<html> At 08:42 PM 11/11/2000 -0700, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite cite>Having problems removing the bushings from a piano that wasn't having its plate removed - I went to a pawn shop and purchased a ROUND shanked screwdriver with a shank diameter very close to the ID of the plate bushing holes.   Then, I simply cut off the tip of the screwdriver and ground it to look like a tuning pin spoon bit reamer.  You don't have to do a lot of grinding to do this as the bushings aren't really that deep - only do about 1/2 - 3/4" worth.  Works for me. John R. Fortiner Billings, MT.</blockquote> For something like this, I would have tried to clean the bushings before removing them. A drill bit with a stop collar would suffice. My worry is that the old pins probably have been pulled towards the rear of the hole. A new bushing may not compact easily enough for the pin to 'register' properly in the pin block. Drilling an angle in the bushing with the plate in is like treading on thin ice. Unless you cut a section of thin pipe to be a drill bit collar/stop. The important concern is to make an effort to mate the hole at the bottom of the bushing with the hole at the top of the pin block. Otherwise the tuning pin hole could end up slightly oblong from the effect of the bushing not compacting enough for the pin to chase the bore. Bushings will compact but it is dependant on the location of the 'old' pin bore. Hopefully the old pins did not touch the plate or were too close to it because the oversized pins could end up so. Below, is my answer to a similar question posted on the Mechanical Music Digest yesterday:  When dealing with tuning pin bushings, the punch has a point which marks the  center on the pin block when the bushings are installed. I drill the block at the  drill press out of the piano. With the plate out as well I turn it over and drill from  the bottom at the angle at which the tuning pin will be drilled. This maintains the  center at the 'bottom' and establishes the correct angle in the bushing. If you didn't  drill an angle in the bushing, as the pin is driven into the pin block it will assume  that angle and you could be left with a slight space between the pin and bushing  at the rear as the pin changed angles. Depending on the density of the bushing it  will force the pin towards the rear (away from the front) which could affect block  longevity because you just made the hole slightly oblong.  You could also drill the block in the piano through the bushings if you have a table  mount drill press setup for it. However you do not want to drill from the center at the top  because the angle will cause the pin to be close to the plate at the bottom. As the pin  hole wears, the pin will move closer to and might eventually touch the plate and if  oversized pins are going to be installed in the future there will be a problem.  The same holds true for pianos without bushings.  On pianos without bushings, I also drill the plate hole at a slight angle starting at the top.  I select a bit which is the same size as the hole and angle the drill so as to relocate the  bottom of the plate hole further towards the rear but not make the hole wider. (The top  of the hole is moved back as well but not as much as the bottom on the hole).  This is done in an effort to ensure that the pin does not ride the plate. It is especially  effective when restringing and using the old block with larger pins. How many times have  you needed to replace the block because the pins were riding the plate? This is an option  which may circumvent the need to replace the block for certain pianos.  No flames please from the zealots who replace every block as a matter or course. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That last line was for a few readers of the MMD, these player guys can be rather head-strong, with questionable rationale; it's as if they are in their own little universe (revolving around them :-). So that's my thoughts on bushings/plate webbibg. Chiao, (that reminds me, breakfast time  . . .) <div>Jon Page,   piano technician</div> <div>Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.</div> <div><a href="mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net" EUDORA=AUTOURL>mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net</a></div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </html>