<HTML>In a message dated 5/7/01 11:15:24 PM Central Daylight Time, dirks@pegasus.rutgers.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I drill pinblocks out of the piano. I think I do pretty well getting the tuning pin holes to line up with the plate holes but there's always room for improvement. I'd love to hear how you all mark the block and get tuning pin holes that are bullseye in the middle of the plate holes. (pianos with no t pin bushings) K.i.s.s. methods preferred. Bob Dowling njrpt </BLOCKQUOTE> I presume you have fit the block to the plate. With the plate right side up, clamp the block to the plate using big C Clamps or bar clamps. I clamp the ends both ends to assure a tight fit to the flange and also top to bottom to assure a tight fit to the webbing. With the block secured to the plate, I drill out the screw holes first. Because block material is so hard, I use a bit the size of the shank of the screw, and first drill a hole the length of the shanks, (without the threads) (put a piece of masking tape on the drill to know when to stop). The bit is usually also the same width as the screw hole. This assures that the screw hole is centered. I then use a bit the thickness of the inside of the threads, and drill all the way through the block. I then put in about 4 or five screws, and remove the clamps. Now the block is fit to the plate as it would be in the piano. To drill the tuning pins holes, find a bit that is the same diameter of the holes. Then just dimple each hole. All you need is a dimple about 1/32" deep, enough to know where the hole is supposed to be. This dimple will be enough so than when you drill the block on the bench, the bit will follow in the dimple, and you'll have a perfectly centered tuning pin hole. Willem </HTML>