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
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