<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>I drill in the piano. I use a Self-Centering Transfer Punch (page = 2110) <A href="http://www.mcmaster.com/">http://www.mcmaster.com/</A> to = mark the hole center, and then I drill with my overhead drill press. I get close = by aiming the bit and the dent from the punch draws the bit perfectly to = the center. Below is the result - unfortunately the viewing angle makes = things look a little offset. Top center is close to directly under the camera = lens. They ended up centered pretty well. A few are less than perfect, = but not bad. On some of these plates that have very small plate holes (some = are not much bigger than the pin), I can see that I would need to improve my = technique (but maybe we just need to drill the plate holes bigger?). I error = slightly away from the string side of the pin (toward the piano top on this upright) figuring that if the pin ever moves at all, it will move = slightly toward the string side of the pin.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><IMG alt="" hspace=0 src="cid:000f01c336ab$416436a0$abb42341@tampabay.rr.com" = align=baseline border=0></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Richards idea of a collar that sets into the plate hole sounds like = a winner - I might have to try something like that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also, someone posted about drill bit runout. I've had a couple = machine-savy types tell me that whatever small-shop-type drill press you get = will have a chuck on it that costs about $3 (and might be worth even less!). Buy = your drill press, and then plan on spending about $100 or so on a good after-market = chuck. I think I paid about $85 for my chuck that I slapped on my $59 Crapsman = drill press - but it does seem to work well!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: "Phillip Ford" <<A href="mailto:fordpiano@earthlink.net">fordpiano@earthlink.net</A>></= DIV> <DIV>To: <<A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 4:58 PM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: Centering tuning pin holes</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>> <BR>> >Richard (and others),<BR>> = ><BR>> ><BR>> >....Drilling the block in the piano is no guarantee of = precise centering.<BR>> ><BR>> >Best regards to all,<BR>> = ><BR>> >Stan Kroeker, RPT<BR>> <BR>> I agree with this Stan.  I personally would like to hear from those that drill in the piano about = how they go about centering the drill in the plate hole.  I drill out of the = piano at the drill press.  I temporarily attach the pinblock to the plate = (or vice versa in the case of a Steinway) and mark the hole locations with a = transfer punch.  I've been happy with the results.<BR>> <BR>> = Phil F<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Phillip Ford<BR>> Piano Service = & Restoration<BR>> 1777 Yosemite Ave - 130<BR>> San Francisco, = CA  94124<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> = pianotech list info: <A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A></BODY></HTML>