Ed Hilbert mentioned his use of 1/4" rods to guide the plate during removal/replacement. I too am a fan of this. I saw a version of it some years ago in the PTG Journal which used 5/8" (or 3/8 ??) wooden dowels, tapered to a point on one end. I tried it and it worked like a charm (!?!). I still protect the rim when moving the plate but I always use the dowels in the rim bolt holes as well and it is rare for the plate to ever touch the case at all. It doesn't look like it should work so well. The dowels are not forced into the threaded rim bolt holes...just dropped in loosely. I watch to see that the rim doesn't start to carry one or more of the dowels with it on its way up. It always amazes me that something so simple and easy pays off so well! :) Alan Crane, RPT Wichita State University crane@twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu
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