Action Rail Hole Spacing

[Farrell]

Well, I'm sure there is nothing so terribly wrong with using the old one.
Left unguided, that is indeed how I was doing it.

With such a method however, some accuracy is lost with each replacement
(heaven forbid, what will this rail look like 800 years from now?). I was
also asking the question from a broader perspective as I have run across
rails that were not set up well originally. This also may come up when
converting a rail from brass rails to wooden flanges, or building a rail
from scratch.

I'm sure there is some efficient techniques for drilling a series of holes
at either equal spacing or a steadily variable spacing that helps to
increase accuracy. I think Sarah Fox came up with the best approach for a
general hole spacing when an adequate original is not available - the
treaded rod (thanks Sarah - although in this case I think I will use the
original as a guide - but when I make that new piano from scratch......)

I guess I was targeting the question to go beyond the immediate action rail.

Terry Farrell

> > Anyone have any great ideas for how to accurately space screw holes in
an
> action rail? I need to make a new let-off rail for an old M&H upright and
> the only way I can figure to do it is to use the old one as a guide and
mark
> the new wooden rail. Is there a better way to space?
> >
> > Terry Farrell
>
>     Whassamatta with using the old one?  Just put 'em side by side and use
a
> little machinist's or hobbyist's square, or make a little jig and just go
> down the line and mark 'em all.  By the time you could make a scale stick
or
> come up with some formula, you'd be done.

> --David Nereson, RPT