Hey, nothing wrong with purple !! It has that old 'Meade' look.
to IIS anyways. And nice to hear of a dedicated DIY addict like myself.
Yep, needs bigger side bearings to give it a bit more 'stichion' and control over movement. I used some plastic drain pipe end caps, 100 mm or so IIRC. Cut a bigger 'V' in your new base for whatever you use and should help a lot. Also try to get the balance right so it will stay put. Getting a Dob to work smoothly is always a bit of a mission.
Plenty of ideas and help to be found on here so ask away.
Cheers and have fun !