Another slow patch there... need to get in gear!

The drum machining is now organised and will start next week. Discs have been cut and are with Jeroen (machinist). Taper roller bearings for the drum also ordered. These will be held evenly between the bulkheads with spacers and the slightest of preload put on them, like 720.

I recently made the wheel drive shafts. These are 14mm diameter 7075 aluminium with an m6 thread in each end. Can see them in this pile of stuffage:


(I have cats!)

Have also made the 20mm HDPE sides:



The armour supports as well as the wheel shafts are counterbored 5mm into the HDPE. With the front and back on, I'm hoping this will be rigid enough. As-is, in hand, it feels very stiff, but of course spinners can exert a bit more force than human hands. :P

A few with both sides bolted on for a sense of scale:







Will probably make the back plate next, which is the weakest side of the machine, being just 12mm HDPE. That is still thicker than Tormenta 2's thickest, but as you can see in the pic with T2 for scale, the 10mm on the nearest side got a 4cm long slot put in it in one blow last year, eek!