<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <DIV>The thin pin, wire, or (better) pointed smooth burnisher, finds it's way through the three holes effortlessly. With a sized-to-fit pin, there is no "play", so unless you have aligned the part exactly (by looking through the holes at a strong light or never failing to eyeball them into placeperfectly) then you are going to stab, wiggle, stab, wiggle ....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I doubt you meant your post to have the hoity-toity air that the "Hmmmmmm???" seemed to gave it.  This is just a little something that works very well for me and, obviously, others; something for folks to try. It isn't "the" correct  procedure.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Happy Sunday, all.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV>Salem, Missouri</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 09/04/2005 4:48:35 AM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Repinning Tip was Re: Steinway double flange fitting to butts</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hmmmm. Okay, but now how do you get the straight </FONT><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">piece of piano wire, or a smooth round burnishing tool, through the whole assembly, without ramming it through hard rock maple?  Hmmmmmm???</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>FWIW, I just push the pin through without any guide. I pre-align by eye, sometimes wiggle just a little, and don't seem to have a problem getting the pin in the birdseye without jamming it into the wood (although I have done that early-on before developing an eye for pre-insertion-alignment).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV> <DIV> <DIV>I get tired of fussing with pin, press, flange, and birdseye--trying to align the parts and insert the pin without trying to ram it through hard rock maple--so I have a foolproof little system. (And it works for me which proves that any fool can do it.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I run a thin, straight piece of piano wire, or a smooth round burnishing tool, through the whole assembly, then pull the wire back while guiding the pin through the first side of the flange and slightly into the birdseye. Then press the pin on through, pushing the wire or tool the rest of the way out. The wire/tool keeps everything aligned so the pin centers every time, and it's fast.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Salem, Missouri</DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>