Standard stringing scale?

[veg]

Hi there!
As of last week, I am the proud new owner of a 1927 Sohmer Cupid baby grand piano.
I plan to refurbish/restore it. The pressing matter of the moment, however, is gauging the strings. I don't have calipers at the moment (likely going to buy a micrometer tomorrow), but if any of you happen to have stringing scales memorized, could you possibly share your knowledge?
I would like to know, quite simply, how many different gauges of wire are generally used in an average piano (I had the number somewhere but cannot find it).
I will, of course, measure the strings before actually ordering new wire, but I am impatient and would like to calculate the costs tonight.
If it helps, my piano is 5'1 (5'6 including the extrusion of the keybed) and contains 40 bass strings.

Thanks in advance!

[keys60]

I forgot the exact name, I'll look for it, but there is a book that lists hundreds of popular pianos (and not so popular) and the guages used all the way up the scale. I use it when I restrung my little Baldwin. I'm sure the Sohmer is in there. You'll just have to purchase spools of each gauge from a piano supply house. A 1/2 lb. spool of each should do it. I like Roslau brand. Have you done this before? Its not exactly a walk in the park, especially the repinning. You don't want to screw up your pinblock. I did my little spinet to learn on and helped my mentor with quite a few grands. A 5'1" Sohmer too.
Good luck. There are much more experienced techs here than myself. Wait for the finer details if you are inexperienced.
Sounds like fun though. Good luck.

[veg]

Ah, thanks!
I had not thought to look for a book on the subject. In fact, I had thought that the Sohmer name is so old and obscure that no modern reference books would include it.
But, since you put the idea into my head, I went to pianoparts.com, which has a list of reference materials. Two names stood out and I think one might be what you were describing. The two were the "Pierce Piano Atlas" and "A Guide to Restringing." The latter is advertised as containing over 350 stringing scales from different manufacturers.
This will be my first restringing, but I am confident that with patience (and reference books at the ready) it should go well.
In the meantime, I have purchased calipers. Being a perfectionist, however, I worry that the rust on the strings may be adding a thousandth or a half thousandth to the readings I'm getting, as they seem to vary where they shouldn't by a thousandth or so. The book you mention should be exactly what I'm looking for, though!

[keys60]

Exactly the book I was thinking of. i mic the pins for uniformity but not the strings. That already comes pre measusred in thickness and the tension takes care of the tuning. Back your pins out slowly as to not generate too much heat and wind up boring them. General rule of thumb is to to up 2 sizes in pin gauge, but some times one size, like from #2's to 3's might be adequate.
Good luck with the job. Keep in touch.

[silverwoodpianos]

 A Guide to Restringing by John Travis contains scales on Sohmer from page 214-221.  For string sizes and changes most of the time you find markings on the bridge cap or on the plate around the tuning pins.
There is also software/spreadsheets available for scale calculations.

If there are none then you will have to measure each wire as you remove them. Do not use calipers; use a micrometer, either digital or otherwise on the wire that passes over the upper apron just in front of the tuning pins.

The size of tuning pin is determined by the amount of residual torque left on the original pin set now.

For example of you have less than 30 inch lbs of torque resistance on the tuning pins now then up two sizes. No drilling with an electric drill and a bit; use an adjustable hand reamer and a T handle. If you do need to ream out the holes leave the hole 9-11 thousandths smaller than the new tuning pin; jack the block and drive them in with a hammer and punch.

Here is the set up for that one……

https://picasaweb.google.com/silverwoodpianos/WaterDamagedPinBlock?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDcpYDJiOXuEA#5372558979906590594

If you are not replacing the tuning pin set then use a dummy pin to make your coils. Then you only have to back out the original tuning pin by half a turn or so…..

Best of luck with the job.