Setting Point Gaps and Ignition Timing

Point gaps and ignition timing are proving to be trickier than I thought they'd be...  I won't bore you with all the details (like loosening the contact plate screws and turning the entire plate clockwise or counterclockwise to advance or retard ignition timing. Along with turning the alternator crank counterclockwise to get left and right contact points to both open to their widest gaps. And then there's getting the LF and LT marks on the rotor to line up with the index pointer to set the timing of the left piston/cylinder. And the then doing the same for the right cylinder - marked with just an L and T, and so on...).  What I did learn through this process is that when in doubt, buy new points!  In fact, the USPS (in what may be one of their final Saturday deliveries) should be delivering my new points today.  So, that will give me something to do until my broken tachometer, speedo, front brake, and clutch cables get here.  But, I digress...

Getting back to statically setting the ignition timing, I'm finding that it's part art/part science.  I'm hoping these new points make the process a little easier.  Here are a few pics of all of the stripped out screws I had to Dremel to get out and replace.  Along with the contact breaker points, spark advance unit, and alternator.  When I first opened the points and alternator covers, I had no idea what I was staring at.  I read and re-read about a dozen different write-ups about what they do and how to set them and the ignition timing, but it was all greek to me.  After trying my hand at setting the point gaps and timing (using a 12v test light), going back and reading some of the write-ups actually made perfect sense!  I love it when I learn something new.