<br> <br> <br>     This is S.o.p. in our shop too. I have found that if I start at 3 1/2 inches I usually am real close. However I do drill into the under lever the depth of a punching.  On the tray I've been using a !/4 inch thick square of maple with a 3/4 inch hole cut into it, then ,as you I align it for optimal travel & glue it in place.  No Squeaks, no Sqauwks, no call backs.<br>   Thanks Mark<br>   Dale<br> <br> <div id=AOLMsgPart_1_e4d20ba4-7f14-47a3-8c9e-d19b686b3caf><br> Thanks, David  - I'm glad you've found it useful. And yes Bob & Dale,  I do make a new pitman (see the first sentence of the quote below). If you'll be replacing one of those accursed brass pitmans (pitmen?) then you will of course have to enlarge the hole in the keybed, or at least remove the felt. OTOH, if the original pitman was 5/8" then I'll often leave the felt in the hole. That way it helps to keep the new pitman from dropping out if I need to lower the trap lever for any reason. In operation the new pitman will not contact the felt at all. <br> <br> I'm still trying to find a foolproof method of cutting the new pitman to length. Now I'm just taking the length of the old pitman and adding the thickness of the old buckskin on the trap lever and underside of the damper tray, then subtracting the combined thickness of the new 5/8" pitman punchings (incidentally, I've been using Pianotek's thick pear backrail cloth for the punchings).<br> <br> - Mark Dierauf<br> <br> <br> <br> <IMG height=245 alt="" src="cid:part1.02080408.00000402@nhpianos.com" width=326><br> <IMG height=245 alt="" src="cid:part2.03070908.08010905@nhpianos.com" width=326><br> <IMG height=245 alt="" src="cid:part3.02060204.06070501@nhpianos.com" width=326><br> <IMG height=245 alt="" src="cid:part4.01010706.07000709@nhpianos.com" width=326><br> <IMG height=245 alt="" src="cid:part5.03050709.09080002@nhpianos.com" width=326><br> <br> <br> David Ilvedson wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> <STYLE>#AOLMsgPart_1_e4d20ba4-7f14-47a3-8c9e-d19b686b3caf p { MARGIN: 0px; } </STYLE> <div>List,</div> <div> </div> <div>Last year Mark Dierauf detailed his method of retro-fitting the Steinway pitman.   I've had great success using his method</div> <div>in the post reprinted below from the archives:</div> <div> </div> <div>"I'm using 3/8" dowel with a 5/8" punching. Also, rather than drilling a  <br> shallow hole in the tray and trap lever, I use a roughly 1" square of 1/4"  <br> cowhide, with a 5/8" hole drilled through it, on both the tray and lever. I  can <br> position these and the new pitman, lined up through the hole through the  keybed, <br> until I get the straightest run. Then I mark their positions, remove  the <br> pitman and glue the leather blocks in place. An appropriate wedge under  the tray <br> acts as a clamp, and I use a spring clamp on the trap lever. Gluing  the <br> rough side of the lever with titebond, it dries adequately in a minute or  so, and <br> if I should screw something up I figure it will be a lot easier to  remove <br> the leather blocks than to un-drill holes in the parts. If you're  dealing with <br> an older Steinway with the 5/8" original pitman, it isn't even  necessary to <br> drill out the hole through the keybed."<br> <br> - Mark Dierauf<br> <br> THANKS MARK!!</div> <div> </div> <div>David Ilvedson, RPT<br> Pacifica, CA 94044<br> </div> </BLOCKQUOTE><br> <br> </div> <div id='u8CA99E68695B217-1694-2703' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"><A title="http://toolbar.aol.com/moviefone/download.html?ncid=aolcmp00050000000011" href="http://toolbar.aol.com/moviefone/download.html?ncid=aolcmp00050000000011" target="_blank">Get the Moviefone Toolbar</A>. Showtimes, theaters, movie news, & more!</FONT> </div>