Tuning Pin Size

[David Love]

----- Original Message -----
From: <larudee@pacbell.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: January 26, 2002 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: Tuning Pin Size


> Yamaha and Kawai supposedly do this better than
> anyone except Joe Garrett, by drilling the bushing (actually a >hardwood
plug) and the block together in the plate.

This has always been a concern of mine when replacing plate bushings in an
already drilled block.  Since the holes in the block are never perfectly
centered underneath the holes in the plate, it means that the pin can
actually be pushed slightly away from the front side of the hole in the
block if the hole sits slightly forward relative to the plate.  Hopefully,
I've expressed that clearly.

Awhile back I was performing such an operation on an old Chickering.  This
was a  piano in which there was a multiple piece block which could be
removed with the plate.  I ended up gluing the plate bushings into the plate
flipping the plate over and drilling up through the block (I was going from
a #2 to a #3 pin and used a drill for a #2 pin) through the plate bushing in
order to be sure that the hole for the block was centered underneath the
hole for the plate bushing.  This worked fine.  But in most pianos this
isn't possible.  Does anyone concern themselves with this issue?

Recently, I had a similar concern with a Schomacker I restrung. In this
case,  I ended up glassing the block to the flange (it was a pretty good fit
and a full fit block anyway) and dispensing with the plate bushings
altogether.  The pins were #1's and I went to a #2 (except in a few spots
where they were too loose), and everything worked out fine.

When it comes to plate bushings, I've always felt that the block should be
drilled in the piano through the bushings.  Does anyone else find this to be
true?

David Love