I am planning to build a couple of English Wheels in the next few
months, and one of the key elements is the adjuster. The adjusters are
often made of a square rectangular tube with a solid or tubular square
inside the larger tube. The inner square goes up and down. Most of the
adjusters that I have seen require machine work, or are relatively
complex to build. I just keep thinking that there must be a simple
commercial solution, maybe using square cold roll steel for the inside,
and something commercial that the square fits into.

As far as scale, the inner square bar or tube would typically be 1 to 2
inches square, and around 12 inches long.

For your convenience, there is a link below that shows a picture of what
a small English wheel looks like. The adjuster moves the wheels closer
together or further apart, to increase or decrease the pressure between
the wheels. This article suggests using parts from a telescoping
steering wheel, which I do not have in my junk box, and would not be
adequate for a larger ewheel anyway. A square or rectangular inner
piece keeps the upper and lower wheels in alignment, which is important.
You do not want a lot of slack in the adjuster, though a few
thousanth's of an inch should be acceptable.

http://www.roddingroundtable.com/tec.../12ewheel.html

Any ideas? An ideal solution would be inexpensive, and not require a
lathe, mill, or other machine tools. (I do have a decent drill press,
and good welding equipment).

Thanks in advance.

Richard