1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Making V-berth Head Moldings

The scorching hot summer of 2016 is gradually coming to an end. But it seems as if every break in the heat happens in mid-week. By the weekend, it’s back up way above the average for this time of year. On the upside, it’s been good to get out of the tent and enjoy my other Chris Craft. On the downside, the V-berth head was supposed to be done by May 1…I’ve fallen far off schedule. But in between the heat and the boating, I did manage to finally get the moldings for the head made.

1968 Chris Craft Commander 42 anchored at Three Sisters on the upper Potomac river

The water is very nice up at Three Sisters. In the pic above, that’s the Washington Monument off in the distance on 9/11/16. Meanwhile, back in the tent…

I need to make mahogany moldings for the door and cabinet openings

First, round a corner with the router

Next, cut a rabbet with the table saw

Next, cut the molding off from the board and repeat

And repeat…

And repeat

And keep repeating until there’s no more stock to hold onto

Run the last one through the Shopsmith bandsaw, which has a thinner kerf than the table saw

Cabinet opening moldings are done

Convert the Shopsmith into a shaper for the door moldings

Custom in-feed & out-feed tables are ready for action

That turned out pretty slick!

Flip the board, and do it again

Cut the rabbet on my $40 new-to-me Craftsman table saw

One pass to cut the rabbet, and another to rip off the molding

Door moldings are done and ready for sanding and finishing

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sanding and Finishing the V-berth Head Moldings