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how to refinish, but keep antique looking

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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boat_art
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by boat_art » Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:17 am

Beautiful job on a beautiful boat! Enjoy!
http://www.boatartgallery.com
1956 CC Connie 47'
1959 Caulkins bartender
1965 Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer
1953 Chris Craft Holiday
1941 Chris Craft Deluxe
Plus 8-12 customer boats at any time
God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

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steve bunda
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by steve bunda » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:52 am

Looks Great! There is a movement to restoring survivor boats and to keep the original patina. I have one in the shop now that received a new 5200 bottom, and will get a few refresher coats of varnish on the top sides. I also have a few original Chris Crafts that will be carefully, and thoughtfully put back into service with the focus of maintain originality and patina.
1930 20 foot triple , original engine
1946 special , original engine
1936 18 foot runabout , original engine

steve

joanroy
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by joanroy » Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:08 am

I'm a big fan of the original patina approach to restoration as long as the boat is safe and seaworthy. Their much more interesting to look at than the better than new full restorations. Old boats should look like old boats and show their history. Nice work!

boat_art
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by boat_art » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:04 pm

Weird...How did this idea get started? Im doing one now for a customer...keeping as much of the old as possible...'47 Deluxe with KBL. Couple coats of refresh varnish...thats it!
He wants to use it with the original bottom for now then go with 5200. It will be in water and covered slip and I think it will soak up quickly.
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
Plus 8-12 customer boats at any time
God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

joanroy
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by joanroy » Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:08 pm

Tom, I think part of it comes from the fact that there a so few unrestored original examples left. Go to a wooden boat show with a line of perfectly restored boats and see what happens when a totally original, unrestored example pulls in. People are drawn to it like magnets. It takes you back in time. It's a survivor. I have the utmost respect for the art of restoration and greatly admire the skill involved in it, but their only original once. Once that history of use is replaced and sanded out it'll take another 50 years or so to get it back. If its a user boat and not a museum piece it has to be made safe and sometimes it's necessary to find a compromise between originality and practicality. It is possible to have a balance of both.

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steve bunda
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by steve bunda » Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:57 pm

Yup, I have customers that have limited budgets, do the bottom first to make the wood boat safe for the family. Then later do the refinish, chrome work , interior. But there is a faction that wants to keep the boat as an original survivor with all it's imperfections and patina.
I like the trend as it makes woody boating affordable and mysteries. Anyone can buy a white glass boat with a different color stripe and interior. The person that captains a wood boat understands it is so much more.

steve

rockhounder
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by rockhounder » Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:00 pm

I agree on the keeping original thought. I have to work a lot harder to pull the old varnish off, but don't go into the weathering patina that sometimes barely penetrating past the surface .5mm or so.

I will have quite a challenge ahead of me for the two hull sides..... looking at how many hours I spent on the top and stern, I probably have several hundred hours to look forward to. Does anybody have any hints on perhaps heat stripping, or other that does not involve sanding to accidentally go into the wood surfacing?

We had fun going out again today, the clouds over the lake were absolutely spectacular. Our daughter, Sienna, wanted to fish, so we took a pole, put some Zekes orange garlic bait, threw it over, and just enjoyed drift fishing. Not really expecting to catch anything, but Sienna caught a fish, but while reeling it in, it bit the line and poof, was gone. Well.... now that we know we can have fun fishing, we hit the local K Mart and got all the accessories, so tomorrow, after school if weather is good, we will go fishing! There is almost nothing as peaceful than being out on the lake, with a good book, great refreshments, bobbing and drifting, with a line over the side. Aah, it is going to be a great summer!
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boat_art
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by boat_art » Mon Apr 11, 2016 5:25 pm

Hey guys, dont get me wrong... I love seeing this trend! Its just that the idea of keeping the "patina" seemed to start only recently. I love the whole "user boat" idea and often recommend it. Agreed, the bottom is way too important to take chances on, but most of the boats we do are not "show boats".
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
Plus 8-12 customer boats at any time
God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

rockhounder
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:20 pm
Location: Big Bear California
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by rockhounder » Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:30 pm

It seems to be a certain human tendency to value different type of restorations, directly proportional to the age or antiquity of an object. I notice the same thing in the Lotus Esprits that I collect. when they are 15 to 20 years old, everybody seems to be hyper restoring them, with the best aftermarket paint jobs, custom sewn interiors, aftermarket engine mods, etc. Then, when they started to hit around 30 years old, you started seeing the "antique, factory style restorations.

I think it might be the same with the Chris Craft. The hot trend, after the wood manufacturing first ended, was to do the hyper finished type of restoration, where the beauty was in seeing the boats potential look taken to the ultimate in glossy high end finish.

Now that there are far fewer running "original condition" old looking boats out there, for people to get used to, the interest in seeing "old" is heightened. I know that I feel that way whenever I was onboard tall ships... that "old" smell, like being inside a library, coupled with old rawhide and oil.......yummmmm and seeing all the weathering and staining, seeing the countless rope burns etched into the running rigging railings, was always fascinating.

boat_art
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by boat_art » Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:21 pm

I often make up stories for customers to go with their boats. My favorite is a guy with a '52 that has a notch in the side rail. I told him to tell people that when the boat was new, Uncle Earl saw a girl on the dock wearing one of those newfangled "bikinis" and he almost had a heart attack, dropping the anchor on the rail. He loves telling that story!
http://www.boatartgallery.com
1956 CC Connie 47'
1959 Caulkins bartender
1965 Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer
1953 Chris Craft Holiday
1941 Chris Craft Deluxe
Plus 8-12 customer boats at any time
God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

User avatar
steve bunda
Posts: 428
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:59 pm
Location: wisconsin
Contact:

Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by steve bunda » Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:26 am

I got a story, My 1936 Chris Craft double cockpit was found in a pile of hay , in a barn that the floor collapsed. The boat was recovered during the demolishing of the barn back in the 80's. The Runabout was put into storage when it's owner went off to the world war. But unfortunately he never returned and paid the ultimate sacrifice for the nation. Thus the name PATRIOT on the transom in his, and all USA veterans.

Moondocker
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Re: how to refinish, but keep antique looking

Post by Moondocker » Fri Jun 03, 2016 7:51 am

This is a great and interesting thread. I bought my Continental in 2002, brought it home and the first thing I did (after starting the engine) was totally dismantle it and took it to a local boat shop (Forestport Boat Co.) and had a 5200 bottom installed. The original bottom looked okay but my knowledge at that time was very limited (as well not having a computer ) but I did not want the stress of dealing with an old bottom soaking etc. I took that right out of the equation. After that it was brightwork, engine rebuild, chrome work, upholstery etc. It's a user boat that would not win any shows but it still turns heads. She lives in a marina up north under a mooring cover from May to October. I say, it's your boat, do what makes you happy with it.

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