Turning a ball rope into a loop

Here's a very simple tutorial to show you how to turn a ball string into a loop in the simplest way. You may find this operation useful if you ever need to adapt an English-style fine adjuster for your tailpiece.

How to turn a ball rope into a loop

In fact, all strings already have aloop, but some are already occupied by a ball. Theball is a metal ring that holds the string in place in the tailpiece. It replaces the traditional single knot still found on gut strings.

The conversion is very simple: just get rid of that metal ring. The only problem is that you can't get it out by hand, so I'm going to tell you how.

Of course, you can also buy a set of ropes with a looped end!

Breaking the ring

The main operation is to break the ring. However, it must be done without damaging the buckle. Indeed, this operation is often performed on a violin chanterellewhich is very thin and fragile. If the loop breaks, the whole string will be thrown away. That's why it's important to take a few precautions.

However, there's no need to worry: we use the ring to perform this operation smoothly!

The tools you need

• Flat-nose pliers or multi-purpose pliers to hold and break the ring
• Tweezers to give precision to fat fingers(like me!)
• Optional: electric drill orhand drill with small drill bits(between 2mm and 3mm)

How it works

First, hold the rope firmly and place the ring in the length of the pliers. Press firmly and voilà! If the ball is quite fragile, it will simply have broken off.

But what if it doesn't want to break?

Nothing happened! What can I do?

In most cases, thering won't break as easily, either because it's too strong, or because the pliers can't apply enough force (which is often the case with small pliers like the one I'm using in the photo). That's why you'll have to help it a little by weakening its structure. To do this, simply drill gently through the hole already present in the center of the ring.

Depending on the brand of rope, this hole may be wider or narrower, but generally measures around 2mm. You'll need to choose a slightly larger drill bit to enlarge the original hole. A 2.5mm or 3mm drill bit is fairly easy to find and should do the trick, but be careful not to use too large a diameter as this could damage the rope.

In the illustration, I'm using a chignoleThis is why I have to clamp the pliers in a vice to prevent the ring from slipping when I'm drilling. However, this operation can be performed with both hands if you have an electric drill.

Once drilled, simply repeat the first step to break the ball. If that's still not enough, simply increase the size of the wick a little more. Then repeat the operation until it breaks, without forcing too much.

Clear the loop of debris

To finish transforming a ball rope into a loop, you still need to clear the debris from the ring. This may sound simple, but trying to get them out without the right technique can be hair-raising.

The most effective technique is to press the end of the loop against a hard surface(such as pliers, or flat on a table). In this way, the very flattened rhombus formed by the rope will take on the shape of a circle and let the debris fall out one by one. Tweezers can be useful for playing with the metal pieces and helping them to come out.

Rope installation

After successfully transforming a ball rope into a loop. All that's left is to put it in place.

It's a fairly simple operation, but I do have one recommendation for increasing the longevity of the loop. You can install a loop protector specially made by Wittner to extend the life of your looped strings! It's the easiest way to avoid premature breakage of the fine metal cord.