1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Windshield is Finally Done

After a long string of problems, I finally got the last windshield installed at the helm. My windshield trials and tribulations started when I disassembled the original helm windshield and found a bunch of broken bits and pieces. I also had to make new parts to replace the center opening windshield frame, which had been removed and replaced with a sheet of plexiglass by a previous owner. I ordered new tempered glass. Then, just when I had the original windshield ready to paint and reinstall, the bastard thieves burglarized my tent, clearing out many tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools, supplies, and original parts, including several of the heavy windshield frame extrusions. Fortunately, my insurance covered the loss, and I commissioned a new windshield frame. But the fabricator ultimately wasn’t up to the task, and I had to break open the paint to repair damage he caused and to make the boat fit the new frame. With new paint on the hard top and dashboard and the new windshield frame painted in metalic black Awl Grip, things were finally looking pretty good. I ordered new windshields from Motion Windows because their design is absolutely the best in the industry. But, as with the bow seat windows I ordered from them, their design is great but Motion Windows’ execution is a problem. Specifically, they oversized five out of the six windows I ordered. A little bit smaller than specified isn’t a problem, but the worst of the window clamp rings was 3/16″ too big to fit in the window opening. After their first unprofessional, insulting response, I stopped payment and waited to see what they would do. When the boss at Motion contacted me, I explained that it doesn’t matter if you’ve got the best product design in the world if you can’t nail the implementation. We went back and forth a few times before they finally agreed to make new clamp rings to within 1/8″ of my specification. I carefully measured again and then waited. Finally, the new rings arrived…and they were too damned big. But not so ridiculously big that I couldn’t modify them to make them fit. But seriously…are you kidding me?!?!

OK…rant over. Now it’s picture time.

Motion Windows’ frame and trim ring extrusions…a brilliant design

The window frames (the more complex extrusion on top in the pic above) rest inside the window opening. The clamp/trim rings screw into the frame extrusion from inside the window opening, clamping the window into the opening with no screws on the exterior. The extrusion on the right was for the big center opening windshield, and the trim ring stays outside of the window opening. On the left is the extrusion they used for the port and starboard helm windshield frames. The L-shaped portion of the clamp ring where the screws go through fits inside the window opening…unless, of course, the clamp ring is made too big.

The clamp rings arrived nicely wrapped

Lining up a new trim ring with the first one Motion sent

On the far end, you can see how oversized the first ring was: 3/16″ oversized

Some corner welds look pretty good

38-15/16″, just like I ordered

Both of the trim rings had at least one dimension that was exactly as I ordered, which tells me Motion Windows can manufacture their windows accurately.

But other corner welds are relatively big blobs that stick out too far

34-11/16″ (heavy) ≠ 34-9/16″ ±1/16…oversized again!

Trim ring doesn’t fit on a corner of the window opening

It’s frustrating that, once again, Motion Windows oversized the trim rings. The weld blobs were a problem before, too, with the bow seat windows. If they’d just dress them a bit with a grinder, as they clearly do with the weld along the face of the extrusion, I suspect the rings would fit fine. So I took a cutoff wheel to the new trim, breaking open the brand new powder coat in the process. That gives aluminum oxidation a place to start, but what else can I do?

I cringe when I break open brand new, perfect aluminum coatings to fix manufacturing flaws

Corner #1 shaved

and #2

And #3

With the corners shaved, the trim fits in the hole. I quickly applied Sikaflex to the bare aluminum. Hopefully, that will keep oxidation from loosening up the powder coat.

The helm window frame has been taped and ready for window install for almost two months

A generous application of Sikaflex 291 LOT on the window frame

Flip the window into the opening, then squeegee off the caulk that squeezes out

A dab of Sikaflex on the trim screws helps keep the aluminum sealed as the screws drive home

Pulling the tape

Looks good!

Final wipe down cleans up the last of the Sikaflex

Oh…one last thing

Much better

Finally, the helm windshield is done!

 The lesson learned here is that Motion Windows has an excellent concept for their windows, but they consistently oversize their product with sloppy cuts and blobby welds. Maybe they’re better with windows that only have 90° or radiused corners.  Either way, I’m glad the windows are finally in and I can put a check in that box. Once I fill a few more holes, I’ll be able to wash the boat since she’s looking pretty sad from all the dust. In the mean time, I’ve got to keep moving forward if we’re going to splash later this year.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Exhaust V

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Measuring For New Glass

Back in November 2013, I got the first order of new tinted glass for our Roamer. Those panes were for the aft deck enclosure, the original helm windshield, and a couple of salon windows that shattered by strong winds and careless stacking back when we first started the project. If I’m going to splash the boat this year it needs to be waterproof, and that means I need new glass for the portholes, the helm side windows, and a few other places. The old salon glass has been etched over time, and the new tinted glass looks really good with the Matterhorn White Awlgrip paint. So I’m also ordering replacements for all of the salon glass.

Tinted glass looks good next to white paint

On the first order of glass, I made patterns from 1/4″ luan plywood. What I didn’t think about at the time was that the glass shop would measure the patterns I supplied and plug the dimensions into a huge CNC glass cutting machine. When I got the invoice, I realized that the measuring charge per pattern is almost as much as each pane of cut glass itself. So I decided to measure the windows myself, lay them out in the freeware Sketchup CAD program, and send the glass shop 2D renderings with all of the dimensions listed. For regularly shaped windows–rectangles and circles–that’s a breeze. But there are few regularly shaped windows on my boat. Even the ones that look square don’t have 90° corners, and the longer the piece of glass, the more precision you need when measuring.

I spent a lot of time looking for an accurate digital protractor. The good ones are expensive, but this looked like a situation where it would pay for itself.  I almost settled on the Bosch DWM40L, which indicates an accuracy of ±0.1°, but some online reviews suggested it’s inconsistent even at that level. None of the other angle finders came even close. At least one had a display that went out to 0.01°, which sounded great, but reviews indicated that they weren’t even capable of 0.1° accuracy. Ultimately, I couldn’t justify buying a tool that might cause expensive problems for me. So…I improvised.

