This works, although in retrospect the automated powering (lifted weight coming down) would've been very handy.
Some problems I encountered during the build and how I solved them:
I couldn't get my hands on bearings the same size as in the instructables post, so I took the smallest I could find (outer diameter 19mm, FAG 262Z, inner diameter 6mm).
To get the bearings on the axles, I had to grind the axles a little, then heat the bearings (heat gun) and hammer the axles in the bearings on the vise. One of the axles buckled a little, so I had to hammer the axle to the end, then drill a hole (multiple drills) in the axle. Since I couldn't heat only the bearing and hammering the axle with a screw on it only enlarged the diameter (small edge above the bearing), I had to chisel small bits of the axle away. This proved to be a elaborate and very time-consuming disconnecting method, but it worked.
Since the holes in the lasercut file were for different bearings, I had to enlarge them, so I bought a metal&wood 19mm drill bit to put on the vertical drill (NL: "kolomboor"). Of course there was some play to fit the bearings in the wheel and pendulum, but I used some paper tape to center them, which worked and allows me to test the MDF-version with the same axles and bearings as the plexi version.
I noticed that the ends of the wheel (wedge-shaped ends) sometimes had imperfections on them, possibly because the area is too small to adequately dissipate the energy in combination with low suction, so small droplets formed at the ends. I grinded these down gently, which ensured the working (it blocked on some teeth before grinding).
As for future variations, I will definitely change the casing, which turned out to be not very stable and elaborate to take apart. I think making the lower (and possibly upper) side a box (pretty easy on the lasercutter) would greatly improve that. Of course the base will be made wider, perhaps some extra mass there too, ...
The MDF-version works great, but has (as was suspected on instructables) a little more friction. The mixed version (wooden wheel and plexi pendulum) worked as good as the plexi-version, so I think I will continue partly in MDF, to limit costs.
For now, you can find a picture of the plexi, MDFand mixed versions below, and more pictures in the folder on mediafire (http://www.mediafire.com/folder/378b85f40worx/Escapements)
plexi
mixed
MDF
