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Hard to reach area to varnish
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Hard to reach area to varnish
Short of removing the coach roof on my '62 Connie, how does one go about spree moving varnish, sanding and varnishing the area above the windshields where the wood meets the fiberglass roof. I have a few ideas, now let' me hear from a few trailblazers.
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
Not sure just what you mean about reaching those areas. They're in the open and easily reached. I just stood on the cabin roof to get at the area above my windshield. It was no problem. Best of luck to you.
Bill Hammond
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
I see I had a typo. I'm referring to the area above the windshield where it meets the coach roof in forming a V. It's not like you can put your hand in there as though your sanding anywhere with no obstruction. My question is about removing the varnish (I'm assuming liquid or paper is best as a heat gun would effect the roof), and I guess I'm asking how you sanded. If a piece of sandpaper were pushed into the edge, but putting pressure on it.
Question Bill- the 1960 model appears in photos to have less overhang on the hardtop. Do you have a hardtop?
Question Bill- the 1960 model appears in photos to have less overhang on the hardtop. Do you have a hardtop?
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
Yes, I do have a 1960 with a hardtop. You can follow the link to my membership listing to see more pics. I used a Random Orbital sander with an iron shaped head that allowed me to get close. For where it was just not possible to reach with a machine I would indeed use just sandpaper folded into a v shape or whatever I needed. For me the problem one was the cabin windshield eyebrow. There was virtually no space above the window frame.
Bill Hammond
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
The eyebrow, I like that. I don't know if that's your term or official nomenclature. Yes that area right out of reach or a "mouse" sander.
What did you take old varnish off with- chemical or sandpaper?
What did you take old varnish off with- chemical or sandpaper?
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
Sandpaper, always sandpaper. I don't like chemicals. It's solid Mahogany so no worrys about it being thinned too much by sanding. I wanted it back to bare wood to start over so that I knew how much was there. It's not an official boat part so I don't think nomenclature matters much. Eye shade would also be descriptive. My big decision there was what color to use. So I opted to use the same stain on the underside of the overhang as the mahogany so that it wouldn't be reflective and cause glare while piloting. The underside of the lower eyebrow I treated the same under the theory that folks in the cabin might want to look forward while underway and similarly might not appreciate glare.
Bill Hammond
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
If you have a lot of varnish build up a sharp carbide scraper works well. Sandvik makes one with a small triangular blade. I scrape first being carefully not to gouge the wood then hand sand off to finish and fair.
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
Thanks Bill. How's your girl coming along? I'll try that tool Joanroy.
Re: Hard to reach area to varnish
Thanks for asking. I've made no progress other than to get it correctly shored up this year. I've been having a continuing health concern that I've been dealing with since last Nov. That has had me in the hospital twice and in and out of Dr.'s office constantly since then. It's not solved yet but appears that I'm headed for some pretty serious surgery. So I decided not to unwrap from the winter. I did go and bring a few refinished items that had not yet been reinstalled from the boat such as my Ship's Wheel and the Mast and Spars to keep here at the house as inspiration.
A use
I also have used the tool Joanroy described with great success as well as guite a few 5 in 1 tools. I've also got a "V" shaped groover tool that comes from my Piano Technician tools that is used for Soundboard repair that is excellent in getting at stuff in the cracks between planking or decking. Because of it's shape and how you hold it I get much more control than I do a lot of other tools for those small really hard to reach places. It has only one working edge which is it's main advantage over the triangular tool as it becomes less worrisome about slippage and accidentally scraping something else.
A use
I also have used the tool Joanroy described with great success as well as guite a few 5 in 1 tools. I've also got a "V" shaped groover tool that comes from my Piano Technician tools that is used for Soundboard repair that is excellent in getting at stuff in the cracks between planking or decking. Because of it's shape and how you hold it I get much more control than I do a lot of other tools for those small really hard to reach places. It has only one working edge which is it's main advantage over the triangular tool as it becomes less worrisome about slippage and accidentally scraping something else.
Bill Hammond
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
1960 36' Connie
Flint/Port Huron, MI
http://www.chris-craft.org/registry/vie ... at_id=1708
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