Tools of the trade

Starrett miter protractor accuracy depends on how good your eyes are

The Starrett miter protractor is intended for miter cuts. So 0° indicated by the inner arrow = a 90° corner. With 2° per tick mark, is that inner arrow pointing at 1.00° or 1.10°…maybe 1.15°? In any case, it’s indicating somewhere around a 91° angle.

Framing square shows how much a single degree matters

~1° off of 90° on one corner makes ~9/16 difference on the other corner

So, rather than relying on the protractor to try and get the angles right, I’ll use framing squares, rulers, and measuring tapes to get the dimensions as if the windows were square, which gives me a 90° right angle to work with. The edge of the glass will become the hypotenuse, and I can use trigonometry to get accurate angles from the length of the opposite leg of the triangle–that 9/16″ gap in the pic above. Better still–with known lengths of the hypotenuse and opposite leg, Sketchup will do the trig for me and give me the angles.

Bosch GLR225 has ±1/16″ (or 1mm) accuracy, and the laser goes into places a tape can’t

The Bosch laser measurer was especially useful for measuring from the bottom of the helm side window tracks, which are too narrow for the tape measure.

Lots of overlap between panes

I don’t want or need three inches of overlap between the fixed panes and sliders, so I’ll adjust my measurements to reduce it.

Original glass is a bit too tall, resulting in a forced fit when the window track is in place

The Sharpie markings reflect the dimensions I want for the new glass.

Original glass fits poorly in the corners

The bottom edges fit fine into the window tracks, but the back edge and the corner of the top edge just barely enters the track. That lets cooled or heated air inside the boat escape outside. In winter, the breezes that can come through those little gaps is enough to blow out a candle. I need to add 3/8″ to the top edge and 1/4″ to the back edge at this corner to properly seal the new glass.

Rube Goldberg measuring contraption

To make the right triangle trig work out, I need to start with a framing square along the top edge of the glass. I used a small clamp to hold that in place then used another framing square lined up with the first one to pull  the dimension for the opposite leg of the triangle. But because my framing squares are standard size, they’re not long enough to extend all the way along the adjacent leg of the triangle. So I used a metal ruler to extend the line representing the adjacent leg and clamped another metal ruler 1/4″ off the end of the glass (adding that extra 1/4″ I need to the pane) to identify the point the new glass should exend to. I did the same thing for the top right triangle, positioning the second framing square and ruler to give an extra 3/8″ of height and 1/4″ of length to the top corner. It took hours to set this jig up.

After pulling all of the dimensions, I took the Rube Goldberg measuring device apart and then put it all back together again. The measurements were slightly off, so I repeated twice more until I got consistent dimensions. On the last go-round, the setup went pretty quickly. Practice makes perfect, I guess. Finally, I used the Starrett protractor to record rough angles, just as a check, and then headed home to fire up Sketchup and started plugging in numbers.

Et voila…I’m ready to order glass

Slider glass shows where the finger cutouts need to be

Finger cutouts ground into the original glass

Port helm slider and fixed glass

V-berth porthole, deck hatch, and aft stateroom porthole glass

Done and ready to order

Hopefully, the glass order will be delivered in the next couple of weeks.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Removing Unnecessary Cummins Parts

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing Porthole Screens

If I’m going to splash the boat in 2016, I need to get it water-tight. That means I’ve got to get windows installed. Last year I did a lot of work bringing the hateful portholes back from the dead. They turned out pretty good once they were painted, but what a bunch of work. Now I need to install the screens in them in preparation for the new tinted glass I’ll be ordering soon.

Shiny portholes are ready for re-assembly

You’d think that factory-made portholes would be cookie-cutter affairs…all the parts are cast in the same molds, then drilled and tapped one after the other in the same fashion. But if you thought that, as did I, then you’d eventually find yourself as frustrated as I was when I tried to reassemble the pretty portholes.

It turns out that the castings are all the same and the big holes are all the same, but the small holes around the perimeter of the glass flange and screen flange were drilled only in the same general location. Each flange only fits its original porthole. Having assumed they were all the same, I didn’t mark them on disassembly. With 12 portholes and two flanges each, the screen flange can be oriented two different ways, and 20 screw holes per flange that all need to be checked for fit, let’s just say it was a tedious afternoon sorting them out. Some of them would have a perfect fit for 18~19 holes, but somebody on the line hiccuped on the last hole and put it 1/16″ off. So…out come the screws and try it again on the next porthole.

Porthole with matching screen flange

Sikaflex 291 LOT caulk goes in the trough

Screen flange will moosh the screen into the caulk

Carefully lay the screen in place

New 316 stainless screws get a shot of Tefgel before being started one hole at a time

Screws in and tightened down, with good Sikaflex squeeze-out indicating a leak-free seal

Carefully trim with a razor knife

Done! Only 11 more to go!

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Measuring For New Glass

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Completing the Bow Seat Window Installation

With two out of three mahogany panels installed for the galley/bow seat windows, next I wrapped up installing the center window and the port panel and window.

Center and starboard bow seat windows are installed

The boat’s filthy!

Once the outside is waterproof, I plan to wash the whole thing. Gotta get the windows in first.

Glue and clamp the port panel in place

2×4 pushes the edge tight to the side mahogany panel

Next day, off come the clamps and in goes the window for a test fit

Nice fit at the corner [pats self on back 🙂 ]

I’m a weekend warrior woodworker, so making these panels fit–with all of the angles and bevels–was a huge challenge. Fortunately, it turned out pretty good. After the way things have gone with most of the highly paid professionals on this refit, it feels good when a rookie like me does a better job than the pros.

Blow off the dust and get ready to install the window

Taped off and ready to install

Alcohol cleans the sealing surfaces, Sikaflex 291 LOT is the sealant, and I used some leftover Awlgrip T0170 Surface Cleaner to clean up any caulk residue that remains after I pull the tape.

Center opening window is a very cool feature.

