This past year I broke one of those springs in an old Steinway trying to weaken it with just my hands (I guess I don't know my own strength!<G>) The good news was there was still enough of the spring's screw holes left where I could attach half the spring to the piano and it worked just right! Since then I bought a couple of replacements and will put one in next time I see the piano.<div> <br></div><div>Here's is a couple of pictures that Kent Webb from Steinway sent me of the factory tool for this purpose. I put the pictures up on my website:</div><div><a href="http://pianova.net/media2/shiftspringtool.jpg">http://pianova.net/media2/shiftspringtool.jpg</a> </div> <div><a href="http://pianova.net/media2/shiftspringtooldetail.jpg">http://pianova.net/media2/shiftspringtooldetail.jpg</a> </div><div><br></div><div>Ryan Sowers<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 5:00 AM, Tom Driscoll <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tomtuner@verizon.net" target="_blank">tomtuner@verizon.net</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div><font face="Arial">Wim,</font></div> <div><font face="Arial"> I weakened a S and S return spring on a newish model B with a very sophisticated tool.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial"> Placing the spring on a piece of scrap wood on the clients garage floor I whacked it flatter with a big ass hammer. </font></div> <div><font face="Arial"> Two whacks --- eight years ago and all is still well.</font></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"> <div><font face="Arial"> Tom Driscoll</font> </div></font></span><div><div class="h5"> <blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:#000000 2px solid;PADDING-LEFT:5px;PADDING-RIGHT:0px;MARGIN-LEFT:5px;MARGIN-RIGHT:0px" dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT:10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="FONT:10pt arial;BACKGROUND:#e4e4e4"><b>From:</b> <a title="tnrwim@aol.com" href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com" target="_blank">tnrwim@aol.com</a> </div> <div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech@ptg.org</a> </div> <div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, August 16, 2012 3:55 AM</div> <div style="FONT:10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> [pianotech] return spring</div> <div><br></div><font color="black" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <div><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:transparent" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think I saw a tool that can reduce the tension of an action return spring. I don't remember what it looks like, but it bends the steel. </font></div> <div><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:transparent" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font> </div> <div><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:transparent" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I wonder if anyone has ever tried to stand on the spring to do the same thing? Either stand on each end of the spring, or turn it around and stand in the middle. </font></div> <div> </div> <div>Hey, I weigh 240 pounds. Isn't that enough to bend the spring?</div> <div> </div> <div>Wim</div> <div></div> <div style="CLEAR:both"> <div> </div></div></font></blockquote></div></div></div> </blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Ryan Sowers, RPT<br>Puget Sound Chapter<br>Olympia, WA<br><a href="http://www.pianova.net">www.pianova.net</a><br> </div>