August 28
Several points of good news, and some not so good news (no pictures this week...)
First the decoders arrived on the other side of the pond... more when I know more.
Successfully blinded all three middle drivers. I took the first one and installed it in the frame and tested for sticking points - no problems. Installed one side rod and resolved any sticking problems. Removed that rod, installed the other side rod and repeated. Then installed both side rods - everything rolls free. Installed the lock nuts on the front and back axle, and the darn thing would bind up after about 10-15 revolutions. Took me about a day to realize that the blind axle was 1 mm too wide and so instead of the side rods running parallel to the frame, they were wiggling and eventually binding against the inside of the lock nut. So after machining down the shoulders another 0.5 mm on either side, it appears to now be happy. I've installed the second blind driver as well, but the third will have to wait because....
While working with the first driver, I managed to snap a crankpin while installing the lock nut. Oddly enough, I didn't snap it at the lock nut, but rather at the point where it emerges from the Delrin center. So, I need to reach out to the folks I got these from and get some spares. While I'm at it, I'm looking at bushings with a 0.6mm bore for the main rod to cross head mount. Does anybody out there know what the size of the Tomar wiper mounting screws are so I can save myself the trouble of measuring them? I figure if they are the right size that would save me buying S0.6 screws and nuts...
Don't know how much I'll get done this next week - my wife is off to Atlanta to visit friends and so I'll be single parenting until she's back on Labor Day.
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