Clean - don't ream!

[Michiel van Loon]

Bob,
I'd like to add what IMHO is a very important variable:
5) the consistency in the removal of the old tuningpins.
I remove tuningpins with a drill and try to do it as fast as possible.
When you do it fast with a heavy drill and a steady hand, the tuningpin is
only a little warm.
When you do it slow and with a tuninghammer, the tuningpin will be very hot.
You can imagine what different effect this has on the hole.
There will also be a great difference in side movement of the old pin, while
beeing removed.
Michiel van Loon
mvanloon@xs4all.nl
Meppel
Nederland

>Rob - I've used both reamers and bristle brushes. I prefer the brushes.
>I used to buy them at an ammunition supply, then some piano supplier(I
>forget who) started selling them. One thing to remember is that there
>are several variables: 1) the consistency of the original drilling, 2)
>the consistency of diameter of the original tuning pins, 3) the
>consistency of the replacement tuning pins, and 4) the consistency of
>your reaming of the holes. After measuring several sets of tuning pins
>some time ago, I discovered the discrepancy between the real world and
>the ideal world. In the ideal world, 0.286" is really 0.286". In the
>real world, one 3/0 tuning pin may vary as much as 0.004" from another.
>That's just one variable. When you start to multiply the variables, you
>can get quite a range frome tightest to loosest. This is not very
>reassuring, but the main thing is that the better you can control the
>variables, the more consistent result you can achieve.
>
>Yours,
>
>Bob Anderson
>Tucson,AZ
>