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

[roamer46]

That's what happens when ya feed 'em too much! lol

I pulled the radio box down for the last time and installed the exhaust fan. That was a bit nerve wracking, since I had to cut slots in the pretty mahogany box. In retrospect, I should have done that before I even assembled the box. Fortunately, everything turned out OK. In other good news, the temp-sensing fan controller works! I aimed a heat gun up toward the sensor and after a few seconds it came on!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Station Radio Box III

Cheers,
Q

[roamer46]

I'm getting very close to being done with the headliner installation prep. I installed mounting panels for a couple of speakers and glued and screwed mahogany cleats all around the perimeter, so the Whisper Wall headliner tracks have something solid to attach to. One more weekend, and I'll be ready for the headliner installer.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Headliner Track Prep

Cheers,
Q



The headliner installer wrapped up the salon install, too.

[stew]

I have been following your progress with great interest for a few years now. Because I am not a boat owner myself, most of that time I could never tell what I was looking at. Now that it seems like you are getting closer to the finish line I am enjoying your travels a lot more because your pictures are showing more of what a finished boat will look like. Thanks for taking us along!

[roamer46]

Thanks stew! I'm glad to hear it's finally starting to make sense! It didn't make sense to me for a long while either! lol

The Whisper Wall headliner installer came and put all of the tracks in place. That's the last step before the headliner starts going up. Booyah.

Progress.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Headliner Track Prep II

Cheers
Q

[roamer46]

Installing the first headliner panel ended up being a real chore. But the Whisper Wall panel at the windshield is finally installed! It looks great!

In a stroke of good fortune, I was straightening up the aft stateroom when I came upon an unmarked box that contained six IMTRA Ventura LEDs! These are the lights I used in the heads, but I'd forgotten that I had leftovers. So I got busy on the aft deck putting in mounting panels and wiring.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Headliner Install Begins

Cheers,
Q

[roamer46]

Good news! The aft deck headliner is installed!
Bad news! Last week, I lost the memory card that had all of the boat refit pix on it.
Good news! Just after I posted the latest article on the headliner, the goddess of the seas rewarded me by having the memory card appear literally right at my feet under my computer desk!

Anyway, the aft deck looks totally transformed with the ceiling frames and insulation hidden behind the Whisper Wall headliner!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up The Aft Deck Headliner Installation

Cheers,
Q

[JPG]

Beware placing all thy eggs in one basket!

[roamer46]

No doubt!

I wrapped up the last step for the aft deck headliner--installing the OEM light fixtures, upgraded with 10w 12v LED corn bulbs.

I'd been experimenting with them for a while and discovered that even though they run much cooler than 60w incandescent bulbs, if there's no vent at the top of the fixture they're in, they cook themselves dead pretty quickly. So, I drilled some vent holes in the reflector behind the bulb, polished everything with Collinite 810 Chrome Wax, and installed them. It's really nice coming up the ladder now and seeing that major part of the project done.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the OEM lights On The Aft Deck

Cheers,
Q

[roamer46]

It's starting to look more and more like a boat instead of a doomed project with every passing weekend!

While I was working on the solid mahogany pieces I installed on the aft deck a while back, I was also cutting plywood panels to use as cabinets near the helm. I got the starboard side installed over the holiday, and it looks good! All of the interior panels are friction fit, with just a few screws to lock them in. If I ever need to get behind the panel to access the wiring there, it takes about 2 minutes to remove the interior cabinet panels. Eventually I'll install a shelf to cover the countersunk screw heads and finish the door. But that can come later.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Station Side Cabinets

Cheers,
Q

[roamer46]

Before I could install the port helm side cabinet, I had to install a complicated little piece of mahogany veneer to the skinny bulkhead panel to the left of the salon door.

"Progress"

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Applying Mahogany Veneer to the Port Side Helm Bulkhead

Cheers,
Q