Based on my first on set experience with the idler gear (detailed in the original post), I have made some of the listed changes, as well as one or two that weren't on my original list of things to change. This post covers changes made to the armature. A future post will cover the changes made to the rest of the unit.
As you can see in the picture above, the most notable change is the addition of a 10-32 adjustable handle. In the first version of the armature, I had used stainless steel hardware. This proved almost impossible to work with at any size above 8-32, and even that was a challenge. Because of this, I purchased the adjustable handles with ordinary steel studs. The handle was purchased with a 1-1/4" stud. This I cut down to the precise size needed, so the stud length fits the width of the block exactly. The handle has added a tremendous advantage to on set usage. It greatly speeds up the process of making adjustments to the assembly.
The arm itself has also been permanently cemented to the block. I had begun to notice a significant amount of play in the connection between the two, which was leading to some of the gear slippage I had experienced. Permanently attaching the arm to the block was the best solution. The ability to use arms of different lengths is lost, but the trade off is worth it. I settled on an arm length that has worked well for everything so far. The arm now extends 5" above the top of the block. To fasten the arm in place, I used JB Weld (KWIK). It is holding very solidly, and has eliminated much play from the system.
