Next comes the most daunting part so far, machining the carriage casting to square up the cut outs in each side to take the extension pieces which will support the carriage stop.

Being a casting, the very nature of it is rounded corners and rough finish. At the very least the faces needed flattening to take the machined block which is to be let into each cut out. As I was studying the cut outs to determine how best to machine them, I noted that at the side where the inverted V was machined into the base there was a distinct slope to the edge of the cut out.

When I check this with a protractor it was almost 80 degrees. There wasn’t enough casting left to make this edge vertical without cutting into the inverted V so it made sense to machine this edge to 80 degrees. I reasoned that cutting the opposite edge to the same angle would also help relive any potential stresses on the M6 screws that I plan use to fasten these infill blocks to the carriage, when the lock is tightened down.

I then machined the ends of the infill blocks to suit the angled cut outs.

All this was made less stressful by the knowledge that a replacement carriage casting is only £23 plus P&P.