<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> <P>John M. Formsma writes: ......From what I surmise with my limited = technical knowledge, there is too much of an angle from where the string leaves = the tuning pin to where the strings pass over the plate, which "forces" = the string to slightly wind itself over the coil.....</P> <P>Ralph Stillwell, a member of our chapter had an extreme case of this = problem on a upright piano with an open pin block. He removed the bass tunning = pins, drilled the tunning pin holes, slightly under sise, clear through so the = hole came out the back of the piano, glued a piece of maple to the front of = the bass pin block area, and drilled the tunning pin holes through this cap from = the back. He then replaced the pins in the new "thicker" pin = block. This greatly reduced the angle between the tunning pins and the string. = Finally he glued a piece of veneer on the back of the piano to cover the holes that = came through the back side. He said it solved the problem. When I called = Ralph to get his permission to submit this he said he thought hardwood plywood would = be better than the maple he used if you could find it.</P> <P>John Dewey</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>