breaking loops

[Richard Brekne]

Well, mine certainly look like the ones Ron pictured.  And they do all 
break not actually whilst I am tuning the individual strings.... but 
after I have left them and moved on.  And a good deal afterwards as 
well.  Some over nite as another post mentioned... some a half hour or 
so after being pulled up to pitch.

Its Roslau wire I am told... just thought I might see if I could find 
some explanation as to why it happens.  I'll look a bit closer at the 
break point... point number 3 below kind of stirs a thought.

Cheers, and thanks for the thoughts.

RicB


    On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:13:23 +0100 Ric Brekne wrote:

         >  Speaking of breaking loops...
         >
         >  The last few sets I've ordered from a supplier over here
        seem plagued by
         >  breaking hitch loops as I pull them up to tension.  These
        are French
         >  loops and I havent had the same problem before with any
        other supplier
         >  or with other types of loops.  I'm wondering what it is a
        bass string
         >  maker can possibly do that would cause an increase in loop
        failure..


    Supposing that the eyes are breaking at the point shown in Ron
    Nossaman's picture, then the first cause is excessive tension.
    Presuming that the strings are at proper tensions (and they ought to
    check this and refuse to make them if they are) then there are other
    possible reasons:

    2. They have been using wire that is too hard and brittle.  However,
    when this is the case, at least with my set-up, the wire is likely to
    break when the eye is being made and not necessarily at that point --
    more likely in the spiral windings.  I have never had this problem
    with R wire but know it can happen with wire from another German
    maker whose wire I tried for a brief period.

    3. They have changed the hook on the eye-winder and it hasn't the
    right profile.    The hook needs to have a raindrop-shaped
    cross-section; if it is round then the wire is excessively stressed
    at the point where the spiral windings begin.  I have used the same
    home-shaped hook for years and had no problems at all but if ever I
    had to change or make another one I know I'd need to test it very
    carefully before producing strings for customers.

    4. They have changed the hook (which is circular) on the
    string-making machine to a smaller diameter in relation to the size
    of the eye-making hook.  I have never experienced this myself but can
    imagine it as a possible cause.

    5.  They are winding too tight a spiral.  Although this will not
    necessarily lead to breakages, provided the wire and everything else
    is OK, it can happen.  I use a fixed number of turns for a given wire
    size and eye-length.

    At 16:42 -0700 30/3/08, Jurgen Goering wrote:

     >I have it from the horse's mouth that loops can be weaker if they
     >are made very quickly.

    6.  I think this may be so.  I wind the eyes at slightly over 2 turns
    per second, which is steady and not fast.  Perhaps he has a new man
    making the eyes.

    Whatever the reason, or combination of reasons, is causing this, your
    stringmaker needs to put something right pretty quick or he will lose
    a lot of goodwill, time and copper.  I sympathize with him and am
    thankful I've not had such a problem myself.

    JD