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Reply to "Jones Counter Redesign"

NEW COUNTER UPDATE

Tom has completed 16 designs so far. Each time one gets done we find some problem we had not addressed. The biggest one is adequate clearance between fork, wheel and counter. The last one, #16, looked promising but we are thinking about going back to #12 and developing it further. While it is tempting to say “it will be just another week before we are ready” it’s too much like crying wolf.

Each time we decide to make a final change it seems to add a week, since Tom works full time, and the drafting of each new design takes up lots of his free time. The design will be done when it’s done.

Once we have a final design we will work with the fabricator to see whether they can make it as we have it designed. They will give us a quotation for fabrication, and a delivery time. We expect the tooling cost to be several thousand dollars, and the cost per drive unit to depend on how many we order. This is why it is taking longer than we would like. We must get it right the first time. While it only exists on paper we can change it – once we have 500 or a thousand on hand we are stuck with them, so they had better be right. Once we give the fabricator a check and the go-ahead it will be about two months before we will receive any drive units. Most of this time will be spent by the fabricator in design and construction of the stamping/punching tooling.

We’ll receive a few pre-production units and will check them out before approving delivery of the full order.

There has never been a counter which fits 100 percent of all bicycles. Ours will be no exception. We are striving for a design which will fit at least as many as did the original Jones, and the earlier JO’s.

Where do we stand? We’re working on it and, as usual, we think it will be a week or so before we contact the fabricator. Updates will appear from time to time.
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