Tell me about it. That stupid thing is a pain in my side.
Yeah, it's frustrating for sure. I recently decided to try a different approach - buying the damn thing piecemeal and trying to assemble a complete one from multiple auctions.
I have scored 2 broken/incomplete ones in the past 2 weeks, and essentially all I am missing now is the ladder and the drum/seat that sits on the top of the thing.
Being in the midst of a pretty pronounced new toy lull, I just feel compelled to make some kind of progress on the vintage front.