[NSP] Re: Respringing a key
Hello Ian, Which key spring is failing? I ask because C# and D# springs are not easy to fit and sometimes provide inadequate closing. Each spring needs to continue to provide pressure when the key is at rest and very occasionally these two springs fail to do so sufficiently. Careful bending can help. Is there any evidence of a fracture in the spring? Does it look alright but simply isn't doing the job? Is there sufficient length left on the original rivet to attempt re-attachment of the key? Further information here will assist others to advise. If you decide to go ahead yourself a silver rivet might not be very apparent on a chrome-plated key. However, unless an emergency repair is necessary, I think it is always best to get help from the original pipe-maker. Good luck! Francis On 19 Oct 2009, at 02:51, Ian Lawther wrote: One of the springs on my chanter has become very weak and is, I fear, about to break. I have the choice of returning it to the maker for respringing (a trans Atlantic posting job), getting a maker here in the US to do it (a couple of options - more if I consider other local folk woodwind makers) or trying to do it myself. In considering doing it myself I have Cocks and Bryan and Mike Nelson's website as guides but both are aimed at making keys not refitting them. Mine is chrome plated and I don't particularly want to drill through to put a new rivet in. How do people usually do itis it feasible to use the stub of the original rivet to mount the spring? Any thoughts and advice welcome Ian www.bagpipediscs.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Respringing a key
Hi Ian It comes to mind that if you could break off the original spring leaving the rivet intact then you could dress the underside of the rivet head square and fit a spring with a keyhole mounting hole. The larger part could fit over the rivet head to slide the smaller round the stem. The spring could then be soft soldered in place, taking care to clean off all flux residues. This is not an approach I've actually used but in the circumstances it will probably work. Cheers, Dave Dave Shaw, Northumbrian and Scottish Smallpipes, Irish Pipes and SHAW Whistles www.daveshaw.co.uk - Original Message - From: Ian Lawther irlawt...@comcast.net To: nsp nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 2:51 AM Subject: [NSP] Respringing a key One of the springs on my chanter has become very weak and is, I fear, about to break. I have the choice of returning it to the maker for respringing (a trans Atlantic posting job), getting a maker here in the US to do it (a couple of options - more if I consider other local folk woodwind makers) or trying to do it myself. In considering doing it myself I have Cocks and Bryan and Mike Nelson's website as guides but both are aimed at making keys not refitting them. Mine is chrome plated and I don't particularly want to drill through to put a new rivet in. How do people usually do itis it feasible to use the stub of the original rivet to mount the spring? Any thoughts and advice welcome Ian www.bagpipediscs.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.422 / Virus Database: 270.14.20/2443 - Release Date: 10/17/09 13:08:00
[NSP] Re: Respringing a key
Sorry if this appears several times- slight mix up with the to and from addresses Ian Lawther wrote: One of the springs on my chanter has become very weak and is, I fear, about to break. I have the choice of returning it to the maker for respringing (a trans Atlantic posting job), getting a maker here in the US to do it (a couple of options - more if I consider other local folk woodwind makers) or trying to do it myself. You could try work-hardening the spring by bending it forward and back a number of times with very fine pliers. Of course, this may have an unwished-for side effect! In considering doing it myself I have Cocks and Bryan and Mike Nelson's website as guides but both are aimed at making keys not refitting them. Mine is chrome plated and I don't particularly want to drill through to put a new rivet in. How do people usually do itis it feasible to use the stub of the original rivet to mount the spring? You will need to file/grind the head off the original rivet so there won't be enough left to use for the new spring (in my experience). Ray Sloan used to use a tiny screw but presumably his keys were thick enough at the attachment point, I have never done that. I think you're going to have to drill through the key for a new rivet. A nickel-silver rivet may be unobtrusive as Francis says but the chrome plating is very brittle and will probably crack around the drill hole. You can get the key re-plated but if it is a very fine fit in the slot the extra thickness may cause binding. The key head can of course be polished smooth without re-plating. If the plating has cracked on the spring, that would possibly explain the weakness BTW. We gave up using nickel or chrome mainly for that reason, we now just offer silver. Cheers Richard -- Richard Evans To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Respringing a key
Dear Ian, It seems that you have become another victim of the chrome or nickel plated keys syndrome. What I mean by that is to do with the hardness of the plating compared to the spring material which even if it is nickel is much softer that the nickel deposited by plating. If the bending of the spring causes a crack in the nickel or chrome plating the springs tends to pivot at that point and with constant use weakens and snaps. Standard metal fatigue. What needs to be done is to file off the top of the rivet over the spring and the remove the remaining piece of spring. File down the stub of rivet left which cannot be used to re-rivet a new spring and drill a new 1mm hole adjacent to it. The new spring can then be fitted although the rivet will be seen on the top of the key. I always plate my keys with sterling silver now as it is much softer and does not create the problem with the springs. The alternative solution is to send the key to the original maker to get him to fix it. Much easier in fact. Colin R -Original Message- From: Ian Lawther irlawt...@comcast.net To: nsp nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 2:51 Subject: [NSP] Respringing a key One of the springs on my chanter has become very weak and is, I fear, about to break. I have the choice of returning it to the maker for respringing (a trans Atlantic posting job), getting a maker here in the US to do it (a couple of options - more if I consider other local folk woodwind makers) or trying to do it myself. In considering doing it myself I have Cocks and Bryan and Mike Nelson's website as guides but both are aimed at making keys not refitting them. Mine is chrome plated and I don't particularly want to drill through to put a new rivet in. How do people usually do itis it feasible to use the stub of the original rivet to mount the spring? Any thoughts and advice welcome Ian www.bagpipediscs.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html =
