Domesticating the WT:

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My own WT has been running for years. Its loud "clonk" from the rapid movement of the drive electromagnets' armature is very familiar.

I was working nearby today when I realised that my earlier attempts at domestication had worn away. This had resulted in unnecessary noise due to the large clearance between the impulse roller and the impulse ramp jutting from the pendulum rod. 

I stopped the movement and examined the rubber tap washer which I had fitted between the armature stop screw head and the main frame some years back. A few seconds work with a screwdriver and I had removed the front armature bearing and pulled the armature forward and clear of the rear bearing. After cleaning the area and armature I stuck a self-adhesive, ornament furniture protector pad to the main frame just under the domed, clearance adjustment, screw head.

Loosening the 1/4" BSW [Whitworth] nut allowed me to easily adjust the stop screw with my fingers to set the roller clearance from the dead face of the pallet. It is essential that the roller does not run continuously on the underside of the pallet. A thin spacer between the lowered roller and the curved pallet may help where there is doubt regarding screw adjustment. The lock nut can then then pinched lightly to lock the adjustment screw in place.

Restarting the WT proved it to be very much quieter when the drive impulse occurred.  There was still a hard metallic "clonk" where the armature hits the poles of the drive electromagnets. So I simply added a strip of electrical tape to the face of the armature and all was suddenly silent! If the tape should wear though and noise increase, the tape is very easily replaced.

No doubt a suitable strip of thin card, dropped on edge into the magnetic gap would do just as well in place of sticky tape. It might even save some wear on the original screws holding the front armature bearing in place.

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