Compass Spring Pliers

By Randy A. Bergum

While working on manuals from Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, I ran into trouble trying to remove the compass springs that return the keys. These springs live underneath the keyframe under other parts and are tough to get at.

I welded rod extensions onto a normal set of spring loaded needle-nose pliers, then welded small S-shaped tabs onto the rods. The business end was then dipped into a vinyl solution used for making grips on pliers and tools. This dip coated the tabs and made them "grippy" so the springs wouldn't fly across the room.

Fig 1. The Pliers

Fig 2. The Pliers - End View of a Well Used Pair

Fig. 3 The Pliers At Work

The pliers work well and were pretty easy to make.

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