<HTML>In a message dated 2/17/02 11:43:21 AM Central Standard Time, Tvak@AOL.COM writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I recently ordered a combination tool spoon bender (among other items) from APSCO.  Allowing ten days for delivery, I scheduled a regulation on a Kawai vertical, which needed damper spoon regulation, in two weeks, knowing that I would have the spoon bender by then.   Finally my order came, and guess what?  No spoon bender.  So I called APSCO to tell them that one of the items I ordered was not included in the shipment, and she matter-of-factly stated, "It must be out of stock." Since she didn't mention this when I placed my order, she probably didn't know it was out of stock at that time.  OK, that can happen.  But when it does happen, it seems to me that APSCO should call the customer and let them know that the item they have just ordered will not be coming to them when they expect it.  At least then the customer could take measures to order the item from another supply house if they needed it by a certain date.  To find out 10 days later when your order arrives minus the one item you actually needed by now, doesn't seem right.   In this case, it's not such a big deal.  I simply rescheduled the regulation job for two weeks from now.  With any luck, I'll be able to fill that empty appointment slot this week, so no real harm done.  It just seems to me that it wouldn't have been that hard to keep me informed.  This is just good business sense and common courtesy. What do you all think of this?  Am I simply expecting too much personal attention in this day and age?   </BLOCKQUOTE> The answer to the last question is frankly, yes, if you're trying to get something from *that* company.  That is the reason I never buy anything from them.  The folks at Schaff would have called you. But if you're talking about the odd shaped tool I think you are, I would bet that you would have ended up being even more frustrated if you had received it!  I won't say that it can't be used but I sure never could get it to work. I also hope that you really do need to adjust the spoons in the first place.  They rarely need it if you have all of your other dimensions right.  Please don't make the mistake of measuring the blow distance first the way all the books tell you to and propping up the rest rail and go madly cranking all of the capstans, etc. This question came up a while back and I went through all of that with the person who posed the question.  As it turns out, he reported that what I had suggested ended up being the only thing that worked.  I really don't know how to find these things in the archives but I'm sure that someone can bring that discussion back up for you. Keep in mind that whatever you do with the capstan will directly influence when the spoon picks up the damper.  So, if you have made the error of setting your blow distance too short and adjust the capstans to compensate, you will cause the spoons to lift too early and have far too much aftertouch.  Also, if your dampers are not picking up evenly, that must be corrected first.  This will also affect when the spoon begins to engage the damper lever. I've never used a "spoon bender" to adjust damper spoons, only the same tool I use to adjust damper wires.  I haven't seen the Renner tool mentioned by Patrick D. Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>