So I was able to do a good testing ride and found a major flaw in using a 26 inch wheel on a 24 inch front suspension fork.
It bottoms out against the crown of the fork. Which was kind of funny. I was cruising along and when I hit a bump, I would hear a weird rubbing noise. I was thinking that the front wheel must be rubbing... then when I accidentally rode off the bike path the front suspension compressed and locked up on a dime. This put me in the standing position in front of my bike and a little startled but standing...
Which ended up being a good thing, because that means it's working right? Well it also means that the 26 inch wheel had to go or I would have to use a 26 inch front fork instead.
Since the bike was already at the height limit for the rider (me), I decided a 24 inch wheel would have to be used. In case you're wondering, there are far more tire choices for a 26 inch size when compared to the 24 inch variety. But I found a good road wheel and it felt good on my little test ride tonight.
Also the benefit of having a smaller front wheel makes it easier to get on and off the bike.
There are some other changes that I made as well, from the Dec. photo. The front boom (from the bottom bracket to the fork) had to be raised as it also rubbed against the wheel when the suspension compressed. I also had to add a little front derailleur post (which ironically I had removed before I knew). I know, these are all things I'm learning.
So now it's a 24/26 inch wheel set up. It doesn't feel too bad at all actually.
Another thing that I've worked on is making it easier to take the front wheel off. When I started, I had the chain stays and rear derailleur all connected on to the front wheel axle. Which meant, when I took the front wheel off, everything would fall apart. And putting the front wheel back on was a test of one's patience and dexterity. So I welded a bolt to the bottom of each front fork which allows the chain stays to stay attached all the time (in the Dec. photo above, this was already done). Then I welded on a bit of metal that was threaded already to hold the derailleur. Now it's quite easy to take the wheel off and put it back on.
Below is a close up "before and after" photo of the front wheel assembly.