I got the salon entryway sliding screen tracks machined and am now waiting for the painter to finish spraying ICA polyurethane base coat clear on the mahogany panels that the screen tracks fit into. There’s lots of other progress being made on the Roamer, but I also have a 1968 Chris Craft Commander 42 that needed some maintenance. I took a week off work and drove the boat to the closest marina with a travel lift, had it hauled, and have been sanding and painting the bottom. She splashes at noon today.
Commander 42 coming out of the Potomac River
While the boat was being blocked, I strolled around the boatyard to check out the relics on purgatory row. There was one boat that caught my eye…and what a surprise!
At first, I thought this was an old woody
Gryphon looked like a planked wooden boat from a distance.
It’s definitely plank construction, but that’s funny looking wood
Gryphon’s planked with aluminum!
Back to the Roamer…
I set up my ShopSmith to machine the screen tracks
Ready to go!
Looking good!
The other track is trickier
These sliding cabinet door tracks I’m using are different top and bottom. The upper track is shorter than the bottom one, so I’ll have to machine the tops off to get the second track down to the same height as the first. It has to be the same height so it’ll fit through the jig I made that holds the track in position as it goes past the router bit.
Next I sanded the tracks to smooth the machine marks
Nice fit…but that’s an ugly screen frame
Might as well replace the screens since I’m in here
400 grit sandpaper + Collinite 810 Chrome Wax cleans up the aluminum nicely
Ohhh! That slides smooth, like butter
Second screen frame is cleaned and waxed
Looks good!
The tracks and screen frames fit perfectly!
Now I just have to get those mahogany panels installed…once they come back from the painter. In the meantime, there’s lots of other stuff going on.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Polishing Stainless Safety Rail Stanchions
1969chriscraftroamer46 