Here we go! The release mechanism is level in the tower
and held with 4 screws. None of the gutters in this assembly are glued,
there all screwed with room for future adjustment.
Looks like I haven't learn to hold the camera straight
yet! But, the release mechanism works fine! It is very touchy and will
probably always need "tweaking". In this pic two of the parameter gutters
are in place. These are held in with "Duro" 24 hr epoxy. I used this because
I didn't want to use screws and little hands will probably be pulling on
the gutters so more strength is needed. Also if I'm sloppy with the epoxy,
it blends in with the finish and disappears! My mentor once told me "Anyone
can work with wood, but only a craftsman can hide his screwups!"
OK, this is where all the problems with the tower assembly
come back to bite me in the butt! As you can see I had to cut the pattern
for the handle, because it was 5/8" too short! See the arrows?
Those pockets are for the handle to slip in over the
vertical supports. Since I messed that step up, my over all top diameter
is larger than it should be. I had similar problems with the release mechanism
but I didn't give it much thought. I can see this mistake is going to upset
the lower parts of the tower.
Here's a pic of the parameter gutter just before
the marbles drop onto the staircase. More epoxy and 24 hours in the clamps.
I wish I'd kept track of the hours, cause I figure I'm about half way done.
OK here's a view of the whole mess! Lengthened handle
looks fine, and the marbles run through very nicely. This project is definitely
a test of my skills!
If your foolish enough to attempt this thing, feel free
to pick what's left of my mind. Actually it's a fun project and it's satisfying
to see it work!
