Re: [ATM] Favorite Spider Designs

[Mike Lockwood <melockwo@uiuc.edu>]

Dan,

I wrote:
> <<  However, with time and a rising number of thermal
> expansion/contraction cycles due to taking the scope outside and
> bringing it in, I wonder if the wire will develop fatigue cracks and
> eventually fail.   Guitar strings do.  >>

Daniel Fundo wrote:
> Guitar strings fail more from the corrosive oils from our hands.  Also
> guys like Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Rick Derringer brutalize the
> strings by "bending" them.  Its not unusual for a blues or rock
> guitarist to push the strings more than half way across the fretboard.

I've played a bit of guitar (not that aggressively) and that doesn't 
fit my experience.  Seemed most of the strings I broke were near the 
tuners, where the strings made sharp bends around the posts.  The 
corrosive oils of my hands were not on the strings there.

In my wire spiders the sharp bends occur (obviously) near the point of 
attachment to the cage where the wire wraps around eye bolts and near 
the secondary.  So I suspect any failures will happen there.

That's why I use two pieces of wire for my spiders - one piece makes 
two of four vanes.  So, if there's one failure the secondary doean't 
fall on the primary or the ground - it will only hit the cage.

It is good to hear that Mel "stress-tested" his spider and it survived 
unharmed.

	Mike Lockwood

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