Steinway D #411101 Fitting the pinblock

Before setting the bearing on a new soundboard it is necessary to fit the new pinblock to the plate, and to relocate the plate and pinblock assembly into the case of the piano. The plate and pinblock need to be not only in the correct position left and right, but must also be at the proper height on all planes.

The pinblock needs to be fit on two planes, the face of the plate and the flange on the plate. Fitting is necessary because the plate is made of un-machined cast iron, which means it has many uneven surfaces.It is important that this fit is precise, as it is a big factor in future tuning stability of the instrument.

Here is a photo of the new fitted block beside the original block. Note that the final step I do in fitting the block is to use a thin coat of polyester filler to insure a perfect match between the edge of the pinblock and the flange of the plate. This ensures the best future tuning stability possible.

Plate ready to be hoisted into piano case to locate pinblock.