Thank you for your very kind offer - yet I have consulted with some if the finest builders and craftsmen and collectors, and I think I have one chance of saving this build - If, and only if, I extract (very carefully) the rod and taper it on the OTHER end, (I have not tapered it at all yet) and place it back into the thimbles with the "working end" toward the lock, I think I will be O.K. Worst case is no one (from a great distance) will see the error, and only we will know about it.
If this does not work out, I will PM you on your offer,
Jon