Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 10:23:52 -0400
Subject: Re: PUPT: Re: Cable



Thanks, Stephen,  for the idea. I use musical wires a lot for various 
things, as they are the easiest and most readily available source of 
spring wire I know.

Ray DaSilva was kind enough to send me a sample of the curtain wire 
in question, which is more like bicycle brake or gear cable housing. 
It is not the wire itself that has the properties Fettig describes; 
it is the fact that housing (or the curtain wire) is spiral wound, 
like a spring with an very small interior diameter.

Everyone who has seen this sample says, "I know that stuff!," but no 
one can remember where they have seen it. Jim Gamble believes he 
knows where to find it in the US, and is doing me the kindness of 
looking for it.

Searches on the web have also revealed that Europe (big suprise) has 
a lot more selection on the kinds of shapes and materials available 
to the artist. For example, there is PVC tubing in Germany that comes 
in sizes that fit into each other (Jim Gamble reported this last 
year). However, the only PVC pipe I can find (and (I've been looking) 
is based on plumbing pipe. Even the American importer for the company 
Fettig uses doesn't import these sizes and shapes of PVC.

So, I'll keep you posted.
>
>Have you tried strings from any musical instrument--guitar, harp, zither,
>banjo, violin, bass, piano, etc? The metal strings (as opposed to the nylon
>kind, which are just glorified mono-fishline) are also wrapped cables. They
>come in a wide variety of thickness and guages. They all have a brass or
>steel eye at one end, but not the other. Their one drawback is that they
>are not very flexible, so they wont go around tight curves. And they are
>relatively rough textured, so they can eventually saw through any
>non-metalic surface that they rub up against. But they are cheap and
>certainly plentiful. Just ask your friendly neighborhood musician friends
>for his or her castoffs.
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Robert Smythe
Artistic Director
Mum Puppettheatre
115 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2000

robertsmythe-AT-mumpuppet.org
http://www.mumpuppet.org

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