Don Taylor Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 Any suggestions for a source of wire for making my own springs? Preferably in North America. Looking at this video: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+concertina+springs&view=detail&mid=0E9183FF3B9AC4E9872A0E9183FF3B9AC4E9872A&FORM=VIRE Anthony James is using .65mm phosphor bronze wire. This is about 22 gauge wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 (edited) Don, McMaster, but I'm not sure they ship to Canada anymore. You may need to have someone forward it to you or pick it up on the American side. Greg Edited July 19, 2016 by Greg Jowaisas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDF Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 Don, if you do not have any luck nearer I think this company will probably send to Canada .David. https://eileensemporium.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=category&task=listing&cid=1036&name=hand-drills-pin-vices-1&Itemid=189 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_holden Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 Also there's A.J. Reeves in England. http://www.ajreeves.com/search/for/spring+wire/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 haha cool alex! I found it hard to find small quantities of spring wire but that site is great for it. Spring hard brass wire is also very hard to get full stop. Did you ever find a source of small quantities of spring hard brass wire? All I ever found for that stuff was commissioning a wire factory to make it which cost at least £300 and whoever I asked always seemed to gasp at the suggestion as if it was something deeply rare and esoteric.... Not helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pierceall Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Any suggestions for a source of wire for making my own springs? Preferably in North America. Looking at this video: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+concertina+springs&view=detail&mid=0E9183FF3B9AC4E9872A0E9183FF3B9AC4E9872A&FORM=VIRE Anthony James is using .65mm phosphor bronze wire. This is about 22 gauge wire. Try your local model train shop and see if they carry tubes of phosphor bronze wire. A tube contains about 12 pieces, each about 8 inches long and costs about $2.50US. Also Tichy Train Group has a web site, and they are a supplier. It comes in different gauges. I use .025. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_holden Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Spring hard brass wire is also very hard to get full stop. Did you ever find a source of small quantities of spring hard brass wire? All I ever found for that stuff was commissioning a wire factory to make it which cost at least £300 and whoever I asked always seemed to gasp at the suggestion as if it was something deeply rare and esoteric.... Not helpful I haven't looked; what are you using it for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex West Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I've used harpsichord brass wire quite successfully - and not too expensive even in a small quantity. Try Malcolm Rose in Lewes Alex West Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I've had good experience with used autoharp strings. Newly-bought ones should be even better. They're more readily available in the US than here in Europe. I used the thickest plain steel string, which is string no. 14, note D. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I bought from a harpsichord maker initially but came to realise I was just putting a middleman between me and the real supplier. If you are in the US McMaster-Carr is good, I recommend phospher-bronze rather than brass. They don't send out of the US (well, not to me anyway, they sent me a brilliantly worded email some years ago which said they couldn't make enough money out of me so goodbye) and consequently I get things I buy from them sent to friends who send them on. McMaster-Carr are blindingly and embarrassingly fast, back when they would send to me it was less than 36 hours from the US to on my doorstep in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Try, Instrument Workshop 541 552 0989 Toll Free (US) 1 800 442 6036 shop77@fortepiano.com www.fortepiano.com Phos Bronze .0285 (item 1.0016307-28.5) Rhos Bronze .020 (item 1.0016307-25) I use the .025. The .0285 is just too tough. One spool has provided so far700 springs and I think I am about 2/3 of the way through. Took 5 days to arrive fro USA. David (PS they happily shipped to Australia) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Sorry, Should read: I use the .020. The .0285 is just too tough. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hornett Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Ah, Mr Anglo-Irish man. I just took the opportunity to visit your website, and what a lovely rendition of Waltzing Matilda, but I prefer the original, now known as the Queensland Version, although there is some contention as to whether it is the original or Queensland. It can be found here: https://youtu.be/4ElJ9wQllJ0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I use .024". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Lots of options presented, thank you very much. I did try a local hobby shop and bought a piece of .025 'music wire' which turned out to be steel. Something to experiment upon but not to use in anger. I walked out of the shop with a single 3' length of .025 wire and felt that I was carrying an assassin's weapon. Quite a creepy feeling. One thing I have found out is that phosphor bronze wire comes in various tempers: soft, half-hard, hard and spring (which might be the same as hard?). I assume that soft is inappropriate for this application but what about half-hard? Would this be springy enough but still allow for easy adjustment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Try, Instrument Workshop 541 552 0989 Toll Free (US) 1 800 442 6036 shop77@fortepiano.com www.fortepiano.com Very useful site in general. Not just wire, but leather, chamois and other interesting items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 haha cool alex! I found it hard to find small quantities of spring wire but that site is great for it. Spring hard brass wire is also very hard to get full stop. Did you ever find a source of small quantities of spring hard brass wire? All I ever found for that stuff was commissioning a wire factory to make it which cost at least £300 and whoever I asked always seemed to gasp at the suggestion as if it was something deeply rare and esoteric.... Not helpful Is this what you are looking for: http://fortepiano.com/products-menu-item/wire-menu-item/copper-alloy-menu-item/spring-brass-menu-item Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4to5to6 Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Very useful information. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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