Retro Reproduction.

[Vincent Slyngstad]

From: Jay West: Friday, October 23, 2015 1:14 PM
> Vince wrote...
> -----
> In addition, the pivot heads seem to have been spread with some sort of heat 
> process, so it is virtually impossible to remove the handle without breaking 
> off the pivots.
> -----
>
> I should point out... so far I've had about six or eight switch covers on 
> various eclipse machines that were broken. In every single case, it wasn't the 
> pivot "pin" itself that was broken. Rather, the whole pin and a millimeter or 
> so of the surrounding area that the pin is attached to is what breaks off. 
> Basically, the tip of the lobe that has the pin on it.

Yes.  Those are ridiculously thin.  The pivot pins themselves aren't the
problem, and are actually quite comparable to the DEC ones.  But there's
just no strength (or flexibility, which would also work) in those lobes.

> Vince - what I have had good success with is releasing one side (pin out of 
> the head), and while holding it very slightly angled using an electronics pick 
> (very much like a dental pick, but it doesn't get wide just past the tip) and 
> with that I can easily reach in-between the switches to release the other 
> side.

That definitely helps, but the "spread" effect of the top of the pin
being wider, doesn't.  And the aged brittle plastic of the hinge
pin supports makes complete success unlikely.  Fortunately, a good
bit of the support is actually provided by the bat.  Even on the
ones with the pivots completely toast, you might not notice
unless you tried to pull the handle toward you (not recommended).

    Vince