-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD --

I'm currently finishing fixing a 25 notes <<tympanon vertical à
cylindre d'Italie>>, an Italian barrel piano from the early 19th
century.

I'm facing an issue which is to choose the right diameter of iron
strings that I should use.  The harmonic table, found just under the
place where the strings are suspended, indicates some numbers which
seem to correspond to groups of notes.  Do these numbers correspond
with the diameters of the strings?  And if so, which unit is the
right one?

Here is a survey of these particular inscriptions from, low to
high-pitched:

C, G: strings for bass notes -- in French: "corde filée" [wound strings]
A, A# : 2/0
B, C, D : 0
E, G, G#, A, A#, B, C : 1.
C#, D, E, F, F#, G, A : 1/2
A#, B, C, D : 2.

I've respected the way the table is written, including the marks.
Could someone tell me the meaning of these numbers and if a table
of equivalence exists?  Thanks a lot for your help.

Sincerely yours,
Hervé Hubert
France
herve.hubert3@free.fr.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ See Hervé's article, "Restoring an Italian Vertical Barrel Piano", at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/archives/Digests/200511/2005.11.03.04.html 
 [ -- Robbie