Double drilling pinblocks: Hand held versus drill press.

[Richard Brekne]

Michael Spalding wrote:

>Ric,
>
>I'm wondering if your success, and others' not-so-success, is related to
>the pinblock material being used?  You know, the maple blocks require a
>smaller drill, and are more forgiving, and the Falconwood/Delignit type
>blocks require a larger drill and are much less forgiving.  Which block
>materials figured in your success?
>
>thanks
>
>Mike
>
>
>  
>
Begin totally isolated from the rest of you all those years, I was at 
the time really aware of  the multi-pli  delignit type of material. In 
fact I have yet to use anything else, but then its been 4 years now 
since my last block.

Actually, there are several ways of going about stabliizing a hand held 
drill, some I remember have been discussed here in the past. Aside from 
that, I think success or failure in this kind of thing is more a matter 
of  what one bothers to get decent enough at. Given the near astounding 
control an expert tuner has over the slightest movements in manipulating 
a tuning hammer, or the near equally astounding controll a first rate 
pianist has over the various types of touch employed in playing... it 
really shouldnt be so suprising that a decent level of controll and feel 
for this kind of operation is quite achievable as well. The human body 
is quite the machine when it comes right down to it.

Cheers
RicB