<HTML>In a message dated 9/11/2003 9:27:59 PM Central Standa= rd Time, A440A@aol.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Jon writes: <<Rather than drilling a new hole for the pivot pin, I'd prefer to cut= off the bottom of the block, plug and redrill the screw hole in the belly rail. = There is no need to have the block 'fitted' to the cavity.>> Wow,  I must be missing something here.  My preference for drilli= ng a new hole in the pivot block, slightly lower than the existing, one was based on = several reasons.     The first is ease of execution, it is very easy to drill a new hole i= n both of the blocks, it is somewhat more involved to cut off blocks, plug and= then drill the belly rail, then drill pilot holes while being careful not to= lose your indexing, etc.   Also, plugging and redrilling the belly rail= is going to be difficult on the bass end, no?   Second is that by just drilling a new hole in the block, everything i= s easily reversed if it doesn't, for some reason, address the problem.  S= imply move the tray back to the original hole.  Can't do that with the cutdow= n blocks.    Third is that I think there is a reason for a fitted block in that <B= R> cavity.  Newer model Steinways have the block cut short. I assume this = for ease of assembly.  I have noticed on 4 out of our 6 new Steinways, the treble d= amper tray block moves around with the seasons.  In the winter it is loose en= ough to twist sideways, causing multiple dampers to hang up when the tray shifts <BR= > sideways.   If there were two screws in the block, that wouldn't b= e a problem, but there is only one.  The older pianos all had tightly fitted blocks and = even if the screw was somewhat loose, the block was trapped in the upright position = and didn't allow the tray to migrate sideways.  True, it probably calle= d for more expertise to construct, but I think the results were more durable.&nbsp= ;   So, I would still go for the easy, reversible, way, first. &nbsp= ; regards, Ed Foote  </BLOCKQUOTE> I would agree with Ed, that drilling a hole in the block is the way to go. I= 'll add two more reasons to leave the block alone. One, is that is difficult= to cut the block straight, even with a good saw. And second, I have, on occ= asion when the block wasn't tight in the cavity, had the block knock when us= ing the damper pedal. Wim </HTML>