Mine is just for fun but his takes real talent. I love seeing his results weekly.Quote:
Originally Posted by 34Hatt
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Mine is just for fun but his takes real talent. I love seeing his results weekly.Quote:
Originally Posted by 34Hatt
I'm glad you look forward to it, because I need to ask everybody a favor.
The stainless safety rails and chromed bronze bases for them need to be installed before I can put in the salon headliner. I bought a 20' stick of 7/8" marine stainless rail tubing and got to work drilling up through the original mounting bolt holes in the salon ceiling frames until it broke clear of my new cabin top paint. When I went to put the OEM machine screws up through the holes, I realized they were going to be too short.
Because these machine screws hold hardware on the outside, I'll use caulk to seal out rain, and the caulk will eventually have to be replaced. Using an OEM-style headliner, the chromed bronze oval head machine screws go through the headliner, which is attached directly to the overhead frames, and there's an attractive beveled washer that they seat up against. But since I'm using Whisper Wall headliner, which uses a 1/2" tall track, and we added thickness to the outside with the kevlar and additional fiberglass layer when preparing the cabin top for paint. So the machine screws are all 1/2" or more too short.
I go through the options in the article, but one option would involve taking my collection of spare chromed bronze screws and bolts, cutting off lengths I need, and welding them to the OEM machine screws to make them the necessary lengths.
But before I do that, does anybody know a source for 5/16-18 x 5-1/2" or longer stainless oval head Phillips machine screws? Jim R came up with an option in slotted head bronze from Buck Algonquin, but I'd like to have a consistent look and chroming the bronze would add to the cost/unit.
1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Safety Rails
Cheers,
Q
The problem screws
https://i0.wp.com/1969chriscraftroam...7/DSC04116.jpg
https://i0.wp.com/1969chriscraftroam...7/DSC04130.jpg
do you have a bolt and nut supply house near you? fasteners inc. in new orleans and coronet bolt and screw in gulfport ms. are the 2 main ones i use. if the dont have what i am looking for they can get it most of the time in a few days
Isn't the Whisper Wall headliner removable? Could you put the bolts and nuts in and then install the WW, so the nuts are inside it and don't show?
I don't understand why you would put the hand railing back. There not nessary you have the hand rail along the out side deck right? It's another place to leak water. It would probably even look better not to have the rail at all?Quote:
Originally Posted by jim rosenthal
Actually, I think in order to keep the boat looking like the day it left the factory, (in Q's case it's better)
the handrail should be installed. As noted by Jim, the whisper wall should be removable so you can do
your usual good job of a proper installation. I'm sure you will figure it out.
Walt
How about using the hex coupling nuts but turn them down a bit on a lathe? By just rounding them off the amount you have to drill out will be reduced.
None of the fastener suppliers I found had the screws I needed. But one of my blog readers found a place that had 5/16-18 x 6" stainless oval head screws in stock! They're on the way!
I much prefer to have the rails, and I think they look good, too. I know some guys like to de-chrome classic cars, but I've always preferred the original look. I've also been caught in snotty weather before on our old Connie and had to go out on deck...I had a death grip on both the wooden rail and the stainless one!
On removing the WW headliner, the installer has been clear that it CAN be removed and reinstalled, but it's hit and miss as to whether it will be as tight as it is on the initial install. There's not much material to grab onto and pull once it's been installed and trimmed. So it's best not to have expected maintenance items behind the fabric.
With the big machine screws on the way, I installed the 1/2" plywood spacers on the under-side of the salon ceiling frames. Then I filled the holes with slow-cure epoxy, which soaks into the mahogany frames and plywood structure of the salon roof. Once it cured, I drilled out the holes again. With the wood completely plasticized, if the safety rail mounts ever leak, it won't cause rot in precious wood.
1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Spacers for the Safety Rail Bolts in the Salon
Cheers,
Q
Spacer
https://i2.wp.com/1969chriscraftroam...8/DSC04118.jpg
Filling a hole with epoxy
https://i2.wp.com/1969chriscraftroam...8/DSC04427.jpg
While I'm waiting for the safety rail screws, I refurbished the 50-year old sliding screens for the salon entryway.
It's not glamorous, but it's progress and an essential step to getting the headliner installed.
1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Refurbishing 50-year Old Screens
Cheers,
Q
The sliding screen frame on the left is cleaned, waxed, and polished...ready for new screen and spline.
https://i0.wp.com/1969chriscraftroam...8/DSCF2964.jpg