Re: Music Wire - Guitar Strings

From: <leop_at_lyradev.com>
Date: 08 Apr 2014 11:24:22 -0700

I normally just hand straighten the music wire (guitar strings or rolls from Precision Brand) I use. It is also easier to bring coiled wire to contests. However, it is possible to mechanically straighten rolled music wire at home. One just needs to take a length (a whole guitar string is a good length) and pull on it until the wire breaks. One needs to fasten the ends well so that the wire does not pull loose from the ends. For 0.013" wire, it will take at least 50 pounds of force to break the wire (if less, the music wire does not meet the tensile strength specifications). I sometimes put a very small nick (with a file) in the wire (just like a scratch) an inch or two from an end so that the wire will break at the nick (so as to get the longest straight length and not two shorter pieces). This method works by stretching the wire to a stress level well past the elastic limit and resetting the wire's shape (just like coiling straight wire resets the wire into a coiled shape). If the wire breaks too soon, say at a defect or at the ends, the wire will not be stressed well past the elastic limit and the wire will not turn out very straight.

  If I recall correctly, I think Ray Harlan first told me about this method.

 LeoP

Received on Tue Apr 08 2014 - 11:24:22 CEST