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'52 Riviera King Plank Finish

One part science, five parts experimentation. Every wood boat veteran has their secret recipe for a showy finish. Share your trials and triumphs.

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Riviera Wish
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'52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Riviera Wish » Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:57 pm

Just purchased a Riviera with new wood deck. This is my first restoration and am looking for advice on finishing the king plank
in the blonde original color.
Is the first step to bleach the wood? What kind of bleach is used and from what source?
Seal after bleach? What sealer is recommended?
In my research it is not clear what type / color stain is best to match the original color; looking for suggestions and suppliers.
What varnish is recommended for the finish coat? How many coats?
Should the final coat(s) be a clear, hard coating material? Color sand and buff?
I realize there may be many approaches to this restoration problem but I would like to hear about as many as possible along with any pros and cons.
Thanks in advance for your contributions.
Steve

Greg Wallace
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Greg Wallace » Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:49 am

Bleach as white as possible, natural filler stain, seal, varnish. This is as done originally. If you want to emulate a mature patina then add agents to color.
Greg Wallace 23 Custom 22166 former Chris-Craft dealer Russells Point, Oh.

Riviera Wish
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Riviera Wish » Fri Nov 27, 2015 12:45 pm

Can someone suggest a source for "natural filler stain"? If I google the topic or input a search on Jamestown Distributor's web site I get a variety of COLORED wood stains, none of which appear to be light or clear which could be tinted with Min-Wax Golden Oak as Danenberg's book suggests.

jim g
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by jim g » Fri Nov 27, 2015 3:50 pm

Get the Cordova filler stain from Sandusky paint company. Bleach the blonde white. Use the Cordova filler stain. Don't get stressed over the color of the stain. Once you have 5 to 7 coats of varnish on it. It will look nice and blonde. I use Awlgrip awlspar classic varnish for the build up coats. It has a darker amber tint then most varnishes which helps the stain come out the correct color.

http://www.sanpaco.com/ChrisCraft Bilge Paint

Howard Lehman
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Howard Lehman » Fri Nov 27, 2015 3:59 pm

Hi, I've restored two Rivieras and am working on the third one now. I'll be happy to provide my 2 cents worth, but others opinions could be worth much more than mine. You state you are finishing the king plank on the Riviera. I'm sure you know that much more than the king plank is blond on these models; the cockpit surround including the smaller deck planks in front of the windshield, the engine hatch and much of the aft deck, the bow cap and the smaller area going down from the aft deck into the top transom board. After final sanding and you are pleased with the way the wood looks after sanding with a flexible long board (I usually sand from 80 grit, then 100 grit, sometimes 120 grit....but there are different opinions on this too), I vacuum the surface well with a brush attachment, and don't allow anyone to touch the wood. Most of the time I have stained the non-blonded parts of the boat with the "Chris Craft red/brown stain, sealed those parts with 2 coats of sealer and sometimes several coats of varnish (the areas to be blonded are masked), then after those areas are dry, I remove masking tape, look for any area that the "red" stain may have spread to, carefully remove any of that stain/sealer/varnish, then mask those areas off to prepare for bleaching. Wood that was stained AND sealed with coats of sealer and varnish, are protected from the bleach. Still I mask those areas carefully. Then I use a 2 part wood bleach (the last time I used Klean Strip, but there are others that are very good too) and follow the manufacturer's directions. Apply carefully, allowing for gravity's allowance for dripping, and puddling, we don't want bleach running down, that's why most start at the lowest areas and move the bleaching up. I always test scraps of wood that are similar to the color and density of the wood on the boat that I am bleaching, to see how many applications of bleach I must make. If the areas to be blonded are a mix of new and older/original wood, there can be a difference in color, so experimenting with scraps takes more time, but gives a better result. Then, after I have applied the coat/coats of bleach, I follow the manufacturer's directions for neutralizing. This can be a mixture of water and white vinegar. As the wood is drying, and no real wet areas remain, I remove the masking tape to make sure no problems occurred in the previous stained/sealed wood. Sometimes I don't mask the darker stained wood at all, as long as it has enough finish on it to prevent the bleach from affecting it. After this wood is neutralized and completely dry, I lightly sand off the raised grain whiskers caused by the bleach and water. Then I apply the stain. I have used several stains. There is/was a "neutral" stain manufactured by Interlux, others have used other stains (there is discussion on this in Boat Buzz), but the stuff I like the most is a gel stain that I bought from Dave Jerome which may have been mixed by "Wood Coat", and this was discussed a few days ago. I really like the color that produces. Some folks have added a yellow pigment to the "Neutral" stain, some others don't add stain at all, but I like that particular gel stain the best. Once this dries, it needs to be sealed. I like Pettit Sealer, others use CPES, or other products, some also use varnish thinned almost 50% for the seal coats. After 2 sealer coats, I add coats with less thinner added to the varnish each time. I use Epifanes, but there are many excellent varnishes, and they finish things off great, but it must be a marine varnish with a good UV filter in it. Some folks start with "build coat" varnish which allows re-coating without sanding in between coats as long as you don't wait longer than 72 hours between coats, then last coats are High Gloss Clear varnish. I try for 12 coats of varnish, I sand in between (much discussion on all of this on Boat Buzz too) each coat, lightly with maroon scrubby things for first coats (none during seal coats) and as more coats are applied, after 5th or 6th coat, I will switch to 220 sand paper on a small flexible hand sander, eventually trying for a complete "white-out" dull sanding @ 7th or 8th coat, followed by several more coats of varnish with normal sanding in between, then before what I hope will be the last coat, I do another complete white-out sanding, usually with 400 grit wet sandpaper, thorough cleaning, and then the "last" coat of full strength varnish. If that last coat looks great, no runs, skips, bugs and very little dust, I consider myself lucky....and done. I have gone the "buff" route with some boats, but don't have enough of those boats out and exposed to water and sun to see the longer term results. This can add a LOT more work and time.Well, that's my 2 cents. Good luck with your boat. Rivieras are great looking, running and handling boats. Regards, Howard

Riviera Wish
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Riviera Wish » Fri Nov 27, 2015 5:42 pm

Thank you Jim and Howard for your input. I have been 'leaning' toward gel stain for the mahogany color portion of the Riviera because of it's ease of application and reported 'uniform color'. However, in a recent post Michael Green of Maritime Classics indicated that Dave Jerome of Wood Kote had passed away and was not sure if Wood Kote would continue to supply the Chris Craft colors. Any update on the availability of gel stain in Chris Craft colors would be appreciated.

Howard Lehman
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Howard Lehman » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:01 pm

I contacted Wood Kote concerning the gel stains formulated by Dave Jerome and whether they were still available. Today I received an email from Susan Jerome. She stated that the gel stain is still available through her shop, Dave Jerome's Classic Boats. Later in the day the Wood Kote Customer Service representative also confirmed the sad news that Dave Jerome passed away about a month ago. I thought people would want to know this. Howard

boat_art
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by boat_art » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:11 pm

Thanks for following through Howard; can I get her email?
Tom
http://www.boatartgallery.com
1956 CC Connie 47'
1959 Caulkins bartender
1965 Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer
1953 Chris Craft Holiday
1941 Chris Craft Deluxe
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God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

Howard Lehman
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Re: '52 Riviera King Plank Finish

Post by Howard Lehman » Sat Dec 05, 2015 12:28 am

Hi. You can find this information via the Dave Jerome Classic Boats website: http://www.davesclassicboats.com. Regards, Howard

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