<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 6.00.2900.2627" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV>Terry,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Recently faced the same problem on my first and only vertical hitch pin conversion. Bass bichord hitch pins alternated fore and aft, but still not enough space to make me feel comfortable picking a new location. Old pins were reasonable tight, so I left them in place, ground them flush with the top of the plate, and drilled the new holes down through the center of the originals. 3/16 diameter (larger than the originals at .156) and 9/16 deep (considerably deeper than originals). Thus the top and the bottom of the new hole are in fresh cast iron. Needed the drill press because the original pins were harder than surrounding cast iron - couldn't push the drill in by hand. See photo. New pins will be 3/16 x 1", with 7/16" exposed. If I set the height of the new bass bridge cap correctly, the loops will rest about 1/8 above the plate. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mike</DIV>
<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@ptg.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 6/21/2005 2:39:41 PM </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Hitch Pin Plate Drilling</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm about to drill a plate for vertical hitch pins. On the few plate I've done this to, I've always had enough fore-and-aft room in the hitch pin area to place the new hitch pin at a desirable location, and not be real close to the original hitch pin. Unfortunately, on the plate I need to drill, the hitch pin area is relatively narrow and I can't go very far fore or aft with the new location. I can only assume that the original steel pin is a lot harder than the cast iron and I must avoid hitting it. Agree? Any general advice on placing the new hitch pins in a situation like this from those who have crossed this bridge (or rather hitch pin area) before?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I could go immediately aft of the originals, but that would put all pins in one line - although the originals held up for 100 years in that array. Should I just do that and not worry about it?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>