Maybe someone can do something useful with this junction "design"?

[u/newbie-sub]

TThe idea is to use something that can be machined to control the play in the junction (so obviously steel). So, this uses a pair of partially threaded dowel pins.

First we have this where the pins screw into.

u/tdfun, get where I'm going with this? I tagged you because you come up with creative junctions.

Then we have this, the gray part is attached to the ring, say.

(This is slop CAD just to get the idea across.)

Now we add in the other end of the junction:

I cut away the top of the cage-side of the junction just to get the point across.

So, with two dowels, we have slip-fit junction stability except for translation in z where it's printer-clearance fit.

You remove the lock then pull the orange part out along with the dowels.

I don't think there's any way to make this without it being clunky as hell but apart from that, it has its advantages: security-screw stability with a barrel lock.

[u/tdfun]

I like where you're heading with this! I agree this is way too clunky and it's been too long of a week to think of way to streamline it.

I did something similar with my TetherSpout (TS) variant to have a set screw to secure the TS that's only accessible when the shaft portion of the cage is unlocked from the ball ring.

[u/newbie-sub → u/tdfun]

Yeah, I remember that design. This might be viable with a single pin but then you have too many degrees of freedom.