With the V-berth mahogany panels all installed, I continued the theme by cutting and installing veneer panels on the galley bulkhead.
Middle galley bulkhead veneer panel is cut and ready to epoxy in place
Rolling on just enough epoxy to wet out the surface but not saturate or have standing pools is the key, I’ve found.
Bulkhead and veneer panel are wetted out
Give it an hour or so to start to get tacky
Custom panel handles made from 2″ tape
The panels are wetted out all the way to the edge, so if I touch the edges when installing I’ll end up getting epoxy on my gloves and spreading it all over the place. The little tape tabs allow me to position the panel without ever coming near the edges.
That went well
After hitting the panel with a squeegee several times over an hour or so, some of the edges still wanted to lift off the bulkhead just a bit. So I put some sticks in place to press the edges into full contact.
Next day: galley bulkhead #2 is installed
I should probably note here that very little of these veneer panels will actually be visible once the cabinets and fridge are in place. When you open the cabinets you’ll see them, and they’ll be visible between the countertops and upper cabinets. But there won’t just be a big wall of plain wood.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Last Galley Bulkhead Veneer
1969chriscraftroamer46 