O.K.., let me offer some thoughts in more detail.
-The becket bend is the most fragile part of the piano wire, from the moment it is first made. A tap with a becket breaker, or a well-placed screwdriver, will break the becket, but not other places on the coil.
-The coil we make is a very strong spring.
-We don't break the becket when we remove it from a dummy pin because (without realizing it) we release the dummy pin in a way that does not allow the coil spring to create pressure against the becket.
-When the time comes to back off the string and remove the coil, as the bass strings unwind, the string moves to an angle in the agraffe, becoming trapped.
-As we continue turning back the pin, pressure builds in the coil/spring as it pushes against the string which is stuck in the agraffe.
-The pressure is perfectly focused against the sharp bend of the wire against the edge of the becket hole in the pin. This is the weakest place in the string, so it breaks. Especially true of the low bass strings.
-Therefore, as you back off the tuning pin, grab the bass string in the speaking length and maintain tension so the wire can move through the agraffe and minimize the buildup of tension in the coil/spring.
- When the coil is loose enough, grab the wire at the becket as you would when transfering a new wire from a dummy pin to the tuning pin, and you will almost never have a wire break at the becket.
-[Don't do this, and you are almost certain to have some broken beckets on low bass strings.]
Having said this, if you do have a string break at the becket...sometimes almost spontaneously in treble strings while tuning...it is possible bend a new becket on the end of the coil.
One way is to grasp the end of the coil laterally, across the jaws of a small vise grip pliers, just enough to make the becket, and bend a good right angle (actually just slightly acute), which will hold the wire in the hole.
Then make little squeezes with the pliers to flatten the becket wire as much as possible.
Now the trick, which can be difficult in small verticals, is to back off the pin about one turn, grasp the wire at the coil side of the becket bend, slip it over the pin, and then with nice little movements, align the wire tip with the hole, then back turn the pin so the hole slips over the wire. Then seat the wire in the hole and begin turning the pin to tighten the coil. This can take several careful nudging movements of the pin and the wire. It is important to do this in a way that does not create any secondary bends in the wire. You must get the right angle bend to grab against the edge of the hole.
Of course, meanwhile, you must be sure the other end is on the hitchpin, through the bridge pins, and not accidentaly crossed under its neighbor! And snug up the coil without crossing the wire on the pin.
Sorry to go on at such length, but perhaps the detail will help someone. It really can be done quite well...most of the time.
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Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com(980) 254-7413
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-24-2017 10:01
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Baffled by broken bass beckets!
Enlarging the hole in the new pin with a drill can also help ease insertion of a slightly bent becket, especially the big low ones.
Some Asian wire is pretty stiff stuff. Too late now, but I always warn the piano owner ahead of time that this a possible complication in this type of job. MIGHT require a few new strings in the process.
Pwg
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Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-23-2017 23:30
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Baffled by broken bass beckets!
This happens if you crank back the pin and let the coil press like a spring against the becket.
Grab the wire in the speaking length and pull, maintaining tension against the coil while you turn back the pin.
Once you understand how this works there should be no problem with breaking beckets.
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Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-23-2017 22:12
From: Sean Stafford
Subject: Baffled by broken bass beckets!
Greetings all : )
I'm seeking advice on a repinning job please. I'm replacing tuning pins in a Kawaii grand GS-50 that I'm told is around 30 years old.
Some of the 2/0 are loose and I'm replacing them with 3/0 pins and it's working out fine except for one thing......
The beckets in the bass section are breaking off during the removal of the 2/0 pin and I'm really struggling to remake the becket.
They're breaking right at the 90 degree bend and I have plenty of string left to work with but despite that I'm having a heck of a time with remaking a becket that bends at a sharp enough angle to readily enter the tuning pin.
My problem ( I think... ) is that I need a way to create a sharp 90 degree bend in the string where the becket enters the tuning pin. This is proving to be a difficult task.
The rest of the pinning job is going really well, the tenor and treble sections are looking good and have tight, neat coils, I don't want the bass section to look like it was done by drunken monkeys!
I'm curious if anyone has solved this issue for themselves and if you could share your wisdom I'd be most grateful.
Thank you!
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Sean Stafford
Endicott NY
607-239-4643
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