TP coils

[Carl Root]

Jon Page wrote:
> 
> I recently had a grand in

your shop, or . . . . . ?

> which had this wire protrusion through most
> of the piano. Very sloppy looking. 

Any other symptoms?  Did this bother the owner? 

> I was able to clean it up with a
> Dremel Tool and grinding bit and only nabbed a few coils, oops - pow !

So now we have new, unstretched wire.  Who paid for all this?
 
I don't want to come across offended or angry or judgemental (well. a
little judgemental  :-)  ), but the business end of this operation has
me somewhat befuddled.  There are many things we do in piano work which
have no obvious immediate benefit, but we do them because we understand
how lots of this stuff has a cumulative effect on the piano's
performance.  Unless there was a benefit to the customer that they want
and are willing to pay for, I would leave it alone.  Sometimes the
piano's design and/or service history limit it's potential and there's a
limit to what can be done to improve performance.  The trick is to
figure out what to do, what not to do, and when to stop.  Preferably
when estimating, rather than in the shop. 

Carl

Let me contribute something constructive to this becket(t) discussion. 
Make a pair of becket pliers.  Buy small, cheap slip-joint pliers. 
Grind or hack saw off about 1/2" of one tip.  Grind off the serated jaws
into two concave surfaces (to conform to the sides of the tuning pin). 
Credit to the late Gene Elfes, RPT.