The Right Tool for the Right Job Revisited

[A440A@aol.com]

Greetings,

>And since a screwdriver is made for twisting rather than prying, what is
>wrong with twisting a screwdriver in the slot that is formed between the
>paint can and the cover? >>

It usually distorts the cover or the lip.  Use a quarter, it leave the can 
intact.  if you punch a few holes in the bottom of the "gutter",  it will allow 
all the paint to drip back in the can and you can seal the top back on without 
it spraying paint all over. 



<< >Pray tell, what is the right tool for prying the coiled string loose from
>the becket hole?  Since I don't have a dedicated becket release tool...

    I have found that the same method David Love uses is the easiest, 
fastest, cleanest way to destring.  I get a LOT better results with the tension taken 
down approx 1/4 turn before I break all the beckets with a hardened "coil 
setter" tool.  Then it is easy to use a 1/2" drill with a tuning pin socket on it 
to spin all the pins out of their coils.  No need to worry about the broken 
off pieces interferring with lifting the coils off  the pin.      Once the pins 
are out,  I clip all the wires as close to the agraffes as possible and pull 
them out.  The Capo sections are more easily removed by using a string hook to 
lift all the strings off the hitch pins and pulling them out from under the 
capo without cutting them.  It doesn't hurt to slip a couple of pieces of 
cardboard over the soundboard before doing any of this,  it keeps the scratching 
down to a minimum.  
   Two or three suggestions.  The job is a lot easier with a sharp edge on 
the becket breaker.  Take a few seconds to touch it to the side of a grinding 
wheel before each restringing.  The time and plate finish saved is far more 
valuable than the replacement tool you will need ever 20 years or so.  The force 
needed to cut the beckets is small, I use a little hammer and make sure it hits 
the tool with a lot of speed.  A big hammer, moving more slowly, will often 
smear the coil downward, or even drive the pin down, especially if it is 
hitting a dull tool.  A sharp edge and a sharp smack with a small hammer is also 
easier on the hands, though I do wear a glove on my left hand as I do this, ( 
saves the band-aids for when I restring). Slightly inclining the tool in the 
direction of the becket also makes for a cleaner shear.  Using a pinblock jack to 
reduce the give in the plate/block will make them cut easier,too.  
    I put a protective shield of cardboard around the inside of the case 
before beginning this, once again, for minimizing the scratches and damage. I lay 
a moving pad on top of the bass strings before cracking them, just to keep 
them in place for an easier pick-up when finished.  
 
Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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