Motion Windows design is outstanding. I really like the center opening windows, and the fact that there are no exterior fasteners or holes to let in water. It’s too bad they consistently oversize the windows so they don’t fit in the window openings, and Motion’s unprofessional response to my complaint about oversizing should serve as a warning to anybody planning to purchase from them.

Et voila! Done!

It’s great to finally have the bow seat windows and interior mahogany panels installed, especially with winter coming. And this winter looks like it’s going to be a whopper. Temps in the Mid-Atlantic region have been very warm in December, just like they were in 2003 when we first moved to the area. If the pattern holds, I expect that around the second week of January temps will drop below freezing and stay there for a month, though it hopefully won’t be as brutally cold as it was last year. We’ve had a few mornings that dropped below freezing, and I can already tell there’s a huge benefit from the spray foam insulation I installed earlier this year. So the cold won’t be an issue; the bigger concern is snow.

The boat explosion next door in July 2015 shredded my tent shrink wrap film and broke some of the tent frames in addition to blowing out a window and damaging my brand new Awlgrip paint. Tent Model X has been awesome–a vast improvement over Tent Models I through XI–and it was tough enough to survive Hurricane Sandy unscathed. But there’s no way post-explosion Tent Model X  can hold up to the roof loads of a snow storm, and I’ve got to re-make the scaffolding so the paint damage can be fixed. Which means I’m back in the tent-making business…

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Tent Model XXX

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Motion Windows’ Response (long rant)

The helm windshield has been a non-stop pain in the butt for about as long as I can remember on this refit. First there was all the work cleaning and repairing the original windshield frames. Then the bastard thieves stole some of the aluminum extrusions when they cleaned the tent out in May 2014. Then the master fabricator who built the replacement windshield made it so it didn’t fit the opening, so we had to break open the hard top and cabin top paint and do fiberglass and fillet work all over again. And then, when the new windshield frame was all sparkly, painted in metallic black Awlgrip and finally–FINALLY!!!–installed on the boat, Motion Windows sent me some windows that were too big for the holes, and they attached a bunch of parts I don’t want or need.

I sent an email complaint to Jeff at Motion Windows with lots of pictures showing the problems. Here are the responses from Motion on the various issues:

In my initial email to Motion, I explained that I wanted a center window with fixed lower glass and an upper window that opens with top-mounted hinges. Black powder coat. Tinted glass. And I sent along pictures of another Chris Craft windshield so Motion could see what I was attempting to replicate.

Center-opening windshield with centrally-mounted linear actuator and side latches to keep it closed in rough conditions

The linear actuator in the pic above is manually operated. But the bigger boats, like my Roamer, use chrome and bronze electromechanical units that work with the flip of a switch.

Roamer windshield opener circa 2007

Note the center window hinges and latches in Motion’s drawing…and nothing else

Surprise! Motion’s window came with high pressure gas springs that I didn’t ask for or want

The opening window frame also has a center handle welded to it, presumably to make it easier to manually open and close. The problem is, just like the picture I sent them shows, these old Chris Crafts have linear actuators that open the window for you. The gas springs and handle are unsightly and will interfere with my 1969-vintage chrome and bronze linear actuator. In response to this complaint, Motion Windows said [my response to each claim in brackets]:

You ordered a top-hinge Series 1275 window. You did not communicate any specific requirements in your request [Demonstrably false per my initial email]. You received the part as ordered [Demonstrably false per Motion’s own drawings]. We do not offer drawings of every particular part on our window and product improvements are made periodically to enhance the look and function of our product line [Fine, but is it too much to ask that you describe your enhancements in the drawings you provide? After all, they show the hinges and latches…why not gas springs and handles]. All drawings and internet photos are an example only and are never intended to represent an actual part ordered. This window is received in the industry as absolutely the best hinged window on the market [No doubt, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this particular issue]. Speaking of looking goofy, the use of a center-mounted linear actuator instead of using the window as intended fits that description.

Several of Jeff’s initial comments were demonstrably false, but I can easily attribute them to a busy guy running a busy shop who simply forgot all of the things we had discussed and pictures I’d sent him. It’s a mark of laziness that he didn’t check our email correspondence to confirm his beliefs were in line with the facts, but at least I can understand where he might be coming from.

But that last comment–the snarky one where Motion Windows tells me that Chris Craft’s center windshield linear actuator looks goofy–struck me as profoundly stupid. I imagine a teenager with a big wing, spoilers, and a fart can muffler on his Honda Civic making the same sort of idiotic comment about a fully restored 1959 Cadillac: “STUPID FINS, old man! You need to put a wing on that for downforce!!!” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Motion Windows’ opinion about what’s goofy or cool is completely irrelevant on my boat. Further, the dashboard on my Roamer is 5 feet deep. So climbing up on the dash and crawling forward to manually open the windshield the way the punks at Motion think it ought to be done doesn’t strike me as the coolest maneuver. What IS cool is flipping the switch and having the old chrome and bronze electromechanical actuator do its stuff. Either way, I feel this was extremely unprofessional of Motion.

The next issue I raised was about the windows not fitting the holes in spite of me having sent templates that fit without interference. I copied the following from Motion’s online instructions for measuring window openings:

“Making Patterns
Sometimes on an odd size or unusual shaped window,  it is necessary to make a pattern of the Hole Size Opening.  To make a tracing  or  template,  simply  remove  the  existing  window,  hold  or  tape  a  piece  of  paper  (butcher  paper,  poster  paper, cardboard, etc.) to the  Inside Wall  and accurately trace the hole opening from the outside.  Do not trim the paper after tracing the hole opening.  Make sure your lines are thin and clear and represent the hole size of both the inside and outside.”

Granted, I used 1/4″ luan plywood instead of flexible paper. These windows are big and it’s easier to get accurate templates with plywood than with paper taped to the frames. I sent pictures of the luan patterns to Motion in my 2nd initial email, showing the tight clearance all around between the templates and the frames. I asked if the patterns would suffice, and Motion told me they looked good and to mark the windows in a very particular way, which I did.

