<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html;= charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2627" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff>So it's you who did that!  = ;-]   The problem, imho, with the center pin/nail is= you still have the top/bottom of the pitman moving slightly= against the lever & tray and potential noise.  The 1/2"= dowel with a 3/4 inch punching glued to each end and fitting= into a 3/4 inch recess (forstner bit) eliminates that remaining= friction.   The hole in the keybed is is about a 1= inch hole (forstner bit again).   The archives= has lots of stuff on this...<BR><BR>David= I.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px;= PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid;= PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<BR>From: Barbara Richmond= <PIANO57@FLASH.NET><BR>To: Pianotech= <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Received: Mon, 16 May 2005 16:12:33= -0500<BR>Subject: Damper pitman<BR><BR> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi list,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you ever want to find out how= much changes in the field of piano technology, just take a nice= long leave.  When you come back you will find that some= things which were very "fashionable" have gone by the wayside,= or worse, find out that a one time favored method or whatever is= actually considered harmful.  (Sort of makes me think of a= very funny scene in Woody Allen's film, Sleeper.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, speaking of damper systems= and trapwork--when I first started in the business, I was told= by John Ford (!), to remove the pitman, drill a little hole in= the end to insert a center pin (a small bit of the sharp side= protruding).  This would keep the pitman in place and= eliminate noise.  Since I've come back to work, I've read= that folks make the hole in the keybed larger.  So, is= it a toss up, or did I horribly damage all those pianos where I= inserted the center pin? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anxiously= awaiting enlightenment!    :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond= </FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>