Tuning Pin Angle

[Ron Nossaman]

> That's the way I see it. What do others have as a preference for tuning 
> pin angle relative to string angle?
>  
> Terry Farrell

I like somewhere around 88°. That corresponds fairly well with 
the coil takeoff angle from the pin. Getting that angle is 
another problem. When I was driving pins with my 4lb hammer, I 
could drill the block at a specific angle and the pin would be 
at that angle after I drove it in. Since I started using a 
palm nailer, things changed. For reasons I haven't been able 
to define, pins driven with the palm nailer, especially if 
there's some tension on the string, will migrate and rotate 
toward the bridge. I've had a couple of pianos end up with the 
pins nearly on the rear edge of the plate webbing holes, and 
with little or no back lean. Using a transfer punch larger 
than the pin, and smaller than the plate hole, I can mark the 
pin locations forward of center, and add a couple of degrees 
to the drilling angle to get the things to center at  the 
pitch angle I want after driving them.

Who else has run into this with palm nailers?
Ron N