As you said in your opening post this wedge idea is arguably easier to DIY than an EQ platform and the beauty of it is that like an Eq platform a single highish torque motor with a simple Pot is all you need for tracking really and yet you don't have to worry about resets after an hour.
With Alt/Az tracking already sorted I am coming at this from the Field Rotation angle and I just love a project
I think I read elsewhere about the importance of having the COG over the wedge platform pivot. Looks like we both got lucky. Shorter forks relative to scope size on mine but the shallower wedge angle means my COG would still be roughly over the pivot.
Your thread really focussed my mind and the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I am particularily lucky with the Lightbridge which seemed to lend itself to equatorialisation and required minimal adaptation and such adaptations as were needed were beneficial in ALT AZ mode too. Again, after further thought, maybe its a forlorn hope that it will be good enough for true AP but then again even when I had the money I feared to tread in the AP waters. Its bad enough when the inevitable dew or cloud shows up here in Ireland puts a halt to a visual session. My frustration levels would go through the roof if a 30 minute sub was ruined or something like that. I suppose thats why I have always been interested in the Mallincam. Some pretty amazing near LIve views can be had with that device but field rotation limits Alt/Az scopes to 27 second integrations. Whatever about this mod being good enough for AP, I think its definitely still worth doing for future Mallincam use because I think worse case scenario its going to be capable of up to 120 second integrations.
Luckily for me most of the expensive stuff I need to make this a reality are already sunk costs if thats the correct phrase. Stuff I already spent money on for better or worse. This is really just going to cost me the cost of the wood and a few other small bits and pieces.
Although I am going to order a replacement baltic birch Lightbridge rockerbox (with some custom changes for this mod) and that is going to be a few huidred dollars, I don't consider this as a cost of doing this mod because this was something I was going to buy anyway. the only difference now is, is that I will specify side braces to beef up the side forks and ask for a removable section of the 'Eyepiece Panel' as you called it. Some threaded wood inserts and knobs will make for quick removal or reinstallation of this panelk depending on whether I am going to use the scope in Alt/AZ or equatorial mode.
Can't wait to see your finished project. Would love to see videos of it in action when its done.