Luan pattern fits perfectly INSIDE the hole all the way around

Close fit, per Motion’s instructions

After Motion received the templates and sent me the quote and final drawings, I recalled the problems I’d had with the bow seat windows being too big (that time, too, I’d sent hole size templates but the windows came back too big). So I called to verify that no part of the window would be bigger than the template. Jeff at Motion said the templates were “very good,” and that the windows would be no larger than the drawings, which listed dimensions that were just slightly smaller than the templates I’d sent. If they’re smaller than the templates, they’ll definitely fit in the holes.

But when the windows arrived, I made the mistake of only test fitting one window before asking my crew of guys to come out help get the windows and trim installed the following Saturday. While the one window just happened to fit perfectly, its inside trim ring did not when we went to install it. And neither of the other windows fit in their respective holes. I ended up losing $900 in labor and sending the guys home after three hours. Here is Motion’s response on the windows being too big [my comments in brackets]:

You are correct that it is a horrible assumption to expect a perfect fit for custom ordered parts in only test fitting one part. The biggest mistake you made in this process is not following the order instructions [Demonstrably false, per our emails and Motion’s online instructions]. We are clear and consistent in our request for patterns of the rough cut openings yet you insisted in sending patterns of the part you wanted built to fit these holes.[Demonstrably false; the only thing I insisted on was that the parts could not be larger than the pattern, and I marked the pattern exactly as Jeff at Motion instructed]. Had you sent patterns of the holes, a normal reduction would have been made to those patterns for correct fit [Demonstrably false–my email clearly stated that the patterns were of the holes. The pictures verify that point]. By sending actual part build patterns that were so tight in tolerance to your hole openings you negated that process [Demonstrably false; the patterns were of the window holes. I never said “Make the frames this size.”]. We were clear that all build dimensions are subject to manufacturing tolerance of +/- 1/8” [Demonstrably false–nowhere on Motion’s drawing does it say +/- 1/8”, and Jeff never mentioned when we were talking on the phone that he might make them 1/8″ long]. We were clearly within these tolerances [Demonstrably false, as discussed next].

That last point about build tolerances is particularly galling, since my phone records support my memory of calling Motion several times to remind them not to make the windows–not even the welds–any bigger than the templates. Jeff at Motion had assured me the parts would be no bigger than the drawings, which were based on the templates.  But in his patronizing response he seems to have completely forgotten those discussions and the emails I sent.

The next issue I raised was about the inner clamp rings not fitting. The center window clamp ring fit fine, but the port and starboard ones weren’t even close–3/8″ too big to fit in the window hole. Which is a roughly 3x the “+-1/8″ tolerance” Jeff claimed to have built the frames to.

The corners of the clamp ring don’t fit into the window opening

The clamp ring (the part on top) won’t fit because it’s 3/16″ too long in the corners; 2 corners = 3/8″ too big

I did not specify how the clamp rings should be oriented, but the three bow seat windows and the center windshield all had the clamp ring oriented outside the window hole, not inset as in the picture above. Since Motion had my patterns, if they wanted the clamp rings to fit inside the window openings it seems like they should have assembled them so they’d be no bigger than the window frames they made. Here’s Motion’s response on that point [my comments in brackets]:

It should not have come to a surprise to you the way the trim on the port/starboard windshields was different that the center hinged window. This was stated on the order contract you signed as well as demonstrated to you on the installation samples included in your shipment [Demonstrably false; the order contract says nothing about trim ring orientation. The “installation samples” were just some scrap lengths of the extrusions without so much as a note of explanation about their purpose. But the real problem isn’t the orientation–it’s that the clamp rings don’t fit]. The trim did not fit because it has to be large enough to match the holes punched in it to line up with the screw lead in the back of the frame [translation: we didn’t even think about the trim ring fitting inside the window hole]. If we made the trim any smaller you would not be able to match the holes to the screw lead [Isn’t that the sort of thing a competent fabricator might note to the customer?]. Again, this could have been avoided by supplying hole size templates – however, with instruction to build the window size to the templates the trim naturally ended up slightly larger [Again, this is demonstrably false since I did supply hole-size templates].

That last point gets it completely wrong, I think. “Do not build the frames any larger than the templates” is quite different than  “build the window size to the templates.” If I’d only said it once in passing, I could understand the confusion. If I hadn’t mentioned that I didn’t want a repeat of the bow seat windows that they’d made too big, I’d understand. But with written instruction, drawings, templates, and the “no larger than” message being reiterated in phone calls, it’s stunning that I’m somehow to blame for the clamp rings being made too big. Never once did I say “Build the frames this size.”

Oh, and by the way…the frames didn’t fit because they were built bigger than the templates and drawings. Specifically, Motion once again failed to take into account the thickness of their admittedly robust welds. Great product…lousy execution on one little tiny but very critical point.

The final point I made was simple frustration: I don’t understand the point of spending a day making window hole-size templates and then paying to ship them across the country followed by phone call reminders to not oversize the windows if, ultimately, they make them too big 2/3 of the time.  To which Motion snarkily replied:

My fabricator did match the frame size build to the templates [Demonstrably false; the templates clearly fit in the windshield frame while the windows and clamp rings do not]. These parts were manufactured within the tolerance you accepted [Demonstrably false; Motion’s drawing and emails showed no +- tolerances, and Jeff also confirmed in our phone calls that the parts would be no bigger than the templates]. We do not call each customer to ask them if they want us to alter our normal build. If you order a Big Mac from McDonalds are you upset that they deliver it with special sauce because the cook didn’t ask if you wanted it on there? If you have a special request it is expected that you will convey that request in no uncertain terms.

That last snarky point about the Big Mac would have been a nice burn if, in fact, I had asked for a special order. But I didn’t. I made hole-size templates, just like their instructions say. I told Jeff multiple times they were hole size, and sent pix to make it perfectly clear…and they still botched the order. If I order a Big Mac, I know it might not look exactly like the picture when I open the bag, but I’m going to refuse the order if they try to hand me a vegan hot dog on a gluten-free bun. No matter how many times they mistakenly repeat that the vegan hot dog on a gluten-free bun is actually a Big Mac, I’m not going along with the insanity! Motion’s drawings, text, and the conversations we had never indicated that they intended to include gas springs and the center handle. And at no time did I tell them to modify their normal process and make the windows the size of the templates +-1/8″. The specifications I gave them and the pictures I sent were clear.

