<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 3/22/2004 8:59:27 AM Pacific Standard Time, edoss@ut= m.edu writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>Any suggestions on the best tool for easing gr= and damper rail bushings?<BR>Schaff has a "Grand Damper Wire Easer" but I di= dn't know if there was a<BR>better product on the market or not.  I'm w= orking on a 7' Steinway.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>Elwood,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Especially if it's a newer Steinway, first check the side pressure - th= e bushings are seldom too tight. The easiest way for me is just to chec= k all of them with the action out - it doesn't take very long. I step o= n the pedal to raise them all, then gently press the wire left and right&nbs= p;about an inch below the guide bushing. One direction, they will move away = from the bushing in the direction of pressure; and the other way, they eithe= r won't move, or will lever the opposite way of the pressure. You can q= uickly get a feel for the ones which are bearing too hard left or right, by = how much pressure it takes to push them away from the bushing. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Different damper installers at the factory have their own opinion on wh= ether they all bear left, all bear right, all bear toward the unison, or all= away. Usually it's all toward the unison, but it should at least be consist= ent. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, there should only be light pressure against the bushing, and la= tely they've been careless and set many too hard against the bushing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If the side pressure is too great, straighten the lower bend very sligh= tly with wire-bending pliers. When you get used to it, you can do a whole se= t in about 10 minutes, as not all of them will need bending.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Bob Davis</DIV></BODY></HTML>