<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE=
="Arial" LANG="0">Hi, Kent -<BR>
<BR>
I think you can pull on that strut about as hard as you need to. I'm s=
ure it will come out before you hurt it. I'd consider pulling on it wi=
th your plate hoisting system, whatever that is. The limit then will b=
e the weight of the piano. Alternatively, you could jack the strut fro=
m below using a machinist's jack. The jack will bear against the sound=
board, so be judicious about placement and pressure. I expect this wil=
l do the trick especially if tickled with light blows of a dead-blow hammer.=
<BR>
<BR>
Good luck!<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5=
FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Lucida Handwriting" LANG="0"> =
</FONT><FONT COLOR=
="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SCRIPT" =
FACE="Lucida Handwriting" LANG="0">- Tom McNeil&=
nbsp; -</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND=
-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Lucida Handwriting" LANG=
="0"><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#008080" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5=
FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Castellar" LANG="0">V</FONT><FONT COLOR="#008=
080" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=4 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="C=
astellar" LANG="0">ermont </FONT><FONT COLOR="#008080" style="BACKGRO=
UND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Castellar" LANG="0">=
P</FONT><FONT COLOR="#008080" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=
=4 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Castellar" LANG="0">iano </FONT><FONT COLOR=
="#008080" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SERIF" F=
ACE="Castellar" LANG="0">R</FONT><FONT COLOR="#008080" style="BACKG=
ROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=4 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Castellar" LANG="0=
">estorations</FONT><FONT COLOR="#008080" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff=
fff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2=
FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
<I>"To the intelligent man or woman, life appears infinitely mysterious, but=
the stupid have an answer for every question." </I> -  =
; Edward Abbey<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>