1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

The HDO is more expensive than MDO, I think I spent $105/sheet. Half inch 4x8.

I am only using it for the main deck everything else will be MDO. The weight is a little heavier than MDO but not much, the only real difference is a ,little better quality ply and different paper. It is a really nice product and will last longer than I will.

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

I am in need of this groups experience. I am going to post some pictures of the front windshield assembly. I am trying to repair the window channel slides. I was going to try and replace them but I can't find new channel material that will work so I am just going to replace the fiber flocking stuff that rides in a special groove in the existing plastic insert. To do this I need to remove the front windshield corner posts. It looks like it is two seperate pieces but I can't figure out how to get them off the boat.


If anyone can provide guidance I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Watermann]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Just to clarify since the pics don't show much perspective. The windshield your talking about is the lower one in the cabin that has the side slider windows. You want to take off the channels as to remove the glass panes so you can replace the sliding window furry felt strips? I just went out and looked at mine, there are rivets inside and out and the channels on mine are like a clam shell on the inside and outside of the cabin. Mine come apart by drilling out the rivets. You may be able to just drill the outer rivets and then remove just the outside half of the channel to pull out the glass. They could be different due to the size of the boats so I'm not 100% sure.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Some corner pieces at the windshield slide down on the other, so to pull them apart they must be free top or bottom. So you'd need to remove both halves to pull 1 from the other. No idea if SC built them that way, but 2 of my donor windshields were that way at the corners................

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Sorry for the confusion. It is the lower windshield and I already have all the glass out. I am trying to remove the posts. I agree it is some sort of clamshell. I have removed all the rivits and screws on the starboard side but it won't budge. It doesn't appear to be bolted at the top or the bottom. I'm hoping someone someone has actually removed this part of the boat and can weigh in.

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Some corner pieces at the windshield slide down on the other, so to pull them apart they must be free top or bottom. So you'd need to remove both halves to pull 1 from the other. No idea if SC built them that way, but 2 of my donor windshields were that way at the corners................

I think you are right, so are you saying the only way to remove the two piece side post is to remove the top of the boat???

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

I wouldn't be surprised if the posts (w/ rivets removed) are partially held in place by the weight of the hardtop & any friction generated by ANY hull twist since it was assembled.

I don't have ANY idea, but yeah, that's kind of where I was going w/ the slid together & the weight/twist comment ^^^:

TOPLESS

Give me a few, I'll need to download your pix to enlarge them much, but it's extremely likely to HAVE to be disassembled in reverse of it's construction, and the TOP would be last or nearly so. Some of the final rivets may have been punched after all the parts were together, but it likely had some installed to fix the parts during assembly. Final adjustment & moving them a little to get a 'good' fit would have probably been done before drilling for the last few rivets.

Because as we now know, SC (and most boat builders) put it together so it 'looked & fit' right, not necessarily evenly built or symmetrical. I'd bet it's going to take some work to divine how in the HECK to dismantle it & get those corner posts out.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Sorry, but the pix are too small to enlarge & see much detail, but I did notice that it looks like the lower & upper windshield frame is 'let' into the uprights, so that's a heck of a stuck joint after 40yrs. Might even have a screw holding them together THRU the joint.

Won't know until you can start getting it apart. Take some larger MB pix, and upload them full size:

Is about as large as I can view it, enlarging it makes it pretty fuzzy

Normally, I can post pix this size & don't usually have to try & enlarge them:

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Will post them tomorrow, thanks for the help.

 

[Watermann]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Looks like our windshields are a bit different, the posts on the sides of the windshield are "A pillars". My Chiefs cabin side window channels don't use the pillar as a as part of the side window channel, they have their own separate in a cut out of the cabin side.

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Thanks to JBCurt00 for his perspective yesterday, had a major breakthrough today. Once I analyzed the corner post knowing it was a two piece clam shell I figure out I could cut one small piece of the inside piece off and was able to remove the two pieces which is exactly what I needed to do. Once again this group is totally cool in terms of helping rookies get the job done. Thanks again.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Happy it went your way, glad to have helped.......

When you're way over here BEYOND the trees, it's much easier to SEE both the forest & the trees....

Mostly, having pulled more then a few windshields since joining iboats, the slide the 2 together was MUCH more obvious then it is when your looking at all those joints & seams in the aluminum framework.

Post up what fuzzy strip (supplier & part#) and how that part of this all goes together too.

 

[barato2]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Steve, we're all rookies at some level. wish i could buy a beer for everyone here who's helped me out and given constructive criticism on my crackpot ideas over the last few years!

 

[fisherman58]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Nice to see someone else using mdo, hdo on projects very good material I've been using it for years don't see it to much here more of you guys should check it out

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

MDO/HDO, awesome stuff but just a smidge on the spendy $$$ side. No doubt it adds up on a big boat too.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

If you HAVE to special order plywood for your rebuild it isn't too much more for MDO, for single sided. 2sided is MUCH MORE. If you have the choice to buy off the shelf, having to order MDO & wait for it, then it may be more expensive. Not all of us have walk up service at Menard's for reasonably priced Auraco plywood.

And except for 2 rebuilds, I've not seen anyone use plywood I wouldn't consider using in any of my projects.

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

No pics, but some progress. Reinstalled the cabin bulkheads, have cleaned up all the windows and will begin reinstalling windows.

Question on cabin lighting. I want to go LED for as much lighting as possible. The fixtures I am seeing that are built for marine use are really pricey. Does anybody have any ideas on less expensive LED lighting?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

What kind of LED's? Or where?

Accents up under the gunwale?

Actual lighting for the Cuddy/cabin?

Do you want to be able to raise & lower the amount of light? Change colors?

I found some waterproof 'rope' LED's @evil-bay that weren't too bad, even w/ the dimmer & power converter.

Jas added some to his SC & SN builds, CC254 has quite a bit of lighting & a link to his lighting thread in his build:
[h=3]1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)[/h]

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Yah, I ran a string of led's for pretty cheap on the Sea Nymph. I was going to run a string around the cabin of the Islander. Well, still am actually, just a little differently seeing there isn't a cabin now.

 

[Sc25175]

Re: 1972 Chieftain MKIV 25 footer ver 2

Actually looking for main cabin lighting. Everything else I will most likely get from a marine supplier. I have found some 12 led recessed fixtures that put out 180lumens and have 120 degree dispersion. Not sure how many I would need inside the cabin to give me good lighting. I am fairly technical but don't know anything about lighting other than how to hook it up.

Follow on question, where is everybody getting the other components like fuse blocks, distribution panels, switches, etc. used to have a decent selection at Radio Shack but it looks like they have gotten away from components to sell cell phones.