Movin' along...
Well, Muck, over-engineered or not it is back together and works incredibly well...I'm impressed with how effective this mechanical device operates.
Motion sensor assembly repaired and reassembled
For those that just want to watch a movie about it go here:
YouTube
Otherwise, or additionally, read on...
Here's the new nose bearing I had on-hand:
And the reassembled unit overall:
It...works...like...a...charm.
The 10,000 cs fluid in the actuator was the ticket!
Rolling guide upgrades
Got the parts back from my machinist friend.
Again, if you just want to watch a movie about what I'm doing with these custom machined parts go here:
YouTube
Otherwise, or in addition, here's what's happening...there are two rolling guides in between the supply reel and the erase head and one static guide. The static guide is RIGHT before the erase head and its just generally accepted that its kind of a shame that it has to be there because that's after the reel idler roller with the viscous damped flywheel and it'd be nice to maintain, as much as possible, the benefit of that damping and not go backwards with a static guide downstream. So I have this really nice "rotary tape guide" off of the 440-8 project I used to own and subsequently parted out. Its beefy, heavy, rolls like silk. I thought THAT would be nice right before the erase head but there are some limitations as its too tall, and because of the way its made I really don't want to modify it. So I'm putting that in place of the first rolling guide which comes right before the tape enters the head cover. Its too short to go there so I had my friend make a shoulder washer to build it up. Here's the guide and the new washer separate and then a shot of the two mated together:
THEN...I can take the rolling guide that was where the 440-8 rotary tape guide is going and put THAT in place of the static guide right before the erase head. Problem
there is that the guide is too TALL. But unlike the rotary tape guide the
standard rolling guide can be easily modified because the guide assembly sits on a spacer. So I had my friend make a shorter spacer. Yup. Here's a couple shots of the full stock guide with the stock spacer and then to the right of it the new part:
Other updates
Got the pinch roller back and here's another plug for Terry Witt of Terry's Rubber Rollers:
Also the new bearings are on the way for the pinch roller. I spent a little more money on these bearings because the tape drive's effect on performance can be significant since it is a ripe source for mechanical "noise". I got ABEC-7 cartridges with stainless races. Here's the thing...the pinch roller doesn't spin very fast right? A higher ABEC rating means a bearing with a tighter tolerance which makes for a smoother bearing at speed and increased speed tolerance.
A higher ABEC rating doesn't necessarily guarantee smoother operation at slow speeds! Plus there are some variances depending on where the bearing was manufactured. Knowing I was going to get import bearings I chose to get ones with ceramic balls which wear better and are smoother. I also chose to get sealed cartridges rather than shielded. Seals
can produce mechanical "noise" (I'm splitting hairs here folks) and create drag but I opted for them anyway. I
think the capstan motor can handle the drag
and because of the application I thought sealed was important. They were $13 each + $5 to ship, BUT there's a special this month and I got a free digital readout 0.001" scale dial caliper for free. Do I need one? Uh...no, and I like my analog dial unit better than the digital ones anyway, but hey...it makes me feel better getting something for "free" with my relatively expensive bearings. And the bearings will last and last and last.
The last batch of spare parts are on their way thanks to a very helpful friend. With this shipment comes a spare 8 track remote carcass from which I can make one really nice remote (like I may have mentioned in the past its incomplete but has the guts I need and the dress panel is in really nice shape...mine is kind of trashed, so this is a good match), the special rackmount panel for racking the two additional 39V supplies for the 8 additional electronics for 16 track conversion as well as a stationary 2" tape guide for in between the footage roller and the takeup brake arm...oh and a spare motion sensor switch. I literally will have everything for the 2" conversion
except for the 3 wiring sub-harnesses...and it *is* possible to run the machine without them...the three harnesses simply extend several controls located on the electronics modules to centralized locations...the bias trap and sync gain controls are on screw pots on the back of the modules but those are redirected to the "sync boxes" that handle 8 tracks each on the MM-1000 so you can get to them and adjust them from the front of the machine, and the other harness relocates track arming and source switching controls to the right of the control panel from the face of each electronics module...SO...if I wanted to start using the machine in 2" trim I can do it with what I have, it would just mean the incovenience of manning those controls at the modules for 8 of the channels. I can deal with that for a time but eventually I will *have* to have it setup proper...I mean, I have the second sync box and the control panel dress panel with the cutouts for the second row of 8 mode control switches as well as the second set of mode control switches themselves...I've got to use them RIGHT??? Heheh. Just wish the mil spec connectors weren't so hard to find and expensive or I'd just set my mind to having to make the harnesses but that's the way it is...but they are pricey...the big 27 pin amphenol connector for the mode control assembly is ugly expensive...just the female side with no pins is about $127 for one if purchased new. I'll have to come up with something else if it comes to that, but I've done a global search for scrap MM-1000 cabling and I have several helping me and no dice in the many months I've been searching.
So I think that's it for now...
Cory, be careful, 'cause you may not want to use this thing once it's in "museum condition".
Au contrare my friend...I can't
WAIT to use it...