<HTML>In a message dated 10/24/2002 11:02:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time, davidlovepianos@earthlink.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I still do it because it insures a perfect fit to the flange.  I can only go through carving the block for so long.  I get it to fit as close as is reasonable in a reasonable amount of time, use marine epoxy paste which is very thick and doesn't run all over the place.  Smear on just enough to have a small bit of squeeze out, wipe off the excess and it's done.  David Love <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">----- The tedium of carving a block to fit the flange has diminished to usually no more  than thirty minutes since I purchased a makita hand held belt sander. You won't see it at tool places usually. Look in there catalogue.The width of the belt is about 1 1/2" wide and has variable speed dial. It's like wielding a rotary file.  I use the  front wheel part as much as flat sole to do this job.So quick. I use it for so many other things as well. Beats files and rasps or whatever. It allows impatient people (like me ) to spend enough time getting lots of chalk or black showin all the way across the flange which gives me alot of confidence about the fit and  transfer of string pressure. It is truly amazing how poorly some blocks I replace have originally been fit and yet weren't causing stability problems. The bushed plates are usually fit the worst.</BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>                     Dale Erwin <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>