Laser line for block drilling ? ( Was: Benefits of tilting the piano, instead of the drill press . )

[gordon stelter]

  If the drill bit is pointed directly toward earth's
center, and whatever the press is sitting on is flat,
and level, the pin holes will all be drilled at
exactly the same angle, regardless of which way the
body of the press is turned, as it is moved from hole
to hole. That is very enticing. 
     If the far end of the piano is put a little lower
than the block end, for example, and the block is
level to the floor from side to side, the pins in
their newly drilled  holes will all lean directly
toward the stretcer ( or top, in an upright ) at
exactly the same amount. Regardless of whether the
drill press was rotated inadvertently, as it was slid
along from side to side. 
     Not so if the bit itself is angled, and the piano
is level.
     Because this uniformity is so appealing, it is
why I asked if, in actual practice, pianos are built
this way? ( With the pins leaning toward the
stretcher, but perpendicular in all other planes ).   
   
     Or, instead, do the pins always lean directly
away from the string line, regardless of their
orientation to the stretcher ? I have a  1923 Steinway
"M" I'm working on. The plate is out and the block
still in it, so I'll put some appropriately sized
dowells in the holes, and see which it is, in this
particular case. Directly toward the stretcher, or
toward the stretcher, but modified to keep them in
line with the stings? 
     Of course, one could keep a whole section drilled
the same in relation to the string line, such as in
the bass section where they're all basicaly parallel,
but at an angle to the piano's sides, by jacking up
one side of the piano, as well as letting the tail
down, before drilling. But if one wanted all the pins
to be exactly in-line with the strings, such as in a 
"fanned out" section, a line drawn through your marks
on the block, and some means of registering the
already-tilted drill press to that line, while slid
along the plank on top of the piano, would ensure
this. That is what I was referring to. Perhaps a rod
secured to the drill press base, with a  couple of
small rods hanging staight down from it. Better yet:
one of those laser-lines now used on many saws and
measuring markers. If the laser line was kept directly
along the 3 drilling marks made on the new block for
each unison, as the press was slid fore and aft, each
hole for that unison would be at exactly the same
anglre, and directly away from the string line,
without leaning from side to side. 
     Peace,
     G

--- Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

> 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 
> 
> 
> 


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