String stretching debate: Experiment Idea

[kurt baxter]

Ok, so reading the recent wonderfully heated debate whether or not strings
slowly
stretch (elastic OR plastic) after the initial tensioning, I have two ideas
for experiments:




1) Suspend a 150 weight with piano wire.
    Make two marks near the ends of the wire (to avoid any complications
from "settling" of  termination point knots or grips)
    Measure distance between marks immediately after hanging.
    Days or weeks later, measure again.

If there is any sort of slow, creeping stretch occurring, in a weeks time
the two marks should have traveled away from each other slightly.



2) Make a L shaped slot in a block of wood or metal.  (maybe the corner of
the L should be slight curved to avoid a sharp kink)
    Force a length of piano wire into the slot, bending it past its plastic
point
    Immediately remove the wire from the "jig" and measure the angle
achieved. (likely less that 90 degrees, right?)
    Force a second, identical length of wire into the L shaped slot, and
wait days or weeks.
    Compare the two wires.


If indeed a slow, creeping change happens to wire under sustained force, the
second angle should be sharper that the first.




Any thoughts?



Kurt Baxter
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