Piano wire questions... please help...

[TomD]

Hi,

My name is Tom, I'm a 6th form student doing a physics project on piano wire. I would really appreciate it if anyone could tell me how the wires are made (just the normal steel ones, I don't need to know about copper-wound ones) and how they are fitted in pianos?

Thanks for your help!

Tom.

[Barrie Heaton]

Piano wire is made like any other wire it is puled through dyes which get smaller and smaller to the correct size which are listed below in Music wire Gauge size, them mm size and the Braking Strain
mwg mm lbs
1 0.20 19
2 0.25 29
3 0.30 42
4 0.35 57
5 0.40 74
6 0.45 94
7 0.500 116
8 0.525 124
8.5 0.550 139
9 0.575 152
9.5 0.600 165
10 0.625 179
10.5 0.650 194
11 0.675 201
11.5 0.700 207
12 0.725 223
12.5 0.750 238
13 0.775 251
13.5 0.800 267
14 0.825 282
14.5 0.850 298
15 0.875 313
15.5 0.900 328
16 0.925 346
16.5 0.950 362
17 0.975 377
17.5 1.000 395
18 1.025 412
18.5 1.050 430
19 1.075 448
19.5 1.100 465
20 1.125 481
20.5 1.150 498
21 1.175 516
21.5 1.200 531
22 1.225 551
22.5 1.250 569
23 1.300 608
24 1.400 653
25 1.500 697
26 1.600 745

Treble strings are normally tuned with a 160lbs tension on them at pitch.

They are attached to a piano at one end it is coiled round a wrest pin (this is what we use to tune it with) now depending on the make of piano it travels to a hitch pin and is attached to that pin with an eye. On other makes the string just goes round the hitch pin and returns to a second wrest pin, this is the most common way for the treble strings

Barrie,

[sussexpianos]

piano wire is used in many applications. I sell wire to set designers, wig makers, brick makers ( used to remove clay), used to be used as cheese wire until they stoped it, and F&N sold wire to be used in the contruction of the Queen Elizabeth bridge at Dartford.
Was very useful one day when I left my keys in the car!

[Tom Tuner]

I've sold it to a truck repair shop for replacing a "choke cable" (bowden cable) and to a construction crew for a plumb line to set up an elevator shaft. After I had to fish my car keys out through the window with the coil of wire I fortunately had with me I started keeping the keys clipped to my belt.

Tom Tuner