Drill press setup/jig for indexing previously drilled stock

[Chewy]

Here you go. I based all this on your picture. Bear in mind it is a work in progress, so between scratching your head and laughing, enjoy

1. Clamp 2 frame rails together at 6" starting width. The back rail most be as straight as possible. It is the guide. Before using square stock, run a file along all faces or sand on flat plate to check for any rolled up edges. Not all metal is the same.
2. Clamp some 1" wide blocks on bottom plate along long side. They will space plate out for horizontal bearings. Lay some small 3/8-1/2" wood wedges at places where you think vertical bearings will go and press on plate to check for flex. Add as many vertical bearings as needed.
3. Make up some temporary supports for the tubes and set in proper locations. The back set of supports must be as inline with the edge and bearings as possible. The front set needs to be parallel to the back set.
4. Just keep messing with the damn thing until it all looks good. If the frame rails work better at 4" or 5-1/2", move them and try again. Same with the plate. Same with stands. The skate bearings are 22mm OD so 1" overhang should be good. Maybe the stands will work best inset 2 " from edge. You want to leave a few inches in between tubes for benders if needed. 4-5" should be good.
5. Mark all locations and disassemble. Put away until tomorrow. Reassemble on your marks and see if you still like it.
6. Assemble the frame with countersink bolts. Make straight, flat and parallel. No wiggle or flexing allowed.
7. Layout the three precision bearings and make perfect. Then start mounting all the rest of the bearings. The horizontal bearings will need spacers to run 1/4" or so down from top of frame after verticals are installed. Not critical. Other then the three outside bearings, all the rest of horizontal are slotted for adjustment. Use as many as you want. They prevent twisting or torquing the top plate as it moves.
8. You now have a flat plate that should slide easily back and forth. The 3/8" thick plate should not bend or torque at all. This platform will do what ever you want to do. You can attach extra plates on top for specialty items.
9. Back plate. You need around a foot or so of 1/2" ID seamless tube and the same as 1/2" smooth rod. Space out the back plate from frame. I would use some 3/4" thick bar or plate bolted to bottom frame rail. You may have to face it a tad thinner so it doesn't touch the drill press table. Attach with countersink bolts.
The first piece of pipe sticks out from back plate at a height you like. Tack it or somehow hold in place. Cut a piece of rod to slide in it. Then attach a piece of pipe 2 to 2-1/2" to the end of that rod. Make sure rods will slide in both pipes without play. The position pins will slide up and down to engage the holes. You slot the pipe on the back plate for back and forth give. Then with rod installed mark location for slide pin. Line everything up dead perfect and weld and slot and drill holes for pins. No sideways twist for slide rod. The pin must slide smoothley in groove. Your last adjustment when all else fails is the slotted holes at bottom of back plate. You can get a little sideways tilt adjustment.
10. Stands. I would make dedicated stands that slide left and right to accommodate the different brands. That's me. However you do it the stands must be in line with the plate and parallel with each other. You mount the pieces in the stand. Locate fixture so position pin is in line with drill left to right. This is critical. Adjust the fixture so drill is in center of rod. Slide plate and watch. The drill should track in the center. If there is a little warp between supports, make the rod benders. Place up against the piece and push/pull until straight. Mark location for mounting hole, drill and tap.


I went with 12' lengths of 1" square because it is a common length. The 3/8" plate is stiffer then 1/4" and I don't think you need 1/2". I went with 608ZB skate bearings. 8mm bolts to mount. I really don't think you will ever wear them out. Sorry for the book, but this is how I would approach this. Again, it is a work in progress. You now have the fun of adapting and setting real dimensions. Good luck!!!

 

[Bonny Jour Jour]

I'm guessing the all brass systems are deemed to sound better and would be more highly sought after?
Piano restoration must be very labor-intensive

Um, good question but I've never heard anyone get that specific about it. There isn't much effect to be gained or lost from the action parts on the tone. Sound quality comes down to health of the acoustic system, scaling of the piano and regulation, and within each of those a lot of variables to push and pull on the sound with

 

[whitmore]

Good morning!

I very well may be in the wrong place for a question such as this but lets see where it leads.

In my profession I am periodically tasked with recreating 100 year old parts that have worn out (I restore pianos). Pianos usually have 88 keys, and there are multiple rails per piano action-stack. In the service of recreating these with the singular alignment that is correct for that piano, the old rails come out and the drill-pattern layout is laboriously copied over to the un-drilled stock in order to be drilled with 'relatively' tight tolerances (I am made aware I am chatting with machinists ).