In spite of having an indisputably excellent concept, Motion Windows’ actual builds have been problematic 70% of the time. And that snarky, unprofessional response was uncalled for–Jeff could have at least consulted with his inbox to confirm that his memory was consistent with the facts.

So…that’s where the windows stand. Sorry for the long rant…it’s been cathartic just writing it down. Maybe this will serve as a warning to others who consider ordering from Motion.

Speaking of Motion Windows, it’s time to wrap up the installation of the bow seat windows. And that means I’m converting the salon back to a wood shop.

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Galley Mahogany Panels

1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: Installing the New Helm Windshield Frame

Back in early September, 2015, after many trials and tribulations, the helm windshield frame finally got painted. I had to shift focus for a bit to get the salon sanded, stained, and sprayed with ICA base coat clear, but now I need to get back on the windshield frame because Motion Windows–the same shop that made my new bow seat windows–has informed me that the new windshields are on the way.

I’m all giddy! 🙂

The windshield as found in 2007

The windshield frame in 2013

To properly prep the cabin top for paint, I had t0 remove the windshield frame. The hardware holding the window frame in place was very lightweight and missing in spots, but I don’t know if that was how Chris Craft did it or if the boat was damaged at some point and repaired (albeit poorly)–I suspect the latter.

Original windshield hardware–lightweight and loose

In some spots there was only a hole with no machine screw attaching the windshield to the cabin top

So when I installed the new windshield frame in 2015, I used 1/4″-20 stainless bolts and large fender washers with plenty of TefGel to protect the threaded aluminum from the stainless.

First, I re-drilled the holes

Next, we applied 3M 4000 UV adhesive and positioned the frame. With so many things going on, I didn’t have time to take pictures, but suffice it to say that lining up the bolt holes in a 10′ x 4′ complex 3-dimensional structure when everything is coated in sticky black caulk was a bit of a challenge. In the end, everything worked out fine.

Get one started, and the rest soon follow

One by one, the bolts went in

Last one in and done!

While I was working on the bolts from below, my assistants were screwing the top of the frame to the hardtop. Then we got to work cleaning up the caulk. I’d say the results were worth the effort.

A nice upgrade from the original

It’s great to have the boat in Tent Model X, protecting it from the elements over this long project, but I’m really getting sick of tent frames messing up good pictures. 😉

Just needs windshields!

The FedEx tracking tells me the windshields are on the way from Vancouver, Washington and will be here in a week. Perfect timing!

In the interim, it’s time to get a box of shiny parts out of my basement and back on the boat…

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: Shiny Gauges Installed in the Dashboard

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Wall Panel Install

Since the insulated galley wall install went pretty well, I decided to try the process out on some of the pretty African mahogany panels that go around the aft stateroom porthole openings.

1/4″ African mahogany panel finished in ICA base-coat clear

I added a cleat to secure the leading edge of the new panel to the bathroom wall

I cut out notches to make space for the hull frames on the transom

As you can see in the pics, the back-side of the panel is still bare wood. The plan is to get the final fit right, then coat the backs and all edges with epoxy. The ICA coating on the face will allow me to wipe off any wet epoxy with an ethanol-soaked rag. With the panel fitting to the hull and interior wall, the next step involved the missus holding the panel in place while I marked the porthole openings from outside.

Cutting out the porthole openings

Two down…

Good test fit at the transom and window cut-outs

African mahogany panel-to-panel fit is good, too.

Epoxy coating and insulating the back of the panel

On the galley panel I installed recently to test my insulation plan, I used 3M spray-on contact cement to adhere the Buffalo Batt polyester nonwoven fabric insulation to the cured epoxy protecting the back of the panel. I figured I could save a step by applying the insulation as I roll on the sealing epoxy coat. The missus was a big help putting her craft skills to work cutting the insulation to size, leaving room for the attachment points.

Insulation applied to port and starboard panels, then pressed gently together until the epoxy cures

Epoxy drippage from edge sealing was caught by tape

Tape comes off clean, leaving the edges sealed with no residue or stains on the African mahogany

If I hadn’t already finished the front face with ICA base-coat, the epoxy would have bled under the tape and stained the pretty mahogany.

Ready for installation

Nice!

The dead air cavity between the insulated hull and the insulated interior panel

The insulation gurus all say that dead air space between the outer and inner layers of insulation significantly adds to insulating properties of the material. Hopefully, this approach is worth the effort.

Before I permanently install these panels, I need to assemble the portholes and get some other things done. So for now, the panels are sitting in place, out of the way, covered in plastic, and protected from abrasion. With the heat of summer making it too hot in the tent to work up top-side, I’m getting myself into the engine room next.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Gantry Time II!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Bow Seat Window Interior Panels

I’m still working through my options on the helm station windshield saga, but there are plenty of other things going on with the project to keep me busy. The helm windshield problem affects many other things, though, so at this point it’s unclear whether or not we’ll be able to splash the Roamer as planned in fall 2015. Getting all of the windows installed is one of the things that absolutely has to happen regardless. The bow seat windows have been awaiting installation since 2013, so I might as well get moving on that. There’s just this one little hitch though…

Chris Craft’s design had some…issues

The pic above from Day One of our 1969 Roamer Refit, back in December 2007, shows how Chris Craft installed the bow seat windows from the inside, using sealant between the glass and the fiberglass cabin top, all of which was held in place by mahogany bits on the inside. As you can see, that approach did not work well, in part, because it allowed water to pool at the base of the glass. When the sealant at the base of the glass started leaking, which probably started within the first few years (if not months or even weeks) after the boat went into service, it completely destroyed the interior paneling below.

