<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.5730.11" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV> <DIV>Jesse,</DIV> <DIV>    Welcome. </DIV> <DIV>    Do you have a part # for the radio shack tool?</DIV> <DIV>    FWIW , I'll bet the  capstan tool you refer to as too thick is from Schaff.</DIV> <DIV>    The yamaha tool and the pianotek tool  work great.</DIV> <DIV>    More and more the tools from our big house in Chicago  need to be either modified or returned.</DIV> <DIV>Sorry to say it but I'm working with a new tech with new tools and have first hand experience.-- I.E. damper regulating tool that won't fit over a standard damper wire.</DIV> <DIV>    End of rant and again Jesse ,</DIV> <DIV>    Welcome.</DIV> <DIV>    Tom Driscoll RPT</DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=PIANOTECHNICIAN@aol.com href="mailto:PIANOTECHNICIAN@aol.com">PIANOTECHNICIAN@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 23, 2007 11:06 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Great tool -- from Radio Shack</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>A <STRONG>non-</STRONG>piano tool that I use in my piano work is a long, pointy steel probe that comes in a set of 4 different shaped probes. The handle is 3.5 inches long and hexagon shaped if you look at it from the end. The probe part of it is also 3.5 inches long, about 1/8" in thickness (diameter) and it comes to a sharp point at the end. </DIV> <DIV>I find it great for adjusting dowel-type capstans, especially in older pianos where, if you don't get your tool all the way through the hole, the dowel might break in half as you turn it. The pointy end is much thinner and sharper than the standard capstan regulating tools and will go all the way through the dowel hole, with virtually no chance of having the dowel crack. I use it also in place of an awl, to make that tiny glue-release hole when re-gluing an upright hammer. It's thinner and pointier than any awl, and easily does the job.</DIV> <DIV>    </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Jesse Gitnik   </DIV> <DIV>Flushing, NY</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>