How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

I'm interested in how to achieve this look, in particular the thin dark lines between strips. It's on a kayak built by Lew Blakely.

 

Thanks, Pat

Lew Blakely Kayak Detail


19 replies:

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RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Haven't figured out haow to insert pics, but you can see the picture here:

http://www.clcboats.com/media_gallery/slideshow.html?boat_id=308&content_type=2&next=18

Pat

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Find some dark wood such as mahogany and rip or plane thin strips to glue between the cedar strips. I usually let the thinner strips stand proud of the regular strips and sand them down even with the deck to avoid indented strips that would require lots of filling before glassing.

        Happy building,

        Chris 

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Pat,

I believed he painted the black strips with an automotive pinstriping tool.

Douglas W.

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Chris,

I guess that would mean dispensing with the bead and cove strips and using square cut strips? That's more than I'm ready to take on for my first boat.

The pinstriping option is intriguing. When to do it? Maybe after 1st fill coat?

 

Thanks, Pat

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

It is a nice look. I have a friend who just finished a Chris Craft restore. The strips between the boards on the Chris Craft are white rather than black and they were in the case of this restoration hand painted in. My casual observation was that where this look was present on the bow and in other area's-- is that there is an indentation betweem the boards were they meet --something like a fine bevel on each board were they join as well as were the boards meet with the boards that parellel the shear. This makes for a nice definition and a better shot at having a nice straight accent stripe and I would think would help in sure that the striping would not get rubbed of as easily. It is my opinion that this is what I saw when I looked at your referance picture. If I was going for that look I would mico bevel the top edges of my strips----CZ

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

I saw someone do that on a boat deck once by cutting grooves and then squeeging in pigmented epoxy.

Laszlo

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

I was just talking to a guy who has a restored '56 Chris Craft. He told me the white lines between strips is a type of caulk. It needs to be flexible to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood.

 I thought about routing in  grooves after laying in the strips and filling with colored epoxy, but this would be very difficult because of all the curves.

The pinstriping method would be the most likely bet for me, but I'm not sure my hand is that steady. Let's see, before or after coffee?

Thanks,

Pat

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Here's an untried idea but what about automotive pin striping tape applied under the glass like an onlay?  It would leave a slight bulge but that can be faired in with the fill coats.

 

        Chris

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

I'm lazy, cheap, and a corner-cutter. But if it was me, I'd put one coat of varnish, sand it, then get a straight edge, a Sharpie, and start making lines. A couple more coats of varnish, and it would look a million bucks.

 Or, Lire at least...

.

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

A Sharpie!?! You've crossed the line with that idea, sir (get it - crossed the line?)

Seriously, thanks for the ideas, evrybody.

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Perhaps you could contact the CLC people and see if they can provide a way for you to contact the builder.

Then you could ask how he did it.

Ed

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

i did my Guillemot Expedition using 1/8" strips of poplar glued to the cedar strips. found attaching both the wide strip and the narrow stripe at the same time was easiest.  

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

That's a good idea, Ed. I was hoping the builder of that boat or CLC would chime in here.

Wow, Billy. That's a nice looking boat. Did you use bead and cove strips?

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

David,

Does Sharpie ink dissolve in varnish?

It sure as heck does in epoxy.

Laszlo

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

:Wow, Billy. That's a nice looking boat. Did you use bead and cove strips? 

Two Rivers - no they are rolling bevels. could be bead and cove though... i would glue the cedar board  and the poplar board together first then rip to thickness, add the bead to the poplar strip cove to the cedar. 

-Billy 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

@Laszlo

Good point. A regular "permanent" Sharpie would probably bleed into the varnish, come to think of it.

But a paint pen should do the trick. Plus, could build up layers if needed...

http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Product/Sharpie_Oil-Based_Paint_Marker_Bold.html

Either way, a test run would be wise. 

 

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

I know some folks have achieved the pinstripe look while still using bead and cove strips.  Basically you have to cut a b&C strip in half and then insert the super thin pinstripe colored strip in between.  Then glue the three together and then use that strip like a regular b&c strip.  It is a far better and classier look than painting or drawing on the lines.  It also won't disappear if you ever had to make a repair and sand through the fiberglass into the deck.  

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

Pretty good idea, Casey. Lotsa work, though. CLC should offer 1/4" wide "accent strips" with cove and bead (hint, hint).

 Thanks, Pat

RE: How to Do "Chris Craft" Look on Stripped Deck

cz375hh and TwoRivers are on the right track.  On a vintage Chris-Craft, about every 4th stripe is "real" -- meaning it's a beveled groove between deck boards that's filled with a sort of caulk/putty.  The remaining ones are "fake" -- meaning they're just shallow grooves in the board filled with the same caulk/putty and there just for show.  I used to have a '48 Deluxe runabout, and I was once penalized at an antique & classic boat show for my grooves being slighty too far apart and a little too dark.

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