Peter Redstone wrote:
>

> Last week, I found a jig in a long-unexplored box in a
> corner of my shop which I used to use to drill holes in the
> hand-made pins I used back in the 70s. Later, when I began
> to use "iron" wire, I eliminated the holes. However seeing
> the mess some people make when they replace a string makes
> me wonder whether returning to holes might not be such a bad
> idea. I'm sure a _lot_ of owners would bless us!

Yeah, even though I have no trouble pressure wrapping, I know my
customers do. So I use holes, though a la Blüthner, not all the way through.

Regard Owen's complaint that it isn't worth the time to drill them, I
let the drill press do the work for me. A V-block holds the pin (widened
for the flat bit), and I adjust the depth stop for a fraction of a mm
less than going all the way through. A light-weight bungee attached to
one of the handles and clamped to the press stand gives just the right
tension to slowly advance the drill with the infinite patience I don't
have. A small weight would also do the trick. So I raise the drill, plop
a pin in the block, a drop of oil, and lower the drill. Then I turn
around in my chair and do some other mindless repetitive task I've
arranged, something that takes about 1 1/2 minutes, say like glue the
leather pad on a damper stool. When I come back the drill is finished,
and the whole process starts anew. The combination of not going through
and very light feed pressure means I haven't broken a bit in years, and
I drill pretty small holes.

PP

PS I should mention that off I make a dimple for the bit to center in
first. I very quickly do the whole set of pins in the same V-block
set-up but with a diamond tip marking punch chucked in the drill. I've
got a positioning screw running along the V-groove from the end of the
jig which works as an adjustable stop for the top of the pin. This can
be set to mark/drill the hole at any height, and assures that the are
all uniform in that respect, as well as assuring that the pin will go
back into the V-groove at exactly the same position when I do the drilling.