After the paperwork SNAFU was resolved in 2012 and the refit restarted in earnest, I met a woodworker who was sailing the Americas in a steel boat he’d refitted. While overwintering nearby, he developed a following of loyal customers who highly recommended him for my refit. I saw a few examples of work he’d done and eventually contracted with this sailor/woodworker, who described himself  as “good but slow.” Slow was fine with me…it was the good part I was really after, and the price seemed fair.

Motion Windows’ design is best

The pic above shows the clamp-in window design from Motion Windows , in which the window frame seals on the outside, but the only fasteners are on the inside of the boat. In my opinion, this design is the best in the industry since, among other things, it uses no screws on the exterior for rain to eventually find a way in. And since they’re basically flush to the exterior, water isn’t given an opportunity to pool anywhere. The manufacturer specifies no more than 1/16” deflection in the bulkhead to which their window frames are affixed, which seems reasonable since we’re talking about panes of glass that naturally want to lie in single planes. My new windows arrived in 2013.

Out with the original

The shot above is from 2012, when I was remaking the bow seat, and shows the galley window openings with all of the original glass, wood, and bonding compounds removed. The fiberglass is ground back and ready for Mr. Good-but-slow to install new plywood.

Since the three bow seat windows are on three different planes, I felt the best approach was to cut three panels of ¾” Douglas fir marine ply that would fit up tightly to the backside of the fiberglass around the galley window openings, yielding three planes to which the Motion Windows would clamp. Then, the fairing crew on the cabin top would simply make the exterior surfaces flat and parallel (to within 1/16”) to the 1” deep window opening (i.e. ¾” plywood + 1/8”~ 3/16” fiberglass cabin top thickness + thickened epoxy filling in any irregularities and bonding everything together). Finally, I would apply mahogany veneers to the three marine plywood panels and finish it bright before finally installing the Motion Windows.

After explaining all of this to Mr. Good-but-slow back in the fall of 2012, I came back a week later to find something other than what we had discussed.

Not quite what I had in mind

Notice in the pic above that there are not three panels of ¾” Douglas fir marine ply in three planes. Each of the separate elements—the uprights and top and bottom cross pieces–are their own separate planes.

The hitch: 9 planes instead of 3

While Mr. Good-but-slow epoxied the ten separate panels very well to the fiberglass around the window openings, his approach yielded nine planes instead of three! The planes created by the center upright bits were ~8° off of the planes for the cross pieces installed to either side. Plus, none of the top pieces were in the same plane as their corresponding bottom pieces. Instead of meeting the manufacturer’s 1/16” tolerance for the bulkhead thickness, there were up to ¼” gaps in the corners where the flat mating surface for the window’s aluminum inner clamp ring met Mr. Good-but-slow’s handiwork.

Since this pattern had recurred (to varying degrees) three times with other projects I’d assigned to Mr. Good-but-slow, I let him go when he wrapped up the 4^th and last project I had him working on. Turns out that Mr. Meh-and-Slow would have been a more accurate name. As usual…Enter the Boatamalan* to fix the problems caused by the American “craftsman.”

* Boatamalan: portmanteau indicating highly skilled boat workers of Central American origin. They’re actually from Honduras, but Boatamalan rolls off the tongue better.

Using his mad skills with a grinder, sanding block, a straight edge, and some Awlfair, my Boatamalan fairing crew chief and most excellent painter removed material from the uprights and upper and lower elements so there were three planes—one around each window opening where the window clamp ring lands. The port and starboard-side planes meet the center plane midway through the center uprights, which is what I need for the workaround I came up with for the interior mahogany. I can’t use veneer, as planned, because of all of Mr. Good-but-slow‘s wacky planes outside of the area the Boatamalan faired. Jumping ahead to 2015, I’ll use ½” African mahogany ply to make the finished interior panels against which the interior window clamp ring will clamp.

Luan strips and a hot glue gun for pattern-making

More luan strips for the starboard panel pattern

The vertical luan strip at the middle of the center upright is where port and center panels should meet

The plane of the side panels is offset from the center window panel by ~15°. So if I cut the inner edges of the side panels at 15°, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to cut the center panel side edges square.

Port-side pattern at the complex upper corner, where nothing is square

So…if I’ve done my calculations right, starting from the top in the pic above…the top edge for the side panels will need to be cut at 45°. The short vertical bit needs a 15° cut, followed by another 45° cut for the short horizontal. Then, the long vertical (or is that diagonal?) outer side edge needs a 21° cut, followed by 45° across the bottom of the panel. And I’ll need the aforementioned 15° cut for the inside edge that will meet the center panel.

I’m not a professional woodworker, and I’ve never done this kind of stuff before. What could possibly go wrong??? 🙂

Transferring the patterns onto the 4′ x 8′ African mahogany ply

The mahogany ply in the pic above is lying on my Eureka Zone EZ-One woodworking table. For breaking down big panels in a small space with extremely precise cuts, you can’t beat this table and the track saw that goes with it.

Cross cut then rip to the marks from the patterns

Angled cuts get the panel close to the final size

Jigsaw wouldn’t stay on the line

I tried to use my Makita jigsaw for the complex upper corner cuts, but with the base set at 45° I couldn’t keep the blade from wandering off the line. Time to break out the heavy hardware.

Roll out the Shop Smith for complex angle cuts

Though the bastard thieves took most of the attachments for my Shop Smith when they cleaned me out in May 2014, I’m guessing the base machine was [fortunately] too big for them to take. For the complex cuts I need to make on these panels, the Shop Smith table saw and bandsaw should get the job done.

Set the table saw and band saw to 45°

Done and done

I had to finish the cuts by hand where the two angles meet in the corner, but it turned out pretty good.

45° cut along the bottom (and top) went right to the line

Verify the line for the 21° edge cut

My biggest fear is that I’ll get the orientation wrong on these angled cuts and go the wrong way. With each successful cut, I got more and more nervous that the next cut I made would turn the panel into scrap.

