Hello again everyone! Im back at it...this time on Carvers. Thanks to the excellent and freely available DIY guide on the HSS website (another great example of Harald & Diana's dedication to this sport), I built a pair of Carvers that will do the job.
Some thoughts on the building process: Great CAD drawings and overall very easy to follow the guide. Hole & tap sizes are in decimal form so keep in mind that they need to be converted to standard fractions. Although aluminum is really soft, pre-drilling is essential (go as small as possible and use a drill press). A 3/4" bit for the front clamp holes costs about 50 bucks...just warning you. The suggested vendor for the rubber bumper has minimum order quantities and their ship times are ridiculous; order here instead: https://www.fixtureworks.net/store/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=999&idproduct=110428. The bumpers brake really well but they wear out in no time; buy at least 5. The axle washers are nearly impossible to find locally but they actually can be substituted with a metric M8 washer (stainless). Probably better to order the right washers though as the M8's are a little thicker and don't fit quite as well. ONLY cut aluminum with a non-ferrous cutting-wheel. When ordering your wheels make sure the bearings come with floating spacers because we are using 8mm axles. If you aren't tightening the front clamp with an impact driver or a ratchet then its not tight enough; I discovered this violently and abruptly.
I'm quite pleased with the final result (credit to HSS):
I really didn't think that they would be so much fun! I remember asking myself why the heck this isn't more popular...and then I remembered that CSIA/PSIA technique on carvers would probably end in pain. I was initially thrown off by how tight the radius is, but I would say now I'm pretty much used to it. It's shocking how unforgiving they are...I could hardly make a turn at first. Would love to get some MA feedback on my first clip. Thanks in advance!
I noticed that my right leg is getting away from me...is that alignment or not enough free-foot tipping?