[pianotech] Stringing Tool

[Tom Servinsky]

I'll get a picture of the tool that I use which was Nick Gravange's idea 
awhile back. It's nothing more than an L shaped piece of damper wire  which 
will fit into the tuning pin hole,  then stand proud about 2's above the 
plate, then angle out past the stretcher. The part angling towards the 
stretcher is the part which will mark your coil length. Fast and easy and 
very friendly to use.
 The advantage of this tool is that you can make the length of your coils to 
your own liking. I like to tug rather firmly on the string to get the 
unwanted slack out of the string before I make the length cut. Too many 
times there's unwanted slack around the hitch pitch pins and contact points 
which will ultimately affects the uniformity of cuts.
I have one for the 3 coils where the beckets line up at 1 o'clock. I have 
one for 4 coils at 1 o'clock. And I have one which have them lining up at 12 
o'clock. Again, whichever look you particularly like, you can cut the length 
to your desire.
Tom Servinsky
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Monroe" <bill at a440piano.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 2:12 PM
Subject: [pianotech] Stringing Tool


> So here is the tool I use that a friend of mine made for me.  As I
> said before, given the option of having beckets line up or not, given
> the same effort, line them up.  The right tool has made the difference
> for me.  Of course there are more important functional considerations,
> but that is not the question any more.
>
> The tool is a pair of end cutters, with a small groove ground out of
> the end.  The 1/4" threaded rod is taped to the handle, bent to fit
> throught the groove, and extends plenty far for even the thickest
> strings.  The brass nuts are separated with paired nylon washers,
> allowing you to make micro adjustments as you work your way through
> the piano so beckets continue to all be precisely in the same
> location.  The other component is a 1/4" rod that is placed in the
> tuning pin hole.
>
> The process is simple: I wrap on three turns, pound the first pin,
> route the wire throught the bridge pins, around the hitch, and then
> straight back to the rod (not going through the second set of bridge
> pins).  Then, pulling the string taught, and with the nuts of the wire
> cutters pressed firmly against the rod, cut the wire to length.  Route
> the second half, wrap on 2 1/2 turns and pound in.
>
> A little give and take is required to get it down perfect in terms of
> how many wraps you do on either end, how long to cut the wire, etc.,
> but usually by the second or third pin, all is in order.  Works very
> well for me.
>
> William R. Monroe
>