asalaw
Sr Member
AHA!!! Uh... uh... :confusedI should hope you're in safe company.
I suppose I'm the most curious how the split strip could consistently be made so perfectly round sitting in it's tube housing.
Also, the method for cutting the strip would have to be super razor saw thin or there'd be a nasty squared artifact in your triangle.
No, I've actually thought about this.
First, you cut your strip to about an inch (ish). Then you round off one side on a grinder, so now you have a letter D. Then you slice the strip either on a bandsaw or with a razor saw, cutting into the round part of the D. Now you put it into a bench vise, round part up.
Now, IF the triangle is an opening (though it looks like I may well be wrong about that), here's how it might happen: you stick a screwdriver into the slot and wiggle it till you have the sides of the strip slightly spread apart (I'll call 'em "wings," because panty liners). As the wings get pulled apart during the rest of the process, that triangle could form as a point of failure -- a "crack," if you will (because panty liners). It would be wider at the bottom than the top because it's being spread apart.
Now you bend the wings gradually over a form, maybe a round file, or even a wooden form made for the purpose.
So, now your D has a circular outline, but not perfect. So you start test-fitting into the retaining ring, and file till it fits. Note you'll be filing the wings on the underside as well, to curve them so they fit. When it fits, you finish by filing the tips flush with the walls of the ring.
I thought that up just like Sherlock Holmes, over a long, thoughtful session with my pipe. As the bubbles filled the room, it hit me...
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