Uplifting News

Due to popular demand, I have decided to abandon the body-building program and return to our usual fare.  And luckily, we have good news to report.  I received two sample brass castings of reproduction sash lifts, as seen here.  The original is on the top, and the two samples on the bottom.  Tim Peters and Frank Kehoe have been a big help here.  Frank lives near the brass foundry in Chicago which they have been using to make parts for the 24 (1024), and so it's relatively easy for me to have parts made.  I give the sample to Tim, who gives it to Frank, who takes it to the foundry, etc.  These castings turned out better than I expected.  The holes are are in the right place and will require little work.  I've done some sanding and filing as a test, and it will not be too difficult to smooth them up at home, followed by buffing on the buffing wheel in the car shop.  So I gave the sample piece back to Tim and ordered the other 28 parts needed.

Of course, we shall have to pay for them.  The cost is $22 apiece, and we will need 30: 28 for the 319, which was missing all of them, 1 for the 36, and one spare.  That's $660, and if you would like to donate to the Car Dept. Special Projects Fund that would be greatly appreciated!

Mostly I worked on the roof of the 319.  (First, I put the dome light at the #2 end back in place, since installation of the curved tack molding at that end is complete, and I will soon want to wye the car around again.)   I finished installing replacement roof boards on the lower roof, and painted the new wood black.  I started fitting the last corner piece also; this can be finished at home.

The curved tack molding for the #1 end is the last major part required before we can start installing the lower canvas.  The back surfaces of the moldings were kerfed on the car shop's big table saw, so they will bend in the vertical plane when installed.  Cuts halfway through, spaced about 1" apart, seem to do the trick.

 

And  I started making the lap joint for the two pieces.  At this end, there was a single piece of tack molding across the width of the car, but I was unable to get a large enough piece of poplar.  So the two sections will be lapped together.  This is only a rough fit; the final adjustments and gluing can be done at home.

And then I straightened things up in the barn, put the various signs in place on the cars, and so on.  This Sunday the Museum will be open for visitors.  You might want to tell your friends and neighbors!