There's a lot of interest in reproduction from models; the casting folks are evidently ecstatic about
being able to produce their lost-foam pieces with machine tooling under software control, for instance.
Scanning an existing part is one of the steps...
Leno's garage replicates an antique part

 

[mattthemuppet2]

if you need to copy the hole spacing from one rod to the other, I would first make a jig to hold both rods at a fixed distance from each other along their length. Could be metal, could be wood, the main idea is to not let the rods shift lengthwise or apart/ together. Then I would make a steel block, two half moon cutouts underneath to match the diameter of the rods and the spacing between them. Drill one half moon through and insert a dowel pin to locate the hole in the old rode. Drill the other half moon through to act as a drill guide for the new rod. Insert dowel into old rod, clamp in place, drill hole in new rod. Remove, repeat. If the hole in the steel block starts getting boogered, you can buy a hardened drill bushing for your drill size, then drill out your block and press the drill bushing in.

It'll still be time consuming and a little tedious, but that's what I'd do.

 

[tq60]

If I understand the photo, the new blank needs the holes drilled same as the original to the left.

Engaging my simple mind...

First, assuming the rails are some round like shape and new same shape as original.

Also assuming holes are equally spaced, better, but does not need to be.

Make a tray like guide.

Let me explain.

Imagine a simple 1 dozen egg size egg carton.

2 rows of egg holders.

Swap out the row of egg holders for rod holders, you make something like splitting a length of pvc pipe in 1/2 that will hold the rod such that it stays put.

You could use a table saw to gut dado notches in a 2x6, does not matter except the rods fit well and they are parallel.

Make it long, maybe 2 to 4 feet.

Near the end mark a spot in exact same distance from the end in dead center for a guide pin.

Drill hole and insert guide pin in each.

Cut this part from end of fixture with the pins close to the edge, it needs to be in place and not block next hole.

The other side can be longer.

Next drill one pin hole in center of one slot and insert pin.

Drill a hole in opposite slot in alignment with first in exact center.

Shift sideways some and insert a drill bushing in xact center of slot without pin.

Consider clamping to secure rods in fixture.

Tool done.

How to use.

The angle and spacing of the fixture does not matter.

Place correct drill bit in chuck.

Place fixture on table and insert drill into drill bushing.

Clamp fixture to table.

Measure from end of old rod the distance to first hole, mark this hole.

Place rod in fixture and drill this hole.

Place original in slot with pin, since first hole is drilled place it on hole 2.

Take the cut off piece with the pin in each slot and place it on top of the rods with the pins in hole 1 of both.

Clamp it to rods.

Clamp down both rods.

Drill hole 2 in New rod

Unclamp and move both to hole 3.

Clamp drill and repeat.

The part with 2 pins keeps the 2 rods aligned to each other.

The alignment pin insures you are in right place.

This is the starting point, may take some optimization to get perfect.

Maybe additional Clamp pairs consisting of chunk of the original tray trimmed and clamped to the end of the rod away from the drilling action, it is critical that the Clamp cannot twist on the rods as they must stay parallel and not shift.


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[Bonny Jour Jour]

Thank you gents and thank you a Chewy(!) for the drawing. Y'all have given me a fair bit to chew on. I am trying to wrap up a restoration on a piano from 1895 for a client with a deadline and I will leave for a bit. After it is wrapped I am going to put my cap on and think about the drawing and how I will proceed. There are things on the drawing the do not make sense to me yet but perhaps with more focused time staring at it I can get it. I'm willing to bet, for people with machining experience, it makes a lot of sense and is easy to understand.

This place is a kind place to ask questions and very helpful. Thanks...I'll be back in about a week!

 

[Chewy]

If you have any questions just PM me and I will explain or redraw. It was on the fly so I could have done better. I got a kick out of some the responses especially the grooves in the 2 x 6. I have done that one and it works pretty good. I use a lot of wood for fixtures and positioning things. In my view, the responses werel fine but are manly good for one off jobs. They have some valid points on lining up the holes, but are done one at a time and therefore time consuming. You indicated you wanted something you could use for years

The design is one that I would do for a customer if they asked. It is a super rigid frame, and an easy rolling flat platform to build on. Lets just say that some of my customers' employees would use the frame for a loading ramp if they thought they could get away with it. In my mind (and that's not much) once you do the setup, you should drill accurately 1 hole in 1 minute or less then move on. In my mind, the stands are the critical part. You need to make 10-12 matched items. 1 set for old tube and one set for new tube that need to be pretty damn close. I would opt to make aluminum ones on a mill to a 1-2 thousand tolerance, but that is me. Good Luck!! Hope this is helpful to you!!

P.S With a little time I could CAD out a part or an assembly to help your understanding.

 

[tq60]

We used 2x6 as it is common and easy to work with table saw.

Not sure what the op has in tooling or machines, but it was just an idea to start the collective thinking.

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[Chewy]

As I said It works. I just used a 2x4 to run 5' of CRS through the mill for side steps and facing. I figure about 4-5 thousand deviation overall along the piece. Since I want 10-12 Thousand clearance, it was great. I use a lot of Advantek for making jigs. It is a PIA to work with but very stable overall.

 

[Chewy]

TQ60, I think the guy just found out there is more then one way to solve a problem and there are lots of people willing to give ideas. I study all the responses and analyze them. Sometime in a future repair I will use them.