<HTML>In a message dated 10/24/2002 8:07:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time, RNossaman@cox.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: Pinblock Drilling Centering Date:10/24/2002 8:07:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time From:<A HREF="mailto:RNossaman@cox.net">RNossaman@cox.net</A> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet >         Funny you should mention delignit. I just bored up my first > block. Not strung yet. I find it to be as smooth as Maple and oddly I > drill it with the same size bit. I can't tell the difference between the > two. Its also something like  athird of the price. Wow!! >      Dale Hi Dale, The down side is that the Delignit will be less forgiving of differences in tuning pin diameter and hole sizing when you drill. If you drilled in one pass, you will have more torque variation than if you had drilled two passes with 1/4" as the first. What's your finish bit size? Ron N </BLOCKQUOTE>                Ron                I've always used the one pass method. Never heard of the two pass technique till you brought it up. My sample holes and pin fit were borted at .250 for a no. one pin  and the fit was good so I drilled the block this way. For no. 2's I use a .257.  I'm unclear as to how you're drilling twice and maintaing your accuracy. That would depend perhaps if the block is drilled in the piano or out? Either way enlighten me as I don't recall the details. The sample pins I drilled were equal to the feel and smoothness of maple      I've also done some experimenting with pin driving fluids and found I liked them. Drove a no'2 in a .250 hole swabbed with with Mckloskeys varnish. It was scary for a couple of days and then it settled down to a VERY nice smooth and solid feel. The no. 2 in the hole without varnish popped and was too tight even after a week or more/still.            Dale E.</HTML>