TOPIC: Working on frames on a Chris Craft

Any woody restorers out there?
I am helping a buddy get his 1957 Chris Craft back in the water.
Though it is structurally in very good shape, there is a little separation (~1/4"), on the top deck, where the deck meets the covering board. This is happening @ the front of the cockpit, where the dashboard connects to the starboard side.

My intent is to wrap a ratchet strap around the hull at this point, and pull the sides back to their original width. I plan to sister the joints where the deck frames attach to the side frames, to hold this shape and dimension.
My question though, is in regards to adhiesive.
I am inclined to want to epoxy the "sister brackets" to the frames, but being that the boat is still all natural, (nothing has been fortified with glass or plywood), I might cause more problems, creating a rigid joint, in an otherwise flexible boat.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
Mike

i suggest you post this inquiry at www.chris-craft.org in their discussion forum or with Don Dannenberg's website forum.

Andreas

Do some checking of the frames in that area. Cracked or broken frames may be larger problems that are showing up at the deck. It may also be that the decks have just shrunk that much and pulling the hull back to meet them will put more stress on the frames. Post some quick pictures and maybe the problem will be more clear.

There is no quick fix to restoring a woodie. If it pulled apart topside that is an indication of more trouble below. Woodies are a different breed and if the frames are bad, split, rotten, it would be easy to loose a board or two while underway. I also would suggest the Dannenberg site and also the ChrisCraft site. Lots of good help on both. Dannenberg's books are a bible for repairing and restoring the woodies. It helped me when I restored my 63 Century Sabre. (The avatar picture)

63 Sabre wrote:

I also would suggest the Dannenberg site and also the ChrisCraft site. Lots of good help on both. Dannenberg's books are a bible for repairing and restoring the woodies.

I would echo this. You'd think that some of the folks on the Chris Craft site, designed them themselves, if you didn't know any better. LOTS of good help!

I would not use an epoxy for this. You want a strong hold with some flexibility. For this we use 3M 5200. It has AMAZING strength, but remains flexible.

dan