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

[Farrell]

Gee willakers - I sure am glad I built my overhead drill press & track. I 
wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise! This is all way too complicated. Just 
angle the bit perpendicular to the string (or a degree or so more lean) and 
drill the darn thing.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
>  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