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Thanks unclued for confirming 10 across and your explanation of M to put me back on track.

Thanks to you also meersault for your reply. No apology needed.

I'm still a bit mystified by the endgame. After following the second hint I have eleven five-letter words, not twelve. Earlier Crosswhit99 said that both grids should be adjusted, but that's not what the preamble says. It says the second hint "says what the solver must do do the positions of the letters in the first grid to arrive at the second grid." There is nothing about adding to the first grid from letters in the second.

If I do as Crosswhit99 suggests and use each grid's letters to modify the other I end up with 14 five-letter words, or 13 if one of the words is a non-Chambers word.

Just to add to my last, I have modified my solution so that both grids are completely full, with 12 five-letter words in each. I don't know if that is right, but if it is, I think the preamble is very badly worded.. The combination of preamble and hints do not cover what the solver has to do, and do not, of themselves, enable the grids' completion. But perhaps my solution is wrong.

Dryden, if you have added REE to grid 1 and and IMST to grid 2 then you have done the appropriate rebalancing. Then 1 letter is added twice to each grid in the 2 remaining positions on each. If then, reading across, down and diagonally down in both directions, you have 24 5-letter words, it sounds as if you have the correct solution.

As for the preamble, far be it for me to join in with any criticism of setter or editor...

I know I am a bit fussy about preambles, but when instructions are complex I think setters should take especial care to ensure that they accurately describe what has to be done. Here we have two grids, and it's natural to assume that the 'first grid' is the one on the left, the second the one on the right. What the preamble should have said is something like this: "Another part of the hint says what solvers must do to the positions of the letters in each grid to supplement the second grid; this will enable solvers to complete both grids unambiguously."

As it stands the preamble is not accurate.

I imagine I'm the last to finish the puzzle. Not all mental slowness on my part - I've been tackling the puzzle in short bursts in between dong other things. However, if anyone is still solving the puzzle, it helps to have the list of integers in numerical order from the start. As one assigns the letters one can see words forming, which can help to narrow down the choices for some letters.

In my suggested re-wording I meant, "to supplement the other grid," not "the second grid.'

It was only a playful dig. And I do agree.

I have all the numerical answers and hints but I seem to get non-words in row 4 and column 2 of the 2nd grid which suggests that the intersecting letter there should be T rather than R. Can anyone confirm, please?

Yes Ozzy. It's T, from 89216