Nirvana 1941 Chris Craft

[Bob Vic]

A few updates everyone. The instruments took a month (Aust Post and USPS) but have landed with Kocian Instruments. The assessment is a mixed bag. The tacho is seized and has a lot to be done to get it working and looking good again. The oil and amp gauges are in good conditioned and will take less to bring them back to looking beautiful. They are booked to be done May/June. I've been in touch with fellow member Andy Griffiths (auto elec guru) and he's going to bring back my 6 volt engines bolt ons (distributor, starter and generator) down to Yarrawonga for the Griffith Cup. Thanks Andy. Finished the ceiling boards today - all docked to length & looking good. The big flat washers are there to hold everything in place and will be replaced with ss screws and cups under the heads. Undecided whether to epoxy them in place or rely on the screws, which is the way CC did it ex factory. I'll leave the stain and varnish on these until such time as the seat frames are done and in place, which is the next step.

[WoodRay]

Great work Bob. Good to see you're getting back into it. I should take a leaf from your book.

[rayza1]

You are an artist Bob, love your work!

[Bob Vic]

A bit more achieved over the past few days. It never ceases to amaze me how little there is to show sometimes for the hours and days of work. This pic shows the ceiling boards fitted, toe rail fitted both port & starboard and the seat