Where do you find hard drawn BR copper in small wire sizes. I had heard 
about this 20 or so years ago when I was having trouble getting my 
Barton copies up to modern pitch. The stuff I found as silvery white and 
had a very nice sound and was just enough stronger for the 10 3/4 scale 
as I recall. I gave up the wire and the Baton but really should do again 
with shorter scales. I developed the "Seattle "short octave A 9split Bb 
with G on the rear) rather than try and sell the G?B broken octave. I 
just didn't abide widening instruments in those days.
Today I do it like the Colmar keyboards G-d3 without G# and narrow the 
endblocks.
     Making slightly smaller keys is not as bad a sin as widening and 
instrument. I've even encounters an original 17th c french with the 
lowest B key only 3/4 noarmal width. Many of these french harpsichords 
had a natual and a sharp added without changing the whole case.  Jack Peters