boring hammers & new strings

[A440A@AOL.COM]

>	I have measured the keybed to the string height and keybed to the
>hammer flange center pin to get the boring distance for some grand hammers.


 Greetings, 
    Is the string parallel with the keybed?  I don't think that the linear 
difference between centerpin and string height tells the whole story.   
    Scribe a straight line on the hammer's side, mount it on a shank at 90 
degrees, and then measure (with a small square) what the angle is between 
string and hammer when the action is in place?  It is not uncommon for the 
strings to rise rather steeply upward toward the bridge in the last octave or 
so.  Either hanging angle or bore distance(or both) must be compromised to 
have the hammer and string perpendicular upon impact. 
     A caution though, overshortening the bore distance in an attempt to 
square the hammer to string can make regulation a distant dream,  and it is 
essential that things like let-off and drop are still within reach with the 
adjustments available.  
   
Regards, 
Ed Foote