To answer Mr. Toto's question about alignment of the hole in the tuning
pin bushing and the boring in the pinblock; the bushing is a turning of
soft white birch, with a hole in the center a little smaller than the
smallest tuning pin diameter.

As the pin is driven into the bushing, the hole in the bushing expands
as its soft wood is crushed outward.  As the pin is driven further into
the block, and aligns itself to the seven degree block boring, the
bushing wall squeezes further, to accommodate the final tuning pin
position.  In other words, the soft wood in the bushing is what 'gives',
to accommodate whatever position the tuning pit assumes. One does not
have to worry about any theoretical misalignment between the bushing
hole and the pinblock boring.

It has been written that the plate bushing gives extra support to the
top end of the tuning pin, to help prevent it from bending as the
string is tightened.  I have always thought this to be suspect, since
the plate bushing is so soft and easily distorted compared with the
pinblock hardwood.  I am not alone in this; some pianos, including good
Mason & Hamlins, were done without plate bushings, with apparently no
bad effect.

Richard Vance