[rfeenstra]

The end plates of the tuning caps are not held apart with a spacer.  The end plate castings actually meet in the middle. One of the "spacers" is threaded on the end, the mate from the other end plate is drilled and a screw goes through to the threaded end.  Deterioration of the pot metal could cause the whole thing to fall apart.  I managed to make new linkages for the assembly out of brass strap using a jig to make sure the holes on each linkage are exactly the same distance apart.  If they weren't, the whole thing would bind.  There's some advantage to the older chain method of tying the caps together!  Hysteresis is probably greater, though.  I'll post pics when I get the linkage finished.  I need to find some #10 screws with a slight sholder for the brass bearing to ride on.  Don't want it to ride on threads as the pot metal linkage did (unless that was not original.)  Russ's had some kind of brass pins for the bearing.