Reply from Mr. Stonehill:
The pins you want are much bigger than that (.023") they are .056" Which is a 17 gage British Imperial wire gage diameter which is quite small enough thank you. there is also a close equivalent Stubs gage (used for wire gage drills and such) that calls for a gage 54 which is .055" and a gage 53 which is .058 which i think you will find to be too large to install without bending it. If you go to Music wire which is the only thing I have been able to locate, you end up with a 24 gage music wire which is also a .055 diameter. I do not have any right now, but am getting an order up for some other items from one of my suppliers, that can supply the music wire. I will order a quantity of it in straight 12 inch lengths, and try it in some of the axis pins and see how they fit. I have found some variance in the holes as well so they may be loose in some holes which might be a case for the larger .058 diameter except that music wire comes in .059 instead of .058. (is your head hurting yet??) It is not all that cheap so I hate to order a package and find I cant use it although it would not be a huge thing to spin them in the lathe and polish them to fit. I have been making them on the lathe and they are way too time consuming to make for what I can ask for them to sell. A ready to use wire is the way to go. I will do some more checking and thinking (after my head quits hurting) and see if I want to go with the .055 or the .059, and polish them down. If I get the smaller size and they fall out I won't be able to really use the rest of it. Although they can be slightly upset which will keep them from falling out. The old British wire gages are probably not going to be an easy option even in Britain. No one would really make a firm standard and stick with it.
Regards,
Scott
Piano Wire, it seems, is the way to go!
Maybe I'll have to owe you a favour!