Setting the table at 21° for the last cut

Booyah. Fits like a freakin’ old-school pro did it

I did not take video of the happy dance I was doing after this piece clicked into place, nor would I show it to anyone if such a video existed. But rest assured…there was, indeed, a happy dance. 🙂

Cut the rough window opening with a jigsaw, re-fit, and mark the actual opening

I also marked the high spots where the crazy planes from Mr. Meh-and-Slow‘s marine plywood install impinged upon the mahogany panel and stopped it from seating flush.

Creating low spots on the back-side and cutting the final window opening

BOOM! One panel down…two to go

Rinse, lather, repeat…nice fit!

Now go outside and mark the window opening and any points where Mr. Good-but-slow‘s Douglas fir plywood is high.

Port-side panel final window opening cut and low spots ground out

Two down, one to go!

The Bosch rangefinder moment of truth…

Measured between the inside edges of the two outer panels, there’s 1224mm at the top…

And 1222mm at the bottom

OK, I’m sure a real pro would nail it dead on, so I figured I’d be happy if I got it within 1/4″ (~6mm). But 2mm off over the height of the panel comes to only 0.03 degrees off on my final cut. I have no idea how I did that, but not too damned bad if I do say so myself! And I can easily make that up when I cut the final center panel.

More happy dance… 🙂

Back to the EurekaZone track saw

BOOM!

Et voila!

One of the cooler features on the boat

The center bow seat opens, which is one of the neater updates we’ve done to the original design. When we’re out in an anchorage or under way, we’ll get great airflow through the galley and salon. Venting heat from cooking in the galley will be a breeze, too: just flip the window open and lock it in place.

I need to take the panels off again and send them to the Boatamalan to be coated on the inner mahogany surface with ICA clear coat base before I epoxy them in place and install the windows for good. This is the same approach I used with the aft stateroom bulkhead walls, which turned out surprisingly nice. Resolving the problems created by Mr. Good-but-slow and getting the panels fitted is a huge step toward getting the glass in and [hopefully] splashing in 2015.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Head Walls

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Windshield Frame Saga Continues

Almost one year ago, some thieving bastards broke into my tent and stole a bunch of stuff.  Most of it was replaceable, but some original pieces have proven to be challenging…the original windshield frame extrusions, for example. I had disassembled the windshield frame so it could be painted. I spent a lot of time getting the original windshield to fit again. I even bought new tinted glass that fit the original windshield frames (let me know if anybody needs brand new tinted windshields for their Chris Craft Roamer 46!), but with more than half of the extrusions stolen (presumably for their scrap value) I was left hanging. Fortunately, I found a fabricator (the same guy who installed my new cutlass bearing carriers) who said he could make a frame that would look good, would fit the boat, and that he could install without harming my brand new Awlgrip paint job.

We discussed approaches for replacing the frames. I suggested cutting sections of rectangular and round tubing on site and tacking them together with the pieces fastened to the boat, since we all know nothing on a boat is square or symmetrical. The fabricator, concerned about damaging the paint, said he would make patterns out of plywood and weld the whole shebang together in his shop. I mentioned to him that tuna tower fabricators weld over new paint jobs all the time. If you protect the paint with corrugated paper, the welding dingleberries just bounce off. The fabricator was adamant though, so I told him to write his estimate with the worst-case scenario in mind, just in case it takes a few trips back and forth to his shop to get the fit right. I didn’t haggle when I got the estimate, and the insurance company agreed to the price. In October 2014 the fabricator got to work.

Unfortunately, the SD card on which I had stored all of the pictures of what follows got wiped when I used it in one of the passive IR night vision game cams I’ve got watching the tent now. So, instead of a photo-heavy article like usual, you have to read along and, hopefully, my description will provide enough detail to imagine the disaster unfolding.

In November 2014, the fabricator brought the windshield frame back from his shop and installed it. I was very excited when I arrived the following weekend. But excitement quickly changed to disappointment when I saw there were gaps between 1/8″ and 1/2″ at the top between the frame and the hardtop. High spots concentrated the weight of the hardtop in very small areas on either end of the frame, but there was no direct contact with the hardtop across its 10′ span–just on the ends where the welds caused high spots. On the bottom, the leading edge where the frame meets the cabin top was high by 1/4″, and there was only contact with the cabin top on a razor’s edge along the back-side of the frame. Granted, the cabin top is bullet-proof, but even kevlar’s got its limits, right?

When I called the fabricator to discuss, he said the gaps would be filled with Sikaflex sealant.

I reminded the fabricator of our deal — a good fit and no damage to the paint — and pointed out that gaps between 1/8″ and 1/2″ are inconsistent with the notion of a good fit. I also mentioned that the high spots and the razor’s edge contact area were a catastrophic failure waiting to happen. As soon as I hit the first big wave, that hardtop will try to go through the bottom of the boat. If that load is spread out over many dozens of square inches, the load will be far less then if it’s concentrated in only a few square inches. He reluctantly got the point and took the frame back.

The next time he brought the frame out, which was in February 2015, it was better but still not good. He had tacked skinny wedges all over to fill the gaps. But since all of this was done off the boat, the frame still didn’t fit right. There were gaps all over. The attachment points on the fiberglass cabin top and hardtop were dead flat, since we’d faired them using 30-inch longboards, so I knew it wasn’t inconsistencies on the boat causing problems. Plus, he had only tacked the wedges in place, with the sharp leading edges standing proud of the frame.

When I called to discuss, the fabricator suggested filling the gaps and the space under the wedges with fairing compound before we paint. When I discussed this with my Boatamalan* painter, he said HELL NO and told me I should have just had the tuna tower guys build the frame the next time they were in town. Fairing compound will crack if the edges of the wedges aren’t all welded in or very solidly tacked.

* Boatamalan = joking portmanteau referring to the Central American origin of the fairing crew and painter (boat + Guatamalan). In fact, the Boatamalans are mostly from Honduras, but Boatduran doesn’t roll off the tongue like Boatamalan does. 🙂

So, once again the fabricator took the frame away and did some things to try and make it fit better.

Welded windshield frame

Looks good out on the grass!

Looks about right!

