New uses for old string?

Subject: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:02 AM

Ive been following the 'pre srtetching strings thread' and its brought to mind some thing i keep meaning to investigate. i don't change my srings that often but i always keep hold of the old ones and stick them in a draw . when they have been there long enough to form one chunck, i then dispose of them (guitily :( ).Some enterpising body out there must have some ideas as to how to make use of these things , in say, projects for kids etc? With or without the use of a dremel!(see my bottlneck thread )

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:34 AM

I have used them at least once as wire for hanging a picture, alternatively garrotting the odd bad bodhran player is also an option with the high E.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:43 AM

gloves required one would have thought !

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:50 AM

and one of those plastic decontamination suits for some of the bodhran players I can think of.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 06:03 AM

I managed to foist my old strings and the trimmings from the new ones onto our resident railway modeller. Heaven only knows what he does with them ...

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 06:16 AM

Steve - I'm a railway modeller, too. Please ask him what he does with the strings. Electric ducts?

Wilfried

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: pearn
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 06:18 AM

Norwegian "idol" singers use them for inter-teeth cleaning (low E).

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Fergie
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 06:47 AM

Except for the excellent suggestion concerning bodhrán player (death is too good for them), Mudcatters show little imagination when it comes to recycling guitar strings. To remedy this situation I submit the following:

Have you tried flossing with them?
Snaring rabbits?
Substitute car antenna?
Cheese cutter?
Banana slicer?
Lock picks?
Clothslining bass players?
Acupuncture?
Kettle defurrer?
Cleaning your nails?
I know of a lutier who uses them as a sex aid, but hey! you don't want to go there.

Other suggestion are welcome so Mudcatters get the old thing caps on and post your suggestions here.
Fergie



the list is potentially endless

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Midchuck
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 08:52 AM

At many jams, you get a dickhead who breaks a string and didn't bring any spares, so he wants you to break up a set of yours to provide him with one, and if you don't, somehow it becomes your fault for wrecking the session by preventing him continuing to play. I like to carry some old used strings to hand out to such types.

Peter.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Mooh
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:05 AM

The beads, especially the coloured ones, make great jewelry crafts. I use them to make rhythm shakers out of film canisters and gum machine plastic eggs. Also good for rain sticks and wave drums (or whatever you call those things).

The strings are good for rabbit snares.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:07 AM

I keep one or two old sets in each of my guitar cases for emergencies.

High E's make pretty good salt-water fishing leaders for teethy varieties like mackerel.

I've made cut-off wires for pottery from various gauges.

Low E's make pretty good pipe cleaners.

Or make art from them.

Bruce

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Amos
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:14 AM

Doncha hate it when people take the kindness of strangers as their due?

They can be used (the lower three) for removing finish from chair rungs and in the grooves of figured wood. They make handy garrots, as mentioned above, and can be used for executing hamsters condemned to hang by the neck until dead for revolutionary activities. There is no end to the things that you can hange up with them, including sidearms (tied through the trigger guard with a slip knot) and they are handy for keeping large stacks of bank accounting reports in order for storage. They make fine temporary mouse-leashes and can be used to catch certain sorts of very heavy fish. Modelers can use them to represent cables in biplane construction, bicycle spokes, car antennae, and the like. If one has a fully plumbed dollhouse woth thousands of dollars at risk of ruination because of backed up drains on the second story, what better tool than a used "D" to snake the tiny pipes right out? I understand that the Tin Woodman uses them as Q-tips, cutting off three inches at a time. They make excellent laces for very hard shoes such as those worn by full-suit divers. They conduct electricity and can be uised to fashiuon emergency fuses, and in some cases to blow fuises on important circuits such as burglar alarms. They are excellent for putting out an opponent's eyes and in emergencies can serve as temprary tourniquets. They can also be pressed into service as temporary jewelry for social events which have caught one unprepared, or to prepare purse-clasps and extremely small steam engines.

These are just a few uses which come to mind.

Regards,

A

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:20 AM

Or you can knit armored garments for SCA events. The only practical use I've found for high strings is cleaning out the little holes in my car's windshield washers.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:28 AM

Nice one Amos..You made me lol .! i did just wonder if anybody used them in such a way as to extend their intended purpose ie sound production..but who cares ... the dolls house idea gives me ideas about constructing replica suspension bridges,but i'll cross that....

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 09:40 AM

..and of course the Doctor in Captain Corelli used mandolin strings in surgery.

