[Elecraft] Simple assembly of K2 Tilt Bail

[Bruce McLaughlin]

After using several other methods to attempt to install the bail,
including a liberal emission of mighty oaths, I too used your method.
My tool was made by a different manufacturer but it sounds very much
like what you described.  The only caveat I would offer to those who may
be reading this and have yet to encounter the bail insertion challenge
is to go easy on the pressure.  It is very easy to over compress the
bail with that tool which can exert a very considerable pressure.  If
that should happen, the bail will be overly loose and may not stand up
and stay put when extended.  If you think this is the voice of
experience speaking, you are right.  Fortunately, a bit of reverse
bending restored sufficient width to the bail so that it fit properly
between the rubber feet.  In other words, I think that is a useful
method but take it easy.

Bruce - W8FU

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of dking at vcn.com
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 12:48 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] Simple assembly of K2 Tilt Bail

I am in the process of assembling my K2 #6049, and as I came to the  
job of attaching the tilt bail to the bottom, I remembered the recent  
discussions here about the on-going problem this creates for many.

I had seen the "loop wire around it and twist till it compresses both  
sides enough to insert the screws" along with the "use longer screws  
and then replace them one at a time".....and was dreading this portion  
of the project.

However, as I assembled the tilt bail, the two nylon fasteners, the 4  
bolts/lock washers/nuts, and the bottom panel...I noticed the Irwin  
brand bar-clamp I had at the side of the bench...and the proverbial  
light bulb lit up!

The bar-clamp is one of those tools that make life much easier when  
you remember to use it..and that was the case tonight.   The one I  
used only opens to about 8 inches...it's one of those with the  
pistol-grip type handles that creeps down the bar when you squeeze the  
handle until whatever your clamping is squeezed between the handle end  
and the fixed clamp face at the end of the bar.  Mine was about 10  
bucks at home-depot...and a quick Google search will show a multitude  
of makers of these, from Stanley to Craftsman.

I simply put the bail between the two jaws...pumped the handle till it  
bowed enough to fit between the first nylon fastener which I had  
pre-attached to the board and the other fastener, which I dropped the  
first screw through the hole, dropped an extra nut on top of the  
recessed head as a spacer to keep the head pushed to the bottom of the  
hole so the threads pushed all the way through the bottom and  
protruded through the board...placed a finger on top of the extra nut  
to keep the threads protruding...turned things over, added the lock  
nut and finger-tightened the nut over the lock nut......then repeated  
the process on the second screw/locknut/nut with the clamp still  
holding compression so the tilt-bail fit between the two nylon blocks  
and didn't spring the block past the screw holes.  Once things were  
finger-tight, I removed the clamp, got out the screw driver and  
tightened things up to final tightness.

I was done with the whole process in less than 5 minutes.

Hope this is of help to other builders.

David King
KE7EKA
Gillette, Wyoming

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