My Last Car Dept. Report

 ...for this year, at least.  And if today's post doesn't have enough action for you, just wait till next year!

I started by making the rest of the slats that will be needed for the #1 end lobster trap.  I should have started with a picture of the raw lumber, but after jointing and ripping, it looks like this:

As we mentioned when the first batch was made, the most time-consuming part is rounding off the all the sharp arrises (lengthwise corners) on the boards.  You can barely tell the difference from the pictures, but it's quite easy to feel.

And they were then placed in the tub to soak.  

A couple of slats with extra curvature were released from the clamps, and they kept their shape very well, perhaps because they'd been bent on the forms for about three weeks.  I decided I wasn't quite ready to try installing them yet, so they were clamped back up.

Finally, the other slats still in the tub were taken out and clamped, with some help from Tim and Jon.

(Photo by Jon F.)

I also spent a while adjusting and fixing some of the slats already in place on the #2 end, and by now four or five are (more or less) permanently installed with the correct screws.

(Photo by Jon F.)

Speaking of Tim, here he is, working on doors as usual, with Frank Kehoe in his full protective gear, who was cleaning up the various rusty parts for the doors.  It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.

This one really looks nice.

Meanwhile, John Sheldon continued work on the various window frames for the 306.

And I'm very grateful to see the work that's going into rebuilding the 36's compressor, by Dan Fenlaciki and others.  Here we see the motor frame that completes the magnetic circuit...

and the two field coils...

and the armature...

all in nice new shiny Glyptal.  As good as new!

Finally, I got to help Jon and Andy reposition the rear compartment ceiling in the 65.  We were too busy to take many pictures during this exciting process.  You'll have to use your imagination.

But I think we're still speaking to each other.  Maybe.

Be that as it may, I hope you'll still be speaking to us here at Hicks Car Works during the coming year.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year!