X-ray powder diagrams are more and more widely used for mineral identification because of the usually unequivocal results and the conveniency of the method . Modem x-ray sets can easily be operated by an intelligent technician, and the sealed tubes, now on the market, are long lasting and efficient, reducing the time of exposure to a fraction of what it used to be a couple of decades ago. The most time consuming parts of the procedure are 1.) the centering of the pin, and 2.) the preparation of the pin. We have been able to reduce the time spent on both these operations to a minimum, and it may be worth while to publish our results.