86 SN rebuild

BuffaloBFN wrote: The air box is also where the kickboard and side board mount.

I think this is the airbox's only function. On the earlier boats, it went full width, as only a kickboard mounted to it. Without it, mounting the kick and other panels gets a little tricky. Those panels serve as a footrest for the driver, as well as hide the mechanicals (bilge line, wire harness, shift and steering cables, air hoses) from plain sight. It also provides some "high ground" to mount electronics, heaters, etc.

Obviously some sort of ventilation for the engine is required, hence the three 3" lines running from the bow to the bulkhead. The factory used woefully inadequate dryer vent tubing. Most here replace with something superior, like schedule 40 hard PVC. I used flexible PVC in the BFN, which made routing it a little easier. I believe Greg used some hard corrugated plastic tubing. Roger's custom fiberglass tubes are awesome, but need to be made special. Lots of options though.

Jeff,
Are you planning to re-foam the stringers? Also i sent you a email about wood dimensions.

I guess when I get to that part of the rebuild, I might change my mind. I'll keep my options open. I appreciate your experience and thoughts.

It looks as though you ran your duct's similar to what I want to do, pushed as far forward as possible. It still looks to me that if the box wasn't there, you would have additional floor area. As far as the electronics. I was going to laminate a flat piece of ply on the side of the hull. I could then mount what I wanted and keep it off the floor. As far as room for a heater. Maybe it's my age, but if I need a heater, I stay home.

Jeff

I cant tell you how handy a heater is... whether its early morning or early/late season, its really nice to have! We dont quite have SoCal's climate though.

Your plan for the electronics is a good one, though Im not sure how far forward youre planning to carpet, which may complicate things. The kick and side panels hide that whole airbox area, so no carpet required- very utilitarian. I think you'll find that the space gained without it is not very significant- but I suppose every little but helps on these smaller boats.

A 2X8 is actually 1.5 inches thick. Everything I used was 2X Fir. Even the smaller blocks are from 2X fir. I just planed them to be 3/4 inch thick

Jeff

I used 2X8's for the mains.

Jeff

Jeff,
Thanks for the info and pics. Very nice work! I am still at the white powder stage. The asco is do tommorrow and hopefully by next week I can get started.
Thanks Mike

Looking good there. I have been following this thread and have same boat there and have found some spots that are not good anymore.
I am no mechanic or repair man. I am gonna turn my repair towards boat dr (billy) to do mine. Keep up the good work..   

Thanks guys for the compliments. I really thought I would have more time to get this done, but it's tough to get more than a couple of hours at a time. I guess it will just take me a tad longer than I had originally thought. No surprises there!

Keegan, I have about 8 pounds of cabosil left. If you need some, I'll send you a cup for free?

Something else I've learned is that you never really pay attention to the weather in San Diego until you need it to be at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time.

Jeff

Pbrain,

It's funny that you mention it, but I would love to take on a wooden hull and bring it back to factory spec's. I have often thought that when I retire, I'll have the time to do it right. The question will remain, will I ever retire?

I certainly hope so!

Jeff

79SNbrady wrote: Id love to work on a old chris craft

Nick,
I can't believe you said this!! Don't you understand that Correct Craft made wood hulls?? You certainly must be joking!!

It rained and snowed over the weekend, so I didn't get much done. Yes it snowed in sunny San Diego. It's the fourth time in 10 years that we have received a little snow. The kids go nuts.

Anyway, since I couldn't get over the rail, I picked up an 8 foot stick of fir to finish a couple of small parts. But of course, everything I found was soaking wet. So I took the best piece I could fine. I started with a piece that was 1 1/2 inches thick and planed it to about 7/8 inches thick. Since the wood was still dripping wet, I put it in the convection oven at 220 degrees for about 10 to 12 hours. Worked awesome. I then planed it to its finished dimensions.

To dry wood properly, you really need to have it in a kiln for a long period of time, but for smaller parts, this worked allot better than I would of thought.

Jeff

No, I really don't have anything to add. The stringers are ready for glass, but I just don't have the time to get it done. It's funny how things work out. If you don't have any projects, you have tons of time, but once you have something to work on, you can't find any time to get it done.

What gives?

Jeff

Are you using a grooved roller after putting down a few layers?

I just spoke with U.S. Composites and according to them. I was doing too much too fast. Simple enough. I just need to slow down.

Jeff