The helm dashboard was a real mess on this boat when the refit began in 2008. In 2013, I had the original gauges rebuilt and rechromed, and I installed the gauges in 2015. Toward the end of 2022, I made a custom gauge pod that fits between the OEM tachometers and houses turbocator (boost and exhaust temp) and gear pressure gauges and bilge pump telltale lights. To wrap up the helm dashboard, I need to install a bunch of pretty rechromed switch knobs and lights. I got some really cool stickers for the shift levers, too. But I also had to fix a problem caused by careless Boatamalans when they were priming the hull back in 2009.
The painter and his crew of professionals had taped off the window openings in the salon and porthole openings in the V-berth and aft stateroom before he sprayed the primer. But they didn’t tape off the helm station dashboard. I had already removed all of the gauges and switch knobs, but I hadn’t removed the engraved switch plate that goes across the bottom of the dashboard. That was a piece of 1/8″ thick black-faced plastic with white lettering that goes from the Ignition switch on the left side, then Anchor, Compass, and Instruments light switches, three Wiper switches, followed by Nav light, Searchlight, and starboard engine Ignition switch.
It got oversprayed with primer. Not too bad, but it was ugly enough that I asked the chief Boatamalan painter to clean it up. The following weekend he handed me a ball of plastic that used to be my switch plate. Turns out he thought soaking the plastic plate in lacquer thinner would soften up the primer…which it did, but it also melted the switch plate into a deformed mess.
So, for the last ten years or so I’ve been planning on one day having a new switch plate made. That day happened last month, so I finally wrapped up the instrument panel.
Quick recap of what I started with
Fast forward to 2013
Fast forward to 2022, when I couldn’t keep my starboard engine running
In October, when I test fired my Cummins main engines, the starboard side would light off but then die as soon as I let the key go from START to RUN. The problem was a bad ignition switch, but I also found a weak primary start solenoid.
So I bought a replacement ignition switch
The problem with the shiny new ignition switch for the starboard engine was that it really highlighted how marginal the port switch looked. It worked fine but was ugly.
So I got a new ignition switch for the port side, too
New ignition switches are installed
New red LED dash lights are installed
OEM engine alarm switches were ugly but had potential
When you turn on the ignition, the alarm bells and lights turn on. Pushing these switches shuts off the bells until you get your engines running and all the alarm sensors turn off.
Those cleaned up nicely
These rechromed switch parts have been sitting in a bag and wrapped in tissue since 2013
The switches are in position, but I couldn’t thread the rechromed nuts on
I used a razor blade and very small screwdriver to clean that grey powder out of the threads
Once the threads were cleaned up, the knurled nuts threaded on just fine.
Nice!
Ignition on…lights and alarm bells on…push button…bell shuts off
These OEM alarm lights haven’t been on since ~1985. They’re very cool.
Horn switch is installed
Time to whip up a new switch plate.
After measuring 4-5 times, I created a CAD file for the new switch plate
I used the free version of Sketchup to make a 2d rendering of what I needed.
You probably noticed the three unlabeled switch holes in the middle. The boat originally came with three sets of windshield wipers. When the professional fabricator made my new windshield frame after the bastard thieves stole some of the original aluminum frame extrusions, he didn’t put holes in the frames for the windshield driveshafts to go through. I wasn’t thinking about windshield wipers when I asked the Boatamalans to prime and paint the new frame. It didn’t occur to me that I forgot about the wipers until I was installing the big pieces of mahogany at the top of the windshield, and these wires were hanging down and getting in the way. I didn’t want to cut holes in my brand new windshield frame, so I decided I’d just be a regular user of Rain-X and skip the wipers.
Fast forward to 2022, when I was finalizing the switch plate, and I realized I have three wiper switches here that I don’t need…or will I? In one scenario, the Rain-X works fine for the way we use our boat, and I’ll never need windshield wipers. Plus, wipers don’t make the boat look better. It looks better without them. Maybe I can use those three switches for something else…like the Accusyn engine sychronizer I (mostly) installed a few months back. Or, maybe, Rain-X will be a total bust and I’ll decide to install wipers later.
So I made the decision to leave those three switches unlabeled. We’ll see how it goes. Whichever way I go, I can always have the new switch plate laser embossed with whatever labeling I want.
I did some checking around and, after being told “we can’t make that” by a lot of places that advertise being able to engrave anything, eventually settled on Las Vegas Custom Engraving. They took my 2D graphic, turned it into a CAD file, and the results were almost perfect.
This blog hosting site won’t let me save or link to the .dwf file. But if anybody wants a copy of the CAD file of the switch plate, feel free to ask in the comments (oh, and the tip jar is just to the right 😉 )
That’s pretty much a match for the handcrafted template that I based the 2D file on
I also had them make a switch plate for the windshield opener switch
First test fit was a bit tight in the corners
Shave off a bit here…
…and a bit there…
Perfect…almost
Some of the switch holes were off by very small fractions of an inch
Four of the switch holes didn’t line up perfectly, so I did some adjusting with a Dremel tool.
Knock off a little here and a little there…
Perfect fit after sanding the razor-cut corners
Nice!
The CAD file directs the machine to laser-cut holes in exact alignment, but the 50-year-old hand-drilled holes aren’t so precise. But after removing some material with the Dremel, the switches fit just fine.
The right side of the dash pod called out for a switch plate
This’ll do
I don’t recall how the original switch plate here was labeled, but this will do fine for me.
Done
Next, I installed rechromed switch nuts and knobs
I ran out of rechromed switch nuts and knobs
Fortunately, I’ve got a lot of the old Chris Craft switches with those cool hourglass knobs. I sent a bag of them off to Frankford Plating in Philadelphia, along with a few other items.
The last thing I installed were some really cool cover medallions for the Morse Control shifter and throttle levers.
Original Chris Craft control lever stickers
When I sent my control levers off for rechroming, the OEM stickers didn’t survive removal. I’d planned to just leave them rechromed but without stickers, since none seemed to be available. But then a friend let me know that he’d created new cover medallions for Chris Craft and Hatteras control levers. He didn’t have the original Chris Craft ones to model his replacements on, so he came up with his own design. I have to say, I think it’s even better than the original.
New control lever stickers
These aren’t just paper-thin stickers, either. They have depth to them. And the colors and font are exactly the same as emblems that came on many 1960s Chris Crafts originally.
It’s a very nice finishing touch
If anybody would like to buy a set, they’re available through this ebay ad. If the ad link goes bad, just search ebay for “Chris Craft cover medallion” and my buddy’s product should come up so long as they’re available.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: DIY Positive Crankcase Ventilation
1969chriscraftroamer46 
That dash looks fabulous!
Thanks John!