strings o spinet

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Hi Frank,
It just dawned on me where the other end of the string is located ( right
behind the key bed right? ) and that is why you could not get the slack you
needed by taking the string loose on the bridge. Right? Samick has this
same problem on spinets at the bass string break. They are very hard to
string. My procedure is to back the pin out three turns, make a becket with
my vice grips and put the string in the pin. Forming the coil is a bit
tricky. To form the coil I place anything that will slip between the new
string ( or repair string ) and whatever is next to it like other strings
or pins. This is usually my pocket screwdriver about three inches long, but
on occasion even smaller things, like a piece of #24 wire are needed to use
as my guide.
Very slowly the coil can be made turning the pin a quarter of a turn and
resetting your string guide as necessary until the pin is back in to where
there is not a lot of side draft to pull the string toward the pin
block.Try to leave the coil always a 1/4 inch away from the bin block so
that you can get something behind the coil to tighten the coil as you work.
If it will go in between the spaces available the Mahaffy coil setter works
great both pushing and pulling the coils, but will not always fit between
the pins. Hummmm that gives me an idea for a cool tool.
Good luck 
Joe Goss
You know you are on the level if your bubble is in the middle.

----------
> From: Frank Cahill <fcahill@erols.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: strings o spinet
> Date: Wednesday, November 11, 1998 10:46 AM
> 
> Christopher D. Purdy wrote:
> > 
> > >Yesterday I had to relace string on a Wurlitzer spinet, around F#4. 
The
> > >problem I had was with the pin directly above the pressure bar...I
could
> > >not get my coil lifter/string spacer tool between the pins. The pins
are
> > >packed quite closely in this area of the piano.
> > >
> > >Even my thinest screwdriver didn't help much.  Needless to say, the
coil
> > >was BAD, BAD, BAD!  Has any one developed some sort of tool or
technique
> > >for this situation?
> > >--
> > >
> > >Frank Cahill
> > >Associate Member
> > >Northern Va
> > 
> >
> >
> 
> 
> Dear List,
> 
> thanks for the many good ideas.  I originally made a coil and tried to
> put it on the tuning pin...no room.  So, I removed the tuning pin from
> the piano, made a couple of turns (1 to 1.25 at best), and put the pin
> back in the piano. I had already installed the coil at the other end of
> the string...so I didn't have much slack.
> 
> Next time, I'll do the hard end first...wind three turns on the tuning
> pin that's been removed from the piano, making sure I have lots of
> slack.  Then I'll install the pin.  All that's left is to work the other
> end.
> 
> I'm also going to make some of the tools you folks suggested.
> 
> Again, I really do appreciate your help.  It's these stupid problems
> that seem obvious to others that seem to throw me.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Frank Cahill
> Associate Member
> Northern Va