We were able to borrow a tool from a local bike mechanic that we thought would be able to remove the inner piece (mentioned in previous update). However, upon attempting to use the tool, we found that it was sized for a slightly smaller hub (picture below). As a result, we were still unable to completely disassemble the hub. We are in the process of contacting more local shops in order to find the right tool for our hub.

In the meantime, we have begun to model the hub using Creo Parametric 3D Modeling Software. Our hope is that by modeling the entire hub virtually, we will be able to virtually modify and test our designs without the need for heavy equipment and without damaging our current hub. Modeling the hub in Creo will be slow because we have to teach ourselves how to use the software along the way. However, we believe that this is an important investment of our time at this stage in the project.