Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Making Fixtures

Tom and Jim Windmeier were back in the shop making jigs and fixtures to tweak the parts for their replica step stool project.

The Pedestal

Jim Windmeier is assembling the prototype, ver 4.0.  These guys have raised the bar and are showing what can be done as to fit and finish of fairly complicated angles and pieces not rectangular.  I am sure you can all contribute by way of a donation to the step stool project and any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Cleanup

Our friend Steve Holding was back for his annual pilgrimage to IRM and he immediately was put to work on the CA&E steel car window project.  Here he is 'piloting' a wood chisel inspecting and cleaning up the rabbets on the stock already machined.

Mortises

The mortises have been measured and laid out on the stiles.  As soon as they have been plunged Steve cleans out the slots and inspects them.

Eight Windows

At the end of the day here are eight new windows - at least the parts for them.  Eight bottom rails, eight top rails, cut to length and ready for tenoning.  And sixteen stiles complete - with 32 mortises plunged and cleaned out today!