Yes, Frank, I certainly agree with you on your comments re: stability requirements for the reception of SSB. That's one of the reasons why I want to give this a try! The challenge!
The approach that I have in mind is a heavy & solid aluminium casting for the chassis with a heavy ali front panel, the best quality tuning capacitors that I can find in the "junk-box" and a D-I-Y plug-in coil mounted inside a metal screening can, so as to protect it from draughts / thermal changes.
ISTR that one of the biggest challenges with a TRF design was getting a
really smooth reaction control - as opposed to "out" = insensitive, slight tweak "in" = howl - and nowt in between!
Al / G8DLH