Matthew,
Look harder. Actually H.D. probably does not have weld rod but it can be had at a REAL hardware store and there are versions of the stuff that will slip through the loop of a spinet H-spring. Home Depot is great for lot's of things but to be a resourceful piano technician you need to find a hardware store where the old guy's are smoking out by the propane tanks. They know everything!
Also you can take 10 paces from where you are now sitting and use a cheap wire coat hanger that comes from the dry cleaners. Look for the light weight shirt hangers and cut a straight section out ( not the heavy wire ones that are used for a winter coat ) It will also slide through the loops and by the way you were looking for steel (or brass) rod not steel wire.
Best ,
Tom Driscoll,
From: Matthew Todd
In the July, 2009 journal, there is a procedure for replacing upright hammer butt springs. In the article it explains slipping a steel rod through the coil of each spring.
I will be replacing a set of springs on a spinet soon. I went to Home Depot and the smallest diameter steel wire was still too big to push through the coil of my sample spinet spring I had with me.
Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100822/a62947a7/attachment.htm>
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC