Sister, Sister

Who knows where these strange names come from, like "sister" or "dutchman"? In any case, it's standard woodworking jargon, just as much as mortise or tenon, so that's what I'll use.

Today I started installing new wood on the roof of the 277. Here we see the kit of two sisters for a carline that was badly deteriorated. Nice new ash was cut out on the big bandsaw, then drilled for carriage bolts.



Here the two sisters are clamped to the carline, and the holes are drilled through the carline. Since the new wood had been drilled on a drill press, the holes lined up perfectly, just like drilling the Holland Tunnel.

Next, they were removed and the hidden surfaces painted with primer. (The plywood in the background is just a temporary work surface.)



Here we have the entire assembly held together with the carriage bolts. It's nice and strong. I stood on it and bounced up and down (holding onto a barn rafter) and it passed the highly scientific stress test. What more could you want?







Finally, it's all painted with primer. The next carline (yellow arrow) has a 1/4" steel stiffener bolted to the wood carline, which is also bad. For obvious reasons I don't want to try to drill through the steel, so this one will get a single sister attached with lag screws. I cut out the wood, but was unable to find the right lag screws. I can buy some new ones easily and install it next time.

After this was over, I started machining the new poplar planks I bought for the tongue and groove roof boards. I planed them down to 9/16", which the IT chose for some unknown reason, then ripped them to the correct width. Next time I will do the tongues and grooves.

In the 321, I have two benches which, I was told, came from a C&NW business car. I don't remember how they came into the possession of the Car Dept., but they were in Bruneau's way, so he gave them to me. Now they're in my way. Phil Stepek has promised to give them a good home, so I cleaned them off. Tomorrow he and Mike should be able to take them away. Now I'm on the lookout for some shelves to replace them.