Hi Gary, can't remember what they were originally made of, chrome plated brass? you could open them up to take up the slack but I remember they would snap if overdone, you could make a simple jig to cut the slot with hacksaw, two lengths of steel or aluminium plate say 150 mm by 50 mm, clamp them together and drill a hole through them near each end for some bolts to clamp them together, bolt them together mark a center line in the middle (top to bottom)
all the way round, file a shallow V groove on both faces down the center line just deep enough to locate and hold the stock, undo bolts, reverse the plates, insert stock and and bolt up again and mark a center line on what is now the outside faces, clamp the bottom half of the jig in a vice and carfully saw down the center line down to say 25 mm, you now have the first wander plug stock and a jig to slit as many as you like, from then on grease the jig slots.
Edit: The jig might have other uses.
Lawrence.
all the way round, file a shallow V groove on both faces down the center line just deep enough to locate and hold the stock, undo bolts, reverse the plates, insert stock and and bolt up again and mark a center line on what is now the outside faces, clamp the bottom half of the jig in a vice and carfully saw down the center line down to say 25 mm, you now have the first wander plug stock and a jig to slit as many as you like, from then on grease the jig slots.
Edit: The jig might have other uses.
Lawrence.
