Thin 0.25mm guitar string type wire

[Dan Steely]

Hi all,

I'm after sourcing about 20m of 0.25mm diameter steel spring type wire.
The closest thing I can think of would be a steel guitar string.

I'm not sure what the the correct search term would be.
Can anyone help?

Many thanks

 

[John Brown]

Piano wire?

 

[ChaiLatte]

As above, 'piano wire' or 'music wire'.

You will do well to work out what 0.25mm is in wire gauge number as not everyone lists in metric.

 

[Fergie 307]

Isn't that rather thin for a musical instrument wire? Loads of sellers on EBay, just look for 0.25mm steel wire.

 

[John Brown]

Isn't that rather thin for a musical instrument wire? Loads of sellers on EBay, just look for 0.25mm steel wire.

You may be right, but I thought it was more of a generic term - I can't imagine anyone making their own piano strings these days.

 

[MintSauce]

Isn't that rather thin for a musical instrument wire? Loads of sellers on EBay, just look for 0.25mm steel wire.

0.25mm is approximately the diameter of the high string on a set of ‘10s’ guitar strings. 0.010” = 0.254mm

 

[Fergie 307]

0.25mm is approximately the diameter of the high string on a set of ‘10s’ guitar strings. 0.010” = 0.254mm

Wow, just can't imagine plucking something that thin, wouldn't have thought it would be very good for your fingers. Guess that's why I am no musician

 

[Not-Entirely-Useless]

wouldn't have thought it would be very good for your fingers.

It isn’t Guitar players develop callouses after a while. Players who get over-enthusiastic before the callouses develop get bleeding fingers.

 

[Agent_zed]

Wow, just can't imagine plucking something that thin, wouldn't have thought it would be very good for your fingers. Guess that's why I am no musician

I use 9's which are obv even thinner. Some people even use 8's!

 

[Cozzer]

Sometimes even 7's, if you're Billy Gibbons!

 

[profchris]

Ebay is probably your best bet. Here's a harpsichord maker who sells 9m lengths.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386708804150

If you need a 20m length you might need to ask him for his supplier contact, or whether he can get longer lengths for you.

I suspect we all want to know what it's for - elephant traps?

 

[ChaiLatte]

If you need a 20m length you might need to ask him for his supplier contact...

The clue might be the Roslau brand name in the listing.

https://www.pianoaccessoryshop.co.uk/product/roslau-music-wire/

We should also note that there are more than one different wire gauge systems in use - it is an area where confusion is a good possiblity.

 

[Dan Steely]

An explanation of proposed usage:
Many year ago my job was assisting anaesthetists in hospital operating theatres. One diagnostic technique we used was to insert a central venous pressure catheter for monitoring blood volume. The CVP line was a long thin plastic tube that was inserted over a thin wire and into a vein. Once the distal end of the wire was in the right anatomical place, the catheter was slid over the top. Once the tip of the catheter was in the right spot, the guide wire could be removed.

Fast forward 40 years and I’m now running a repair shop specialising in coffee machines.

Coffee machine water heaters generally comprise of a spiral of metal tubing cast into a metal block together with the heating element. These heaters often block up with limescale right in the middle of the length of pipe. Injecting an acid solution at the inlet/outlet port fails because the liquid hits an air block in front of the limescale. My technique is to insert a fine PTFE pipe into the inlet/outlet until it hits the limescale – I then inject the acid. To help get the pipe into the right place I’d like to add some rigidity to the PTFE pipe by having some thin (0.3mm) spring steel inside the pipe to help guide its way….
Alternatively, put the wire in first, then slide the pipe over the top – then remove the wire.

Thanks again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seldinger_technique
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJzn_PF118
www.facebook.com/bassettrepairshop/

 

[J-G]

An explanation of proposed usage:
Many year ago my job was assisting anaesthetists in hospital operating theatres. One diagnostic technique we used was to insert a central venous pressure catheter for monitoring blood volume. The CVP line was a long thin plastic tube that was inserted over a thin wire and into a vein. Once the distal end of the wire was in the right anatomical place, the catheter was slid over the top. Once the tip of the catheter was in the right spot, the guide wire could be removed.

Fast forward 40 years and I’m now running a repair shop specialising in coffee machines.

Coffee machine water heaters generally comprise of a spiral of metal tubing cast into a metal block together with the heating element. These heaters often block up with limescale right in the middle of the length of pipe. Injecting an acid solution at the inlet/outlet port fails because the liquid hits an air block in front of the limescale. My technique is to insert a fine PTFE pipe into the inlet/outlet until it hits the limescale – I then inject the acid. To help get the pipe into the right place I’d like to add some rigidity to the PTFE pipe by having some thin (0.3mm) spring steel inside the pipe to help guide its way….
Alternatively, put the wire in first, then slide the pipe over the top – then remove the wire.

Thanks again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seldinger_technique
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJzn_PF118
www.facebook.com/bassettrepairshop/

I've heard of 'transferable skills' but that is something else !!!

 

[AutoDoc Williams]

Go to stringjoy.com and hunt up .009 or .010 guitar strings.

 

[StephenArfer]

Most aerospace engineers will have a roll or two of SS locking wire in their toolboxes. I retired from swinging a spanner many, many years ago, but I never came across wire that small diameter. I have a roll of 0.31mm iconol wire and that's the thinnest I know of. Many suppliers in the UK. Try Light Aero Spares. If the diameter is critical and depending on the application you might consider "binding wire" 29swg. It's usually tinned copper, but some Chinese stuff is tinned iron. I have a roll but I doubt if there's 10M left on it.

10M is a long length of such thin wire. Please tell us what it will be used for

 

[imageel]

I think you'd be surprised at what you can find if you look hard enough - I needed some small bore copper tube - I was investigating manufacture of some custom heat pipes for a bespoke lighting system ( LED based - they don't like heat yet generate 10W + on an area ~0.9mm²) and was having issues with ensuring that the liquid was placed correctly and sourced some 1mm od copper tube with 0.25 dia internal pathway, Albion Alloys were the manufacturer and distribute to professionals and hobbyists...

 

[John Brown]

Most aerospace engineers will have a roll or two of SS locking wire in their toolboxes. I retired from swinging a spanner many, many years ago, but I never came across wire that small diameter. I have a roll of 0.31mm iconol wire and that's the thinnest I know of. Many suppliers in the UK. Try Light Aero Spares. If the diameter is critical and depending on the application you might consider "binding wire" 29swg. It's usually tinned copper, but some Chinese stuff is tinned iron. I have a roll but I doubt if there's 10M left on it.

10M is a long length of such thin wire. Please tell us what it will be used for

See post #13. He's explained what it's for.
I agree that 20m seems like a lot....

 

[Dan Steely]

10m or even 5m will be fine.
I bought some 0.3mm jewellery wire the other day from Amazon but it wasn't what I was after as it wasn't springy – it’ll get used but not for this..
The stuff I’m after naturally wants to straighten itself, like guitar string wire.

 

[Dan Steely]

I've just heard back from a guitarist friend who tells me I should look for 11 guage guitar strings which are about 0.27mm.