Mark, why do you think Lloyd did not? The locating slot is machined on mine. FYI, some older towers do not have a locator pin. I have my original tower with no locator pin and a more recent tower with locator pin. But even with the locator pin, there is some tolerance for the tube to be twisted. Why does Lloyd mention installing the slot at exactly vertical? Because VPI has us trained to offset the slot a few degrees, which works best for the stock tube but not for this replacement tube. And, there are grey haired guys like me who have those original towers.
As to cost, I'm sure Lloyd would encourage you to feel free to make your own. He's the one who worked on the design, going through multiple iterations of materials and configurations, and it's his time invested in getting the materials, doing machining and making the product available. I don't understand poking at a guy over charging for his product. The cost of a second tower and tube from VPI so you can swap wands to avoid cross contamination is $50, the cost to replace the arm tube every few years is $25 per tube. (Sure, I know you can remove and replace the felt with some other after market solutions for the felt.) Lloyd gives us, imo, a superior solution that has far greater vacuum suction at the surface of the LP, doesn't wear out, doesn't have to be replaced, and pretty well eliminates cross-contamination thus eliminating the need to have two wands. I think that's a pretty reasonable exchange for my cash.
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...and for the cost that Walker is charging, which is not at all cheap for a piece of tubular Delrin, with slot, why didn't Walker then cut the proper locating Slot in the Delrin Tube End, mating correctly with the locating Pin in the VPI Wand Tower?
As to cost, I'm sure Lloyd would encourage you to feel free to make your own. He's the one who worked on the design, going through multiple iterations of materials and configurations, and it's his time invested in getting the materials, doing machining and making the product available. I don't understand poking at a guy over charging for his product. The cost of a second tower and tube from VPI so you can swap wands to avoid cross contamination is $50, the cost to replace the arm tube every few years is $25 per tube. (Sure, I know you can remove and replace the felt with some other after market solutions for the felt.) Lloyd gives us, imo, a superior solution that has far greater vacuum suction at the surface of the LP, doesn't wear out, doesn't have to be replaced, and pretty well eliminates cross-contamination thus eliminating the need to have two wands. I think that's a pretty reasonable exchange for my cash.
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