@JWoody18 Sure, Iāll be glad to!
Letās start with re-calibration:
Iām not too worried about it, really. The whole assembly pivots between the āflatā and the āworkingā position - motors, chains, sled, everything. As there is no alteration in chain length or any other part of the geometry, I donāt think we are running a big risk here.
Changing between positions is really simple: In order to get it running, I simply pull the frame out at bottom center with one hand and put in a center piece of wood with the other hand. The weight of the frame will push it against the wall and I can move to either side while the machine is already at the correct angle.
I kept the side legs super simple by securing them to the frame upright with a single screw and also use it as its pivot point:
The legs are cut at an angle so they are flush against the wall. In the āflatā position, I simply point them upwards:
Hardware-wise, I went with four medium-sized hinges I spaced evenly on the top beam, nothing fancy here:
The motor mounts are the biggest difference to the standard Maslow frame. You cannot attach the motors directly to the top beam because theyād be on the same plane as your spoilboard. (behind it, actually) This would mean a lot of chain deflection between motors and sled, which is why you need to move the motors forward:
Same goes for the bungee cord bearings, ideally the chain should stay in the same plane, otherwise itāll jump on the sprockets and wear them out:
I used sturdy 21mm marine grade ply for the motor mounting plates but my spacing still isnāt ideal. At the moment itās working OK for me but if I had to space them out any further, Iād need to reinforce the whole thing (or sandwich another top beam in front of the hinged oneā¦)
So thatās where I could see room for improvement. Like you said, it simplifies the construction because you ony have to build one plane of the frame. If I had mounted it a bit lower, I could have folded it all the way up to the ceiling and not block my window, but then again Iād be forced to remove the sled every time. Doing it like this seemed to be the smaller trade-off