1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: More Aft Deck Mahogany

Despite everything, I continue making progress on the Roamer refit. The aft deck is looking nice! I’m using the 1/4″ thick mahogany boards leftover from the toe rails to finish off the narrow window surrounds that are framed in aluminum square tube.

Trimming the edge of the board to make it straight

All of the toe rails have some degree of curve to them to match the shape of the hull. So each of these 1/4″ mahogany boards also have degrees of curve. The aft deck window surrounds are mostly straight, so my track saw has been very helpful making straight, relatively short boards out of the leftover toe rail pieces.

The boards also have checking and cracks in the wood

Fortunately, there’s lots of good wood in there, too.

I’d have to plane this board down to 3/16″ to get rid of those saw marks, which would be too skinny

Big crack right through a bad spot

One last cut

I’m starting on the port side

I used a Fein multi-tool to remove all of the spray foam insulation that stuck out proud of the aluminum framing.

Nice!

Board 2 is done

There’s a very slight curve to the hardtop here, so getting that piece to fit well took a lot of fine work with a hand planer.

That’s a pretty good fit, eh?

I had to make some cuts right next to the edge of cracks in the boards

That’s close!

The finished boards looks good, though

This top board was complicated

There’s a complex curve in the hardtop here, and the top board is at an angle to the hardtop. This was maybe the most challenging board I’ve fashioned thus far. But it fits good and tight. Friction is the only thing holding the boards together in this shot.

Last vertical board is cut and fitted.

Friction fitted boards

That’s a fine joint!

The port aft deck window surround boards are all cut and fitted. Next I’ll make the starboard side ones, then varnish them with ICA base coat clear, and install using epoxy to glue them all in place.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Starboard Aft Deck Mahogany