Ditch the tuning pin bushings

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 12, 2001 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: Ditch the tuning pin bushings


>
> > Would you assume that a new or newly rebuilt instrument without bushings
in
> > which tuning pins already contacting plate is starting out with an
acceptable
> > alteration in its design parameters?
>
>
> Absolutely not. It's starting out with sloppy workmanship.

I wonder about this....

If you'll make a drawing of the S&S tuning pin arrangement as designed and
installed, lo these past 100+ years, you'll find that there is just about no
way to keep the pins from contacting the plate. Given the thickness of the
plate panel over the pinblock, the diameter of the holes, the diameter of
the pins and the mandated pin back angle the pin is going to contact the
plate no matter how careful you are at drilling. Indeed, it begins to look
like this contact was intentional from the start. I suspect this is how they
managed to keep their three-ply pinblocks from self-destructing. It is also
the only explanation I can think of for their long-term practice of drilling
at such an extreme back angle -- the pins can contact the plate at the
bottom edge and still look reasonably centered out where folks can see
them..

Del