<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16674" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>Greetings, Colleagues -</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The few times I've needed to replace let-off dowels I've simply split the old ones from the wires using an 'anvil'</DIV> <DIV>type garden pruner.  These are available from any hardware store for about $15.  In the piano shop they can serve for decades.  Below is a link to the Fiskars model sold by Lowe's; other brands may be equivalent.  (I also use these to split hammer tails to enable removing them from shanks, same for backchecks to remove them from wires - only when the old parts are to be discarded, of course.)  In all these cases I apply the tool "end-on" to the part and split the wood with the grain.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I would not ordinarily replace the wires.  (That's extra work.  And in the case of backcheck wires, having the bends already there is a help; also, the wire on old Steinway backchecks is nicer than the newer ones!)  If the let-off dowel mounting rail is separable from the hammer rail, it is a very quick project while the rail is held in a bench vise.  Otherwise, as others have said, easiest to do the let-off dowel replacement while the shanks are off the action.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>BTW, although I've not done this kind of work in years, splitting works just as well on upright capstan dowels.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href="http://lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=77178-1078-91106980&lpage=none">Click here: Power-Lever Anvil Hand Pruner</A> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">~ Tom McNeil ~<BR>Vermont Piano Restorations<BR>VermontPiano.com<BR><BR>346 Camp Street<BR>Barre, VT 05641<BR>(802) 476-7072</FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient <A title="http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007" href="http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007" target="_blank">used cars</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>