RtS
(still working on the screenplay for Corporal Koreltzis' Bouzouki)

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: okthen
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:27 AM

I'm told you can get money for old rope, probably a bit less for string.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Liam of the Ferry
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:36 AM

High E's make great tripwires for rich uncles. Should really be sure you're in the will first.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:39 AM

This appears to be a worth-while cause for used strings.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:46 AM

A fellow I used to perform with made Turk's head finger and scarf rings of the wrapped ones. They were actually quite attractive in a folkie sort of way.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:48 AM

Iwouldn't recomend anyone using strings as sutures unless they are gut strings: steel ones could be a bit uncomfortable!

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 01:17 PM

Thats a nice one Justa picker. I don't go thro' that many myself but i wonder if anyone Uk is involved with this (sort of holding centre if thats not too grand an image). Seems a little incongruous(?) to be aeroplaning odd sets and singles around the world .Or maybe there are projects more locally that could make use of 'em?

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,string miser
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 03:06 PM

Having only played guitar for 45years (on average 5 days a week 3-4 hours a day) I am not really in a position to comment, although I do take my "Cathedral Strings" off every 2-3 years and boil them I haven't as yet had to replace one!


:-)


If you use Elixir strings you could knit them into a waterproof but breathable jacket for when you go backpacking or better still a backpacker guitar case?

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 04:43 PM

That link justpicka gave is a great idea - in case people skipped by it, here it is again The Second Strings Project:"a campaign to collect and distribute used guitar strings to needy musicians throughout the world. This effort will help keep musical creativity alive in countries that might otherwise die."

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Bardford
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 05:22 PM

Lens cleaners for pinhole cameras.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 06:05 PM

Thanks McGrath of Harlow. i wanted to do that but wasn't sure how

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 08:12 PM

At first I thought it was a joke, JustaPicker, but that's a great idea. When I get several sets together I'll send them off. I change strings 3 or 4 times a year. I can tell other people too.

I do get this mental vision of someone getting a tangled mess of strings in the mail and having to toss the entire thing. Used strings tend to be a little wild.

The only use I had ever found for them was hanging a phone book on the wall above one of the phones by the low E knotted and passed about half way into the book.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 08:17 PM

Stretch them between pea sticks and place over newly sown grass seed, it keeps the birdies away.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 08:40 PM

Used guitar strings make good dulcimer strings. Just cut out the little brass jobbie on the end if you need to convert ball end strings to loop ends.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 08:55 PM

Well, okay. Just by coincidence, Darryl Purpose is gonna be in town next Thursday night. I'll just grab up all the old strings around the house and take 'em to the show. Ed Gerhard's gonna be there too.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: open mike
Date: 23 Jan 04 - 11:23 PM

Darryl is a dear...I was gonna recommend his project too.
I once heard of a similar plan to share instruments and
such with people in prison. Darryl has a wonderful video
that is a documentary of a cross country peace walk that
he took part in. It will inspire you to go out and work
for change in the world!! do check out his music and his
web site!!

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 01:19 AM

One guy wrote in his song book that he used old string to tie between the horns of the goats on his property to discourage them from forcing their way thru the electric fence...

Robin

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,Clint Keller
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 02:59 AM

I used a B guitar string to make a temporary replacement hand spring for a S&W revolver in 1952 or-3. It's still working.

clint

--and 'handspring' is the right name; the hand is the lever that turns the cylinder.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 07:59 AM

Just a SOn of a Gun, er, Guitar, eh Mr Eastwood?

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 09:46 AM

Spag bol, bit chewy mind.
eric

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Amos
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 11:18 AM

Soldered into strange signatures for art works, they can be glued to statues or laid onto canvasses with some transparent acrylic.

Hooked end to end they can be run across small country roads to decapitate motorcyclists when the occasion requires.

They may be used to hang brass bearing-sleeves from the limbs of trees, and, diced fine, for stuffing animals cut from very fine-grained chainmail for aggressive children.

They can be configured into loops on a stick for capturing stray iguana lizards, and are useful for renovating cheese slicers.

They can be attached to small magnets for picking up iron filings in an oil-pan by threading them through the dipstick pipe.

Tied to Brillo pads, they are useful for cleaning out the interior of exhaust pipes into which they are first rammed with a stick.

They can be used for lifting omelettes from the bottoms of pans and scraping paint-drops from the back of one's neck.

They can be used with some help for lifting off scabs resulting from skin-rashes.

They are also useful for wiring up wind-chimes and hanging table forks from hooks, eaves, various projections and wooden beams throughout the house.