I’d never been on the boat when the fabricator was test fitting the frame before. Not wanting to add stress to the fabricator’s job, rather than watching the install I went about doing other projects. After a few minutes I heard some very loud banging…like, hull-rattling BOOM BOOM BOOM. I Went to the helm and was shocked to see the fabricator jumping up and down on and kicking the frame to try and force it into position!

Getting in for a closer look, I could see that after attaching the top of the frame to the hardtop using some #12 screws, the bottom edge of the frame was floating above the cabin top by an inch or so. Which meant to me that the top edge of the frame was welded on at the wrong angle. To get the bolts started on the bottom, the fabricator would sit on, kick, bang on the frame…whatever…to force it into place on one corner. Once one bolt was started from the underside of the cabin top, they used the massive pulling power of the 1/4-20 bolts through the cabin top to pull the bottom into position. The entire structure was seriously stressed with this assembly method, but the fabricator left saying he was done with the job.

3/16″ gap at the port-side bottom corner of the frame

If the parts were tacked together on the boat, that gap wouldn’t be there.

Starboard outer upright is 1/2″ back from where it should be

One of three high spots contacting the hard top

The pic above shows the high spot near the port-side outer upright, where the aluminum frame meets the fiberglass hardtop at the corner. There’s one screw loosely installed, but notice how the gap grows between the aluminum and the white painted fiberglass as you look away to the right of the picture?

Zero contact at the port-side inner upright

That gap just gets bigger and bigger, and it’s a solid 5/16″ at the inner upright in the pic above. There is zero contact between the hardtop and frame across the span here.

A high spot, and debonded mahogany

The gap continues all across from the port side to the starboard inner upright until it encounters this new high spot in the pic above. Note how there’s one screw installed there? When the fabricator was sitting on, kicking, and banging the frame, forcing it down onto the cabin top, it broke the bond between the fiberglass and the thick mahogany board that provides structure to the hard top windshield mounting point, and gives the screws something solid to bite into.

Oh, and with all of the banging and so forth, and all of the weight of the hardtop sitting on that tiny little high spot on the port side…a nice chip of brand new Awlgrip paint and primer broke off right in front of the outer high spot.

When I called the fabricator to discuss, he didn’t pick up. After several texts, including pix of the high spots and poor fit, his response was to tell me to hit it with a grinder if I didn’t like the high spots. He said he’s done with the job.

So…it’s May 2015. I’ve got a windshield frame that sorta fits, but only if it’s beaten into place and bolted in a way that induces quite a bit of stress in the assembled structure. I’ve got damage to my brand new paint job. I could leave the frame as is….have it faired and painted, and we could force it together and hope that the Sikaflex or other spooge doesn’t look too crappy or doesn’t fail and start leaking. That would also require praying that the poorly fitting frame doesn’t cause a catastrophic failure that could wreak all kinds of damage to the boat at the worst possible time. Or, I can try and find yet another highly paid craftsman and test the theory that somebody out there has the skills to make things like the Chris Craft production line did all day long many decades ago.

Either way, I’ve got six weeks from the time the frame is done for the new windows to be fabricated and shipped. And I can’t order the rest of the glass for the boat until the windshield is installed, including glass for all of the portholes, because I won’t know the final shape for the helm side windows until the frame is installed. The price delta for ordering glass in small quantities vs a large order is about 2x…it’s significant. And fall 2015, when I planned to splash the boat, is coming at me like a freight train.

Sorry for the rant.

If I’m being too picky, or if anybody has a better idea, or if anybody knows a fabricator with consistent skills, I invite comments below.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Bow Seat Window Interior Panels.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The New Windshield Frames

While trying to recover from the theft loss in May 2014, I discovered that the foundry that made the windshield frame extrusions can still make new ones. Unfortunately, they make extrusions in 600 lbs runs, and there were five different extrusions stolen. I’d need 3,000lbs worth of new extrusions run to replace the 3~9 feet worth of stolen extrusions. To say this was cost prohibitive would be an understatement. I also had already bought new 1/4″ tinted safety glass for the windshield, and 1,000 of those funky #6 undercut head Philips screws that held the OE windshield together. If anybody with a sister ship needs new glass or screws, drop me a line.

The benefit of having to start nearly from scratch is that you can take advantage of all of the technical advancements that have happened since 1969 when our Roamer 46 was made. So, instead of having a complex structure made of hundreds of components (i.e. all of those screws and connectors holding the old frames together), I decided to go with the same basic four-pane design, with a large center upper windshield that opens, but I’ll use a welded frame and the same modern solution that worked well for the clamp-in bow seat windows. But first, the fabricator’s got to get the new frames fitted and welded together.

Prepping for welding over a brand new Awlgrip paint job

First, I bought a gross of virgin moving blankets to protect the paint from scratches. Then we taped the tough, diamond-pattern floor plastic over the top of the blankets. On the flat parts of the helm dashboard, I cut 1/4″ ply to fit. Finally, we taped corrugated paper over everything else in the vicinity of where the tack welding would be done, since welding dingleberries will burn through plastic and moving blankets, but plywood and cardboard can take the heat. The fabricator’s time is expensive, so I didn’t have time to snap off a pic when all of the fun work was going on, but the results are looking promising.

The OE frames had joints between each extrusion, and the glass was inset

New frames are a simpler, welded design

OE frame uprights were open-ended, making it difficult to seal out the elements

New frames are closed on the ends, giving lots of contact area for the bedding compound

The OE frames no longer fit well to the cabin top

The new frames fit well

The frames will fit better after they’ve gone to the paint shop and had a wee bit of fairing done to them.

The old frame fit OK at the top corners

But the new frames look lots better

The weld in the corners was getting in the way of the frame seating properly at the hardtop. Once that’s cleaned up, we’ll have a nice, tight fit.

Off the boat and back to the fabricator’s shop

Hopefully, the fabricator will finish the windshield frame so I can get it to the painter and back by Christmas or sooner.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: (previously) Hateful Portlights and Bow Hatch Back from the Paint Shop