Re: ATM Another fine 'string scope'

["Doug Tanaka" <dtanaka@seanet.com>]

> Doug,
> It is not clear how the tubes and cage are assembled.  It appears from the
> picture that the strings normally remain attached to both the cage and the
> rocker box.

The strings are always attached to the upper cage, and they are attached to
 the mirror box with very small aluminum carabiners, the kind sold at
 mountaineering stores for key rings.  In each corner of the mirror box are
 pop-up ring catches from a boat supply store.  When not in use they fold
 flush with the top of the mirror box and flip up to attach the carabiners.
 I only take these off when the mirror box has to go under the bed in our
 van, for transport.  Everything was designed around this space, which is
 10.5" high.  With the catches folded flush I have less than .25" of
 clearance to the bottom of the bed.  The strings stay attached most of the
 time.

> Your tanaka.txt mentions that springs in plastic pipes are
> mounted in the corners (of the rocker box, I assume).  What about the
> fitting at the cage end of the tubes?  How deep are the tubes in the tube
> fittings at the cage and rocker box ends.  Is there a spring compression
> release in the rocker box so that the tubes can be assembled in position
> with no load and then spring pressure applied?  Otherwise, how is that
part
> of the assembly accomplished?
>
> Thanks,
> Don

 The ends of the tubes at the secondary cage have short pieces of copper
pipe
 jammed inside and epoxied in place.  The copper pipes stick out about .25"
 and fit into matching copper caps epoxied into the secondary cage.  They
 slip in and out easily but the fit is firm.

   At the mirror box end, the tubes end up about 3.5" into the plastic
sleeves.
 The sleeves are about 5.5" long and the springs are 3" long.  I start by
 loosely inserting two poles in opposite corners (at this point they are
only
 inserted 2.5").  Then I raise the secondary cage as high as it will go,
 holding it with one hand, and with the other hand push one of the poles
down
 until the spring bottoms out (the pole is now inserted almost 4" into the
 sleeve).  This gives me about 1/8" of clearance to insert the copper piece
 on the secondary cage end into its cap in the secondary cage.  While
 continuing to support the cage I do the same on the opposite corner.  Now
 the cage can stand on its own and I insert the two remaining tubes.  The
 process takes less than a minute.

 Doug Tanaka