Using a Shop Smith Mark V on a Chris Craft Roamer refit

charlese

roamer46 wroteAfter the epoxy cured, we got busy with carbide saws and shaped the FRP to the hardtop. Gotta love fiberglass work. Note to self: no matter how itchy the FRP dust can be, DO NOT use the missus' loofa sponge to scrub it out of your pores. The resulting reaction from the better half is not good. :angry:

Cheers,

Oh My, Yes! We all seem to learn over time. :rolleyes:

Signed: Even after 58 years :eek:

roamer46

Indeed. ;-)

Before we spray shiny Awl Grip Matterhorn white on the hard top (again), we decided to get the windshield frame painted first. It turned out surprisingly nice, especially considering how nasty and dusty the tent is inside from all of the fiberglass and fairing work we've been doing.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sparkly Shiny Helm Windshield Frame

Cheers,

Q

rcplaneguy

Good work, overwhelming I am sure. Do you think it might be possible to get it in the water (even though not finished) in 2016?

I've just "finished" refurbishing this (tiny by comparison) 1987 Chaparral runabout.

roamer46

That's a good looking Chaparral, rcplaneguy. Assuming no thieves clean me out again, no "mechanics" or "good but slow woodworkers" throw a wrench in my schedule, and no more boats that explode in the vicinity of mine, I do believe we'll splash in 2016.

Over the weekend, we got the Matterhorn White Awlcraft 2000 sprayed on the helm hard top and cabin top. It's been 16 months, but that finally gets me caught up to where I was before the thieves stole my stuff back in May 2014. From now on, it's all progress toward (hopefully) splashing in 2016.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Shiny Matterhorn White on the Hard Top (again)

Cheers

Q

roamer46

I'm shifting gears back down to the aft stateroom head, where I left the walls fiberglassed and faired a few months back. Before I install the ceiling panels and start the priming and painting in there, I needed to make the moldings and corner piece for the door opening. My ShopSmith got a good workout during this phase of the operation, and the parts all turned out pretty darned nice (pats self on back). :)

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Moldings for the Aft Stateroom Head

Cheers,

Q

nuhobby

Here's another pat on your back; great work!

Chris

roamer46

Thanks, Chris!

roamer46

I installed the corner piece/door pocket that I made last week, but I did it in kind of a slick way that allows me to hide the wiring for the aft head light switch. But I had to call it a short weekend when the muffler on my beater boatyard truck bounced off while I was driving back from the yard! I knew the exhaust system had a leak or two, but didn't pay much attention to it until I saw the muffler in my side mirror! I ended up spending an afternoon crawling around under my old Ford with a grinder and MIG gun, but got the new muffler and pipe installed.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wiring the Aft Head Lights

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

In other news, I got the ceiling panels in the aft head installed. For a boat that's only a 46 footer, this thing's gonna have the most awesome bathroom afloat. Cuz if it doesn't, I am in serious dutch with the missus. :p

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Aft Head Ceiling Panels (more fillets!)

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

We got the fillets and walls sanded, then sprayed Awlquik, sanded again, then sprayed Awlgrip 545 primer. We'll have the aft head paint work done this week.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Prepping the Aft Head for Paint

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

I got a shiny aft head! Need I say more???

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Spraying “the Shiny” in the Aft Head

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

Following up on the engine install I was working on a month or so ago, my article for today is a loooong gripe about an American company that makes what looks like a good product that costs a pretty penny, but their questionable engineering, lousy and fabulously overpriced kit accessories, and all-around poor product support set me off on a jag. If I can inspire even one person not to buy this product, I will feel vindicated...and the more, the merrier. Fortunately, my ShopSmith once again helped save the day.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Do NOT buy Globe Drivesavers

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

We got some serious sanding done. The original salon mahogany got sanded to 120 and then 220 grit. I'm going to be washing mahogany dust out of my pores for weeks to come...but it's lookin' pretty good.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sanding the Salon

Cheers,

Q

Circa 2007

Fast forward to last week

charlese

roamer46 wroteWe got some serious sanding done. The original salon mahogany got sanded to 120 and then 220 grit. I'm going to be washing mahogany dust out of my pores for weeks to come...but it's lookin' pretty good.

Yes, it's lookin' really good!

Nothing like a bit of wood dust all over - including your body! Makes you feel so good when it's gone!

No problem really, unless it gets in your lungs.

JPG

Mirror???????

Ditto Chuck.

roamer46

Thanks, guys.

I'm big on safety, so we always gear up with masks, respirators, and the extractor fan stays on the whole time.

The 1969 gold vein mirror is on the wall, between the steps and the salon shelving/cabinets, above the door opening to the aft stateroom.

BuckeyeDennis

Hey Roamer, I just gotta ask. I've often wondered how your wife cottons to this massive multi-year project. While reading your sanding blog today, I noticed some links to your early demo blogs. Having come to this fascinating party pretty late, I clicked through and there she was, in the prose at least, enthusiastically engaging in the demo work. Is she still "on board" with it?

roamer46

Believe it or not, BuckeyeDennis, the missus is still on board! She's been increasingly helping out now that I'm getting closer to getting the aft head done. And the galley is her domain, so she's taken a keen interest in how that's going.

Anyway, before I can hit the salon with stain I had to cut some new panels. Unfortunately, the new wood and old wood do not share certain common properties. But, it's better than the old rotten plywood!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cutting New Salon Cabinet Panels

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

We got the stain done in the salon. That Pettit 1095p paste filler stain leveled out the colors very nicely. It's a bit redder than I expected, but the color comes pretty close to the new African mahogany panels I used in the aft stateroom. So, for now, we're not staining the new panels I cut. Once the stained wood gets clear coated, I'll decide whether or not to stain the new panels or leave them natural before clear coating.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Staining the Salon Mahogany

Cheers,

Q

roamer46

we got all of the trim pieces stained, hung up, and ready to spray. Just need one more warm day before old man winter comes knockin'.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Prepping the Salon Trim for Varnish

Cheers,

Q

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