They can be used for descaling the outer surface of pipes. The unwrapped sort are especially useful for piercing the ears of barnyard animals for earrings.

They can be used for pulling tissue paper through a flute.

With all these uses it is evident the world needs far more used strings than it was aware of.

A

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: onlyme
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 11:51 AM

ok ok already...how about new uses for old threads...:)

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Banjo,London
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 07:25 PM

Keep all your old wound strings! Tie a dozen together about 18inches from the ball end. when your kitchen sink gets blocked, PLUNGE!

The money you save on plumbers will pay for new strings for many years to come.

(I haven't tried it but bass guitar strings may even work on toilets.)

sincerely

Banjo

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 08:07 PM

Ah, but will they clean chimneys?

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: breezy
Date: 24 Jan 04 - 08:21 PM

thanks banjo london u anywhere near St albans?

Sundays at the legion 8.00pm

see george papavgeris

I've used them to hold the handles on my guitar cases.
plus duck tape

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Jan 04 - 06:38 AM

Duck tape isn't all it's quacked up to be.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 06:17 AM

With the very wet summer in Britain, weeds & grasses are going wild, so the mower & strimmer've been working flat out lately.

Old nylon classical strings are excellent replacement strimmer wire, as they're a little harder than the usual stuff, yet not so much as wound steel ones.

I don't use the steel ones 'cause they dont flail out well enough

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,Bruce Michael Baillie
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 10:39 AM

...Well this is probably original, for the past 10 years I've been using mine to repair the grass bag on my lawnmower! I use the wound lower strings to sew the bag back to it's frame (originally it was thick thread which lasted about two years!)it drags on the ground so I always have to replace the strings at the end of every season!

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: skipy
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 10:44 AM

Noel Murphey broke one at a gig RAF BZN Folk Club, way back in the late 70s, I made an earing out of it & wore it for the rest of the night!
Skipy

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 11:55 AM

I play tenor guitar and have two strings left over with every new set of guitar strings.
When I lived in Margaree, I gave the extra strings to my neighbour who used them for rabbit snares. The B & E strings would have been better but these worked.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Scorpio
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 12:34 PM

In connection with both this thread and the Elixir Rant: I have one old string, 3rd of course, which is several years old and has lost the outer winding in several places and is, if new strings are to hand, predestined for the trash bin. However, when I used to use Elixirs (and still would if it wasn't for the breaking 3rd strings), I used to regularly find myself running out of the 3rds. One night, I had to use the knackered string, hoping it would last the session. As it turned out, it lasted for several ( OK, I'm lazy) and is still going. The 'superstring', as I dubbed it, is still in my guitar case, and is still used on occasion. I wish I could remember what make the bugger was, I'd buy a set.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 02:11 PM

Sanres are a dandy use - because they have a strong preformed loop in one end. A great place to set snares is on logs crossing a stream. Raccoons, oppossum, fox and squirrels use these structures every night. Remember to put the loop lower as animals keep a lower center of gravity with their heads down as they cross on a log. Secure them tightly.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 02:30 PM

Also: The ball end can be removed and the string, lubricated with a "Non Toxic" vegetable oil. We want to choke the little buggers, not make them ill.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 02:40 PM

Or you could add a couple of sections of broomstick and make a nifty garotte...

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 02:54 PM

Alternately; Keep the broomstick whole & wedge it onto a tea chest.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: GUEST,Pamela in Ithaca
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 03:20 PM

A friend of mine is making old strings into
hair barrettes and napkin rings , weaving them into
turk's head knots and using other sailor's craft.
She was selling them at the Old Songs Festival in NY
this summer (USA) - they're beautiful. I bought one
for my hair.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Marc Bernier
Date: 19 Jul 07 - 04:04 PM

When I break a string I use one of the wound strings to clean my pipe. Then I fill the pipe and smoke it as I change the rest of the set.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 20 Jul 07 - 07:15 AM

I stretch them between the handy wooden thing with six holes in it on the body of the guitar, and the little gear-wheel jobbies out beyond the top of the frets.

No, hang on, that should be in the 'Old uses for new strings' thread.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 20 Jul 07 - 08:05 AM

Cheese cutter - attach a wooden handle each end. Has to be a top string - fat ones aren't much good.

Subject: RE: New uses for old string?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Jul 07 - 02:01 PM

cheese cutting.....the guitarist might not have been in the habit of washing his hands after going to the toilet.