Removing NST insulators

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Mitchell" <electrontube-at-sbcglobal-dot-net> 

Hi,
The other day, I finnaly decided to try somthing on my 15/30 NST which had 
been only outputting from one HV lug, seems the the other had been grounded 
to case, so it yeilded no output, after an attempt to unpot, I decided to 
try somthing more 'barbaric' so I grabbed my 8lb sledge and cracked the 
ceramic insulator off the side of the NST,  this fixed the problem, and I 
get full output now, there is a short length of wire protruding from the 
potting which went to the ceramic insulator, I am now just getting the 
power from the peice of wire,  I also have another dead NST and I was 
wondering is there a way to remove the insulators without cracking them?

Regards - Jim Mitchell