<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Quentin, David and = list.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Strange, I find it much easier to = appreciate a straight line in the keys when viewed from the side of the keyboard, = than to appreciate the individual distance from the keys to a stick placed above = them (certainly if that distance is small).  Also, only by eye can I = pound three informations : the alignement of the underside of the fronts of the keys = (supposed of course that they are perfecly evenly cut, which is nearly = always the case), the alignment of the underside of the keytops, and the = alignment of the upside of the keytops (which, if ivory and old, can have = altered thicknesses due to wear which would induce some severe leveling errors = when regulated with the stick).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And, when it comes down to less than = 0.16 mm difference between the level of adjacent keys (0.08 mm is the thickness = of the smallest balance rail punchings I use, and I suppose here that the = balance hole is approximately in the middle of the key length), which difference I'm = sure anyone can see, I believe that the discrepencies in the other parts of = the action plus the discrepencies in string height and the discrepencies in = the apparent bore distance of the used hammers are all of greater consequence (and concern) to the regulation.  </FONT><FONT = face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best regards.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>