those pesky nose bolts, now locate guide rail.

[Fenton Murray]

Thank you Nick! That works for me, if the guide rail holes are off a new cap 
can be made with the rail located as it was. If there is plate interference, 
a little mod to the end of a rail shouldn't be a problem. Not really a big 
deal, lot's of ways to skin the cat, but for some reason I did some ugly 
work on the edge of the soundboard at the belly rail the last time looking 
for love in all the wrong places. It was all made invisible in the end with 
some plugging and the guide rail itself covering my creativity.
Fenton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nick Gravagne" <gravagnegang at att.net>
To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 8:14 AM
Subject: RE: those pesky nose bolts, now locate guide rail.


> Hi Fenton (Mr. B3!)
>
> Your question presupposes that you want to locate the damper guide rail
> (DGR) in its original location.
>
> After your new board is made and dry-fit to rim for bridge location and 
> all
> around fit, put everything aside and go to the hobby store or local 
> gunsmith
> and pick up a small container of BBs (unless you have some random small 
> ball
> bearings rolling around somewhere). You will use these in a fashion 
> similar
> to dowel centers.
>
> Do not plug the original DGR holes in the belly bar. Now place the 5 or 6
> BBs in the DGR holes and light tap them down to seat(or use 1 BB at a time
> and move to next hole), set your board over top and either with the side 
> of
> your fist, or else a small dead blow and block of wood, strike down on the
> soundboard top over the area of the BBs. Upon removing the board find the
> small indents and drill through from bottom to top with a 1/8" brad point
> (usually the right size). Don't worry about EMC unless for some reason the
> board is extreme one way or another (which it shouldn't be anyway).
>
> When gluing in the board leave the holes un-plugged. In fact, the 1/8" DGR
> holes can act as additional tooling pin locators. After the board is
> installed and glue dry, simply chase the holes to clean out the glue 
> and/or
> change bit size to accommodate the screw. Make sure you drill deep enough.
> Should your bits get clogged they clean up easily with water, especially 
> if
> you use hide glue.
>
> This all assumes you want the DGR located in the original position. 
> Usually
> and for the most part we do. As other fine posts have indicated, if the
> plate and bridges are re-installed exactly (or very near so) to original
> locations the DGR will be where you need it. I have yet to re-install the
> original damper wires without having to make or tweak the neck bends for
> damper head left-to-right centering.
>
> If for some reason you know that the original DGR needs to shift to the
> right or left some specified amount (say 1mm), you may still use the
> procedure above, but this time drill very small reference holes as near
> vertically as you can, and as precisely in the center of the indent as is
> practicable. Use the small holes to measure left or right for the 1mm. If
> this is the case you need to plug the original holes.
>
> Works for me.
>
> Regards,
>
> Nick Gravagne, RPT
> Piano Technicians Guild
> Member Society Manufacturing Engineers
> Voice Mail 928-476-4143
>
> Nick Gravagne, RPT
> Piano Technicians Guild
> Member Society Manufacturing Engineers
> Voice Mail 928-476-4143
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Fenton Murray
> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 9:50 PM
> To: Pianotech List
> Subject: Re: those pesky nose bolts, now locate guide rail.
>
> As long as we are locating things, how about some ideas on locating the
> damper guide rail.
> My last job I pluged the holes, made a new rail and started over. I've
> frustrated myself trying to exactly locate the little number 8 screws, or
> whatever they are, drilling precisely in the right spot through the new
> soundboard, to catch the old hole.
> Tips, techniques?
> Thank you,
> Fenton
>
>
>