Benefits of tilting the piano, instead of the drill press ? ( Opinions sought. )

[Farrell]

Let me see if I understand you correctly. Let's start with tuning pins in 
the high treble section of a grand. The strings run roughly perpendicular to 
the stretcher. So the tuning pins will likely have some lean toward the 
front of the piano (keeping the pin close to perpendicular to the string) - 
and the angle of that lean will form a plane that is perpendicular to the 
plane of the stretcher.

Now, if I understand you correctly, your question arises in areas like the 
low tenor, where the strings angle off toward the bass side of the piano and 
form an acute angle with the plane of the stretcher. I keep the plane of the 
tuning pin lean one the string line - so that the pin will lean mostly 
toward the stretcher, but a bit toward the treble.

I just eyeball it as I drill. I look to see where the string would go and 
line up my drill to follow the string line as I stated above. I will do a 
half dozen notes or so and then reevaluate and change the angle a tiny bit 
if needed.

I really don't understand what you are talking about with tilting the piano 
and putting it on it side. Whatever. Just keep the pin lean on the string 
line and lean the pin back so as to keep it perpendicular to that last 
little length of string as it runs over the plate toward the tuning pin. 
Actually, I usually lean the pin back a degree or so from that, figuring 
that it may just lean forward a tiny bit on its own - or at least it will 
tend to keep the coil nice and tight.

Is that what you were asking about?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
>     If you tilt the drill press, and slide the press
> across the piano on a  plank, and keep the drill press
> base, and arm, perpendicular to the stretcher, the
> pins will all lean directly toward the stretcher. If,
> on the other hand, you make sure the arm/head of the
> drill press is perfectly lined up with the string, the
> pin hole will be directly angled away (7 degrees or so
> ) from the string. There's a difference. I am
> wondering what manufacturers used which. By tilting
> the drill press in this fashion, though, you are
> risking having the pins angled this way or that, if
> you roatate the press base, at all. Indexing lines
> woulds keep your intended results uniform.
>     By placing the drill press on the floor, or
> overhead, and tilting the piano, you eliminate this
> discrepancy. As long as the bit is "plumb" to the
> floor, all the angles will be the same, regardless of
> how the base is rotated.
>     Peace,
>     G