German Eyes

Byrolinda · Post by **Byrolinda** » 23 Jan 2008, 13:31

Can anyone advise me about forming 'German' eyes? I am going to restring my 19th century grand with Puresound wire. I have experience of English eyes, but am having little success in making a well formed German type. I do not have specialist tools, but am a handy guy who enjoys a challenge. Thanks.

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 23 Jan 2008, 14:09

You need an eye maker tool to make them even.

Double English eyes put a screw driver with the diameter of the eye in a vice wrap round twice, lift off, grip eye in a moul grips just past the eye and twist wire 4 times to make coil.

take a bit of practise and you do wast a lot of wire making them

Barrie

Byrolinda · Post by **Byrolinda** » 23 Jan 2008, 15:48

thanks. I'll get some practice in on ordinary wire so as not to waste the music wire.

Tom Tuner · Post by **Tom Tuner** » 05 Feb 2008, 21:51

Didn't you ask this on Piano World? In any case my answer is the same: get a looping machine. It isn't very expensive and does a neat, consistent job. Sure, you can make them by hand, but who wants to do that for an entire set of treble strings? Waste of time! For about #20 and larger wire (USW&S gauge) you will have to learn to do it by hand as heavy wire is not handled well by the machine and may tear it up. Doing really heavy wire requires that you have a stout machinist's vise securely bolted to a heavy workbench. I'll put up some details on my flickr.com page if I can get some decent photos.

Tom Tuner