The door latches are coming along

I’ve gotten 3 out of 4 door latches rebuilt and installed.  On a couple of them, the bolts (the part on a door latch that moves in and out when you turn the knob) were quite worn, and I had to build them up with the welder and grind, file, and machine them back to the correct shape.  I turned my mini-lathe into a poor man’s milling machine by making a fixture to hold the bolts to the tool rest, and putting an end mill bit into the lathe’s chuck. Other parts of the latches needed various sorts of welding, filing, and drilling to get them back into shape.

The last door latch is mostly done, and over the weekend I should be able to get it installed. There are some other door parts that still need attention, like the dovetails, but those can wait. The important thing is the doors open and close properly, without needing bungee cords to keep them shut.

Once the latches are all installed, I can install the window glass and regulators. Installing the glass is pretty easy, but one of the regulator mechanisms has a worn spot that needs the same sort of treatment I had used on the door latches.