Nylon string tension testing

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Alan
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Location: Canberra

Nylon string tension testing

Post by Alan » Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:29 pm

Greetings learned instrument makers.
Can anyone tell me how I can built a test rig to determine the string tension on nylon single filament and wound strings.
I want to be able to determine the string tension of different gauge strings for different scale lengths.
D’addario have tension figures in their website but I don’t recall any other string manufacturers providing this information.
Information seems to be available for steel strings but as nylon strings are somewhat elastic I imagine they don’t stretch in accordance with hooke’s law.

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kiwigeo
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Re: Nylon string tension testing

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:06 pm

See Trevor Gore and Gerard Gilet's Books. There are photos of a jig Trevor uses to measure/calculate longtitudinal stiffness. I built the jig but found that when testing classical strings 1) it took a week or more for the strings to finish stretching and 2) stiffness calculations were highly variable across different string sets. Tension is applied to the string via a weight at the end of string attached to the bridge end of the string and running over a pulley so the weight is hanging vertically. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the jig and the jig itself is packed away. Trevor can probably provide some info on his jig.
Alan wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:29 pm
Greetings learned instrument makers.
Can anyone tell me how I can built a test rig to determine the string tension on nylon single filament and wound strings.
I want to be able to determine the string tension of different gauge strings for different scale lengths.
D’addario have tension figures in their website but I don’t recall any other string manufacturers providing this information.
Information seems to be available for steel strings but as nylon strings are somewhat elastic I imagine they don’t stretch in accordance with hooke’s law.
Martin

Alan
Sassafras
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:31 pm
Location: Canberra

Re: Nylon string tension testing

Post by Alan » Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:49 pm

Many Thanks.
I’d forgotten that the Gore/Gilet books had addressed these matters.
I’ll get the, down from the shelf and check what they say about testing strings.
Alan

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