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

[gordon stelter]

Yes, Terry. That's what I'm talking about. That's what
this list is good for: getting us to irritate each
other until one of us is "inspired" to try something
new, and maybe better. So I'm off to Lowe's to see if
I can find a "laser level" or some such, to screw to
my drill press base, to cast a line along the hole
marks for each unison, as the press is slid along the
plank.  Then, with my press appropriately tilted, all
the holes will be drilled at exactly the same angle
for each pin, and directly in line with, and away
from, the "little bit of the string" before the
agraffe.  
     I can see how this would be of particular use in
uprights, where there are no agraffes. And I thank the
members who responded with suggestions as to nnoting
"string bunchings" prior to unstringing, and adjusting
pin angles, accordingly. 
     Still. I wonder how much attention various
manufacturers paid to this: or did they just all drill
at an angle relative to the stretcher.
     Peace,
     Thump

--- 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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