MIKE Back Inside

[Tom Droege <tdroege@veriomail.com>]

Dan came by this afternoon and we hauled MIKE back inside.  Dan was 
standing there holding the carriage as I was trying to get it apart.  He 
was beginning to tire when I realized that I had not removed two crossbars 
that are in the way.  Sigh!  It is a real Chinese puzzle to take 
apart.  But we are gradually learning how to do it.

The problem was a slipping Declination drive.  I am slowly learning how to 
do it.  A good shop would pin the gear on the shaft.  I just don't have the 
set up to do that.  So I just drill a hole through the shaft and thread the 
set screw through the shaft.  This seems to work.  Hopefully we will get it 
put back together tomorrow and get it back outside - or at least on Saturday.

The Declination drive will always be marginal.  Sigh!

I can just get a Mark IV through the door to the outside.  I should have 
specified a 36" door into my shop from the bed room.  Sigh!   One does not 
think of everything.   If I had it to do over, I would build a test balcony 
off my shop where I could roll a system out on a cart.

Tom Droege