>On Sun, 6 Apr 1997, Al Jeschke wrote:
>
>>
>> The main reason for loss of tone in iron wound strings is because of
>> corrosion between the iron winding.  The same holds true for copper wound
>> strings, except, copper is less quickly to take on corrosion.  If the
>> winding corrosion is broken up, you will regain most, or at least a good
>> portion of the lost tone.  There is always some loss of tone as the result
>> of the increased stiffness and the loss of elasticity of the aging core wire
>> under tension.
>>
>> Al Jeschke
>> Calgary, Alberta, Canada
>> jeschkea@cadvision.com
>> >
>> >----------
>> >> From: Newton Hunt <nhunt@jagat.com>
>> >> To: pianotech@byu.edu
>> >> Subject: Re: wrong?
>> >> Date: Sunday, April 06, 1997 7:20 PM
>> >>
>> >> >Dear list,
>> >> >	Have I been wrong all these years thinking that the winding was iron?
>> >> >Let me know please
>> >> >James Grebe from St. Louis
>> >> >pianoman@inlink.com
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> Soft iron.  It is less dense than copper so a larger winding can be use
>> >as
>> >> opposed to a too thin copper winding.  Often gives a sweet mellow sound.
>> >> Iron strings do loose tone faster than copper.  Aluminum is and has been
>> >> used when copper is just too thin to wind..
>> >>
>> >>         Newton
>> >>         nhunt@jagat.com
>> >> Dear list,
>> >I have been vindicated.  My further query is why would iron, not steel,
>> >wound strings sound very good at first but change to losing their tone.  Is
>> >it because of tarnish that would settle in on soft iron very quickly or
>> >some other reason?
>> >thanks,
>> >James Grebe from St. Louis
>> >pianoman@inlink.com
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>