Originally Posted by
merziac
Yikes, that sucks, sorry to hear. Sounds like they should not have been let anywhere near it as is too often the case now days.
You said "gentle", they heard "get this old thing apart and get it out of here".
Even with the proper tools, much of this may be a struggle for the same reasons and even with now heightened awareness can prove to be challenging.
There should be someone here near you that could help, if you post in the facilitator, ISO or just a dedicated thread, you may be able to find someone to help.
It's my own fault, I was having seconds thoughts about taking it there and should have listened to my gut feelings. If the restorer here in Calgary ever replies to me I will ask him to do it properly with a bit of heat perhaps!!.
I'll have a look and see if there are any spares on ebay in the meantime... thanks for the thoughts, I'll post a new thread perhaps tomorrow and ask the shops around town if there are any dedicated Vintage Restorers here.