1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

[jasoutside]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

I think that vinyl work looks great man! I think that is as good as it gets without running piping across the front there. There'd be no other way to get those wrinkles out eh.

 

[cpdchap]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

You continue to inspire me Jim!!! Looks great!

 

[dozerII]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Jim looking good, use a heat gun on the low setting and you will se a world of difference in your vinyl skills. I cut out a couple inside corners on scrap to practice.

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

I think that vinyl work looks great man! I think that is as good as it gets without running piping across the front there. There'd be no other way to get those wrinkles out eh.

Thanks man! I'll keep working at it for the front seat back and the back seat!

You continue to inspire me Jim!!! Looks great!

Gosh... thanks man! That's tough to do considering what I've seen you do with you rig!

Jim looking good, use a heat gun on the low setting and you will se a world of difference in your vinyl skills. I cut out a couple inside corners on scrap to practice.

Interesting idea there Glen. I like that idea. Inside corners are definetly tougher to do then outside corners or curves!

When it is all in place tomorrow, I will take some pics. I HOPE!!! it comes out what I visualize in my head! Sometimes it works.... sometimes she no work!

Ok... so try to follow if you can here...

I've got a tough angle to deal with... you see I have the back of the seat meeting the seat back that someone sitting in the back seat will be looking at all while curving laterally across the boat. Then I am screwing and gluing a seat top pad of wood with radius curves where it meets the gunwales --- both front and back. Like an old Chris Craft --- creates a cockpit like environment. Anyway... the seat back top will be sanded tonight to be conistent with the backer that will be looked at by the folks sitting in the back so that the seat top pad can be properly screwed and glued down.

Got all that??? I think I do.... anyway... I wish I could just go do it now!!! But alas I need to work --- at least for bread an milk right!??!

Have a great afternoon fellas!

J.

 

[dozerII]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

You mean something like this Jim?? behind the Captains seat.

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

You mean something like this Jim?? behind the Captains seat.

Bingo!!! Just won't be anywhere near as nice as that!!!

Also no seat way at the back and no step through at the front --- it's low enough to just step over! But in principle... that's more or less what I am doing for the front seat top!

J.

 

[dozerII]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Here's one with a better view.

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Yup. U gotta it there... that's what I am doing.

J.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Looking great IM, can't wait to see how the ChrisCraft seatback etc comes together

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Yup. U gotta it there... that's what I am doing.

J.

OMG - you're turning a tinny into a wood boat. :lol: And seeing the wood you turn out, it will be better than that CC, Jim.

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

OMG - you're turning a tinny into a wood boat. :lol: And seeing the wood you turn out, it will be better than that CC, Jim.

Ya... kinda... really isn't gonna look anywhere near those beaut's that Glen posted... but it'll have a touch of class!

Thanks though GA!!

J.

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Hey fella's... got some progress to show here...

Got the seats (bottom and top) installed and secured + the side pieces with a gap at the bottom just so that there is no moisture trapped there. Then I installed the top pad... which went well... interesting. Because the seat back is at an angle it creates a little curve in the top piece as the top piece is curved over the top of the seat! As a result I had an interesting time marking the curve and then cutting it to fit. Anyways, got it install first time... but it was a little un-even on the top of the seat... so I thought... no problem, I'll just unscrew it and put it back on! Well... it ended up with a split in the wood, some mumbling --- well a lot actually if I'm being honest... and some PL and a clamp...



But... it turned out decent --- not perfect... but such is life
.

Then I got the 60 rude all put back together and ready for testing this week.


Got the back of the seat installed and somewhat sanded... not done the curve at the bottom yet or the screw holes... but getting there...


And lastly I got the back deck framed and the sun deck pieces rough cut and the seat bottom is cut. This is the next part of the project...


Superman leaped into that shot!!!

Lots of sanding to do on the seat top pad ends and screw holes plus the back of the boat... but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Out doing more biking and track work with the kids this aft... track and field is on Tuesday... so it's crunch time now!

And oh ya, the steering wheel is just there temporarily so that I don't keep bonking my head and back into the steering shaft!!!

Have a great afternoon fella's!!!!

Jim

 

[budski]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Looking just awesome Jim

 

[dozerII]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Coming together real nice Jim. I really like the design.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Nice work!

What's between the front & back pieces of the front seat vertical?

I saw this the other day & thought it might be something I'd like to duplicate 1 day:

Can't have too much storage on most boats. And it'd certainly look like a 1 off.........

 

[classiccat]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Man that's one sharp design!! Are you improvising as you go or has this been the plan all along?

good idea JB...a ton of space in those seats for some compartments...even hatches.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

I can just imagine you cruising around the lake & turning heads. Love the curvy features, it'll surely be one of a kind!

Are you concerned at all about the extra weight of the wood & the 60?

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Thanks guys!! It is coming!!!

JB - Interesting idea! There is not much room there to be honest --- maybe a couple of inches... but could be incorporated into the next boat!


BF - Most was planned --- but some of it was definetly improvised!!!

LL - Nah... the 60 is not going on this boat. A 50 johnson will be! Surprising the weight of the wood is less than 100 lbs... I weighed it. So figure the weight of 2 back to back seats is gotta be in the 60-80 lb range for the two... it really isn't much more. My concern was having the wieght/ center of gravity too high.... we shall see!! Good news is that the foam for the seats and all the wood ADDS to the floatation of the boat!!

 

[InMotion]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Ok... got some more stuff down last night and this morning...

Got the back sun deck thing cut, glued and screwed together. I added about 100 lbs of weight on top of it over night to make sure it didn't twist while it was gluing... and sure enough it is straight! I also added some ply underneath to screw the board to from underneath.



Little rear end shot of the boat... note that I have to add a board to the back of the sundeck as well as the sides of the splashwell. I am going to leave a gap at the bottom to ensure that the boards are not in any water...


Also build and foamed the seat back and bottom. I installed the angled supports for the seat back and did a major clean of the interior of the boat and the floor! It really was ankle deep in all manner of stuff --- from tools to foam bits to saw dust etc etc etc.... good shape now!



So there you have it... moving forward now! Next is to vinyl the seat back and bottom, install the seat bottom supports and nice little bits, fab up the two side pieces and install them. Then a bunch of sanding and spar and voila! A couple of hinges and struts for the sun deck and voila!!!! the interior is pretty much done!

Have a great day fellas!

Jim

 

[Grandad]

Re: 1964 Starcraft Jet - Rebuild

Surprising the weight of the wood is less than 100 lbs... I weighed it. So figure the weight of 2 back to back seats is gotta be in the 60-80 lb range for the two... it really isn't much more. My concern was having the wieght/ center of gravity too high.... we shall see!! Good news is that the foam for the seats and all the wood ADDS to the floatation of the boat!!

I think that the wood you're using weighs about 30 lbs per cubic foot. So, if water weighs in at 60 lbs per cubic foot, for every pound of dry weight of wood that you add, you gain a water displacement equivalent to 2 lbs. If my reasoning is correct, that 100 lbs of wood you're adding will give you 200 lbs of flotation. Having a high center of gravity when the boat's above water may be a bad thing, but having a high center of flotation in the event of a sinking is a good thing. Hey, I'll bet Noah's ark would have met today's level flotation requirements. - Grandad