The salon headliner installation is moving right along. We got three panels installed on Day One. Day Two went smoothly, with two more panels installed. It looks absolutely great! But I also had to deal with a climate-related epoxy mess.
It’s been hot in the tent
My tent is great at protecting the boat from the weather, but the plastic skin is also really good at holding in heat. When it’s a beautiful day outside, it’s roasting in the tent. And the higher you are, the hotter it is.
When we were installing the aft stateroom headliner, I moved a bunch of supplies from the work space to the salon. I’d never had a problem with epoxy spilling from its container before, but apparently moving it from the relatively cool floor of the aft stateroom to the hotter salon floor was enough to cause a problem. My theory is that as the air in this 1/4 full can of West System 207 hardener heated up, it expanded and pushed the hardener out of the pump. What a mess! I’ve never had this problem with US Composites epoxy.
While I was cleaning up the epoxy mess, the headliner installer was busy at his craft.
First, he pushes the headliner into the track in a few spots
Whisper Wall Ostrich Gelato is pretty stuff
Pulled up and tacked in place on the forward edge
First, push the material into the track with the spatula edge
Then push the spatula handle forward and roll the material into the track
Rinse, lather, repeat
The final stretch on the first panel
I got out of the installer’s way and came back the next day to find two panels installed. Ready for lights!
First, feel around for the soft spot
Hold your breath and stab through the new headliner
Cut the hole in the headliner, then plug in another new Kai LED
Springs snap the Kai LEDs in place in the 1/2″ plywood panel behind the headliner
Nice!
The OEM light fixture hole is much bigger
10w 12v corn LED bulbs work well in the OEM light fixtures
Then I installed more Kai LEDs
And that’s a wrap for the day
There are three more rows of headliner to install and the salon will be looking much better.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the Salon Headliner Install
1969chriscraftroamer46 