The Instrument Workshop

Parts, plans and supplies for early keyboard instruments and other stringed instruments

Coils and Spools

Small and large coils are 4" (10 cm) in diameter. The amount of wire in a coil depends on the diameter. The coil is held together by a short piece of soft tie wire wrapped around the coil. Do not remove this tie wire, but feed enough wire from the coil through the tie wire as needed for your string and clip it off with wire cutters. Each coil is packaged in a heavy plastic bag.

Small and Large Coils

Typical Small and Large Coils

Looped strings are individually packaged in plastic bags. The length of the helix (twisted portion) may be specified, as well as the length of the string. If not specified, lengths are 5ft for .007” to .012” diameter, 6ft for .013” to .014”, 7ft for .016” to .018”, and 8ft for .020” and above; the length of the helix is chosen in proportion to the diameter of string.

Pair Looped Strings

Mini, small, medium, large and double spools all use the same plastic spool with a 3.75” diameter core, 6.5” diameter flanges, and 1.5” traverse. The spool has a 5/8” bore and weighs about 6 oz.

Small and Large Spools etc

Bulk coils are available for some wire. Bulk coils are difficult to handle. If the wire shifts (especially for smaller diameter wire below .014”), the wire may get tangled up and it will be difficult to get  longer strings from it without kinking the wire. Bulk coils have a diameter from 6” to 12” depending on wire size. These coils are split from larger 25lb coils, so their weight varies, usually between 1.5 and 3 lb. You will be charged  for the actual weight of the coil we ship. The coils  are held together by 2 to 3 tie wires and are packaged in a plastic bag.

Bulk Coil

Bulk spools are available for a few wire types. They typically hold from 5 to 10 pounds of wire.

Bulk Spools

Spool on which we place our wire

Various Bulk Coils

Typical Bulk Spool

Looped Strings from two different sets