Aluminum Chris Craft Roamer refit project

[ezduzit]

Actually, ezduzit, the counterbores were all OK (though the original woodworker drilled them a wee bit deeper than I might have. The only real problem was the inadequate glue line.

You raise an interesting question though, that also applies to the trouble I've had with very expensive weldors...if you have to babysit a guy to make sure he does the job right, is he a journeyman?

You say the counterbores were all OK. The glue line is created by properly using a correctly sized Fuller bit, which cuts the clearance hole, countersink and counterbore in one operation. This hole makes a snug fit with a standard size plug. The glue line is then virtually invisible. Drilling the counterbores using some other type of bit is risky or foolish. All shipwrights know this.

When an owner chooses to do his own subcontracting (as opposed to, let's say, having the boat yard do the work), he is responsible to supervise the workmen and make certain their work is up to snuff, just like an actual general contractor would, correcting problems as they arise and immediately replacing workmen whose efforts fall short.

[q240z]

ezduzit, Fuller is but one brand. I personally like and use them, but over at Weaver they use something else that seems to work equally well. Regardless of the brand of counterbore used, it's not so difficult to have nearly invisible glue lines the first time around. But when you're removing bungs and replacing them it's a bit more challenging getting that invisible line, especially in the holes where the first clown actually put some epoxy in the joint.

You're absolutely right about contractors...there are crappy workers everywhere. Since I don't have time to babysit guys with apprentice skills who get journeyman wages, there's unfortunately a lot of firing going on recently.

In other (happier) news, I started work on the exhaust.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Exhaust

Cheers,

Q

[q240z]

I took a good look at my TB280 and Spoolmatic the other day and realized the weldor I fired had it set so the boat was negative and the spoolgun was DC+. That's the way I run my Millermatic 35 on steel, but this is 1/4" aluminum. Which way is right--the work hot or the wire hot?

In other news, I took down the second-story scaffolding.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Dismantling the Deck-level Scaffolding

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Yeah, the spool gun was set up correctly. You can at least lay your mind to rest on that. He didn't screw everything up.

DC MIG for AL is the same as steel as far as polarity goes. Ground negative, wire positive.

[q240z]

Sorry...had it backward. He had it switched to Electrode Negative. I put it on Electrode Positive, and it was like night and day.

My welds still look like dookey, but they're kinda in the ballpark.

[7A749]

Oops.

Yeah, that's not the correct setup for AL. For an "experienced" weldor, pretty big rookie mistake.

[q240z]

That's the same guy who was bangin' on my Miller, saying it's a POS compared to his Snap On machine. The same fella who was blaming the Spoolmatic's erratic feed for burning through a whole bag of 25 tips in one afternoon. The same fella who cranked the feed roller thumbscrew down so tight the roller latch wouldn't seat, so the lid wouldn't close.

Yeah...that guy.

In other news, I've got the exhaust system built and ready for the paint shop. I'm still not sure if FRP was the right decision, but enough people expressed concern about getting strong welds from 40+yo aluminum that's coated with bitmastic on the inside that it seemed like the best compromise. We'll see how it goes. If I have to weld in something in a decade, so be it.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Exhaust II

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Wow.

What a jerk.

Run into a few of those idiots over the years I've been selling machinery.

Hook a machine up entirely wrong, then call me in a rage telling me I'm a scammer & the machine I sold them was junk. Come to find out it was their lack of knowledge, refusal to ask for assistance & ignorance that caused the problem.

Yeah, great fun dealing with those guys

[q240z]

I'm getting closer to having the hull ready for paint. But first, I had the old exhaust outlets welded up and got the old pipes off the boat. Since the welder this time used the same TB 280 the last guy was having trouble with, I'm thinking maybe the problem was the weldor rather than my machine...

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Exhaust III, Decommissioning the OE System

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Great to see progress!!!!!

Looking good man.

[q240z]

More progress.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Longboarding and Final Touch-ups on the Hull

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Been working on little stuff that has to be done before the paint goes on. The aft stateroom window openings needed some work, but when I opened them up I found they needed more than I thought. Oh well...better to find it now than to have the paint fail in a couple of years.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Windows

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Been waiting for a new installment.

Very nice work.

[q240z]

Thanks. But wait! There's more!!!

Finally, at long last...we got the final coat of primer on the hull. It's getting colder, but if the weather gods cooperate we'll be painting the hull this weekend.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Final Prime Coat on the Hull

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Yeeeeehaw!

Looks awesome.

You'll have to throw a party when you get the shiny on!

[q240z]

Party? Who's got time to party??? I'll be busy putting windows in the boat! lol

It is, indeed, a sickness...better than gambling though!

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

We got the hull sanded and ready for paint over the weekend. Just in time, too...autumn is here and it's getting colder.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Final Sanding the Hull

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

Awesome!!!!!

[q240z]

Thanks!

But wait! There's more awesomeness!!!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Hull is Shiny!

Cheers,
Q



ooops...wrong one!

[7A749]

It turned out great Q.

Glad to hear it all went well!

[q240z]

Thanks, Steve!

We still have the blue accent stripe and final coats of MS1 High Gloss Clear on the tie rail, but it feels great to have the big chunks done. I'm moving on to other things now...like window installation.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Salon Windows

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Well, the boatamalans haven't gotten the blue on the hull or the MS1 on the toe rail. The good news is that the bow seat windows arrived! The bad news is....well, it's covered in the latest article. I'm starting to wonder if "American quality" has become a myth from a bygone era.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Bow Seat Windows

Cheers,
Q

[7A749]

That's a bummer Q.

I know some ppl would brush this off as minor, but after what you've spent in time & money on this boat, I wouldn't have accepted anything less than 100% satisfaction.

Maybe they can make you a new set? Are they willing to for nothing is the question, I guess....

[q240z]

I know what you mean about brushing it off as minor. Given that the glass and aluminum extrusions are relatively cheap ($3/square foot is the retail price for tinted glass), most of what I paid for (aside from profit) is the skill of the fabrication and paint shop workers. Eight miter cuts and welds per window assembly doesn't strike me as operations that take a lot of time.

I dunno...the three relatively small windows cost $1800. That pretty much makes them the Mercedes Benz of marine windows. Am I being too picky?

[7A749]

I don't think so.

A few years from now, if oxidization ends up developing inside them & destroying the window, mounting surfaces & paint I surely wouldn't be too happy about it. I wouldn't want to be performing any rework on them ay that price either. I would send them back if you have another solution for a replacement window.

I dunno if all their windows are made in the same matter & maybe it's no biggie. I dunno. But, if a problem arises that ends up causing damage to the painted surfaces, etc its not like you can just "buff that out".