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Nothing wrong with starting a little thing like that with a handle. Field Marshalls were bigger and they were hand started.They could be started with a blank shotgun cartridge, but these cost money and sweat was free. I used to start a Track Marshall when I was 15-ish, the Field Marshall was relatively common in the early '60's in UK.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_MarshallSee if I can find a pic. of a Track Marshal. DaveHere you go:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnuLwSNp2s
Still following along I'm not sure if I have missed something on the bearing construction but you seem to have turned them as spools, split them and then fitted them. This would normally leave them oval Have you cut just one shell from each spool?