Both sides of the carriages are composed of 4 to 6 pieces of wood riveted together with 7 long wrought iron rods. For long term preservation of the pieces, we are considering removing the iron and replacing it with an inert (yet strong) material. This will avoid the possible generation of acid at the metal/wood interface induced by corrosion and therefore assure longevity to the wood.

Anyhow, in order to remove the rods, we needed to assess their condition inside the wood. So Gary and I spent two days last week x-raying the wooden sides of the port carriage.

And the end result is the following for the inboard side:

And here is the outboard part:

These pictures mostly taught us that the outboard iron rods are in much better shape than the rods on the inboard side (not as corroded or bent). We will therefore start work on the outboard part attempting to remove the “easiest” rods before the (even) more challenging ones… Will keep you posted with the progress when we’re at it. Have a great week!