Anyone know where I can find something like piano wire, ( please don’t suggest a piano store) I need to increase the throw on my bullfrog manual switch machines since I need to go through 2’ foam board and 1/2’ plywood…
Hobby Lobby, Michaels, places like that.
Rich
Ace Hardware. Every Ace Hardware around here sells “music wire” in a variety of sizes.
What he said!!!
Most decent LHS will also carry several sizes of “Piano Wire” as well.
73
Hobby shops that deal in model airplanes have music wire.
If you purchase from a hardware store, the wire is likely to be coiled and getting it straight can be a chore. I I buy lengths of straight wire from Walthers. I run it through teflon tubing to the turnout. Works well.
All of the music wire sold by Ace Hardware around here is a product of K&S Engineering of Chicago, Illinois, and is straight pieces in 3 foot lengths. You can buy it by the individual piece or in a plastic tube of 10 pieces per.
The only time I have ever seen it in a roll is when a club member who is a professional piano repair technician gave us some, and it was very difficult to straighten because it seems to be a form of tempered spring steel.
As noted earlier make sure you ask for Music Wire or Control wire. For some reason when you ask for piano wire you get a strange stare at hobby shops. Most carry it.
Try any music store for guitar strings take a piece with you for the gauge that you want they have them in about 3 1/2 to 4 ft sizes and they are cheaper too. Jim.
I have had also success with small brass tube over the existing wire.
Wolfgang
Hmmm [%-)] Do you mean that you need to increase the length of reach of the drive from the motor through the foam and ply… or do you mean that you need to increase the throw of the switch blades? (Or both)?
If you need to modify the throw of the blades the following may be useful…
When driving piano wire horizontally it can be useful to put an omega loop into piano/music wire when using it to drive switch blades. It adds an element of flex / compression / slack take upwithout putting too much pressure on the blades.
[8D]
Guitar strings, seriously?
I don’t play the guitar, but are the strings that thick?
I use 0.40" diameter to control the Tortoise.
Rich
When you find the right wire you need you may have to elongate the hole through your roadbed as the wire will bend in the middle when it applies pressure on the points. The longer the length of the verticle wire the more it will flex.
I had to get Tortoises to work Peco turnouts through a longer distance than the provided wire would allow. I tried some piano wire type stuff, but it was not strong enough to overcome the “snap” of the switch. I found a bundle of marking flags (like they use to mark underground cables and pipes) at the local hardware store. I had to drill out the holes in the switch machine and in the turnout, but they work like a champ.
Rich, I play Mandoline in Bluegrass and Gospel bands. You can buy Mando G strings in .036 to .040 gauge at most better music stores, or grab some from a friend who plays. Also, the .E 010 to .A 016 gauge strings make good rails or piping, with no pre-formed curls. Best wishes, JWH