capstan spacing

[Allen Wright]

Colleagues,

I'm repositioning the capstans on a Steinway B action in order to 
improve key ratio, touchweight, etc. (Also installing Tokiwa Miracle 
Whips in order to compensate for the changed capstan position). I 
noticed before removing the capstans that quite a few of them aren't 
centered perfectly to the whip heels, some being quite noticeably off 
to one side or the other. The rep levers are spaced to the hammer 
shanks accurately (with the hammers spaced to the strings).

Do any of you ever try to drill the holes for the repositioned capstans 
so that they're more accurately positioned under the whip heels?  One 
thought might be to make a template of the rep lever flange holes in 
the action rail, and transfer that to the keys. But because of the 
slight fudge factor with the flange screw holes, and positioning of the 
reps side-to-side in order to space them to the hammer shanks, perhaps 
even that methhod might not get the capstans perfectly under the whip 
heels.

It seems kind of screwy and counter-intuitive somehow to be positioning 
capstans off the center of the key. But I wonder which is worse, 
capstans not centered to the heels, or centered perfectly to the heels 
but off the center of the key?

Obviously it's easier to just center them in the key!

Any opinions?

Respectfully,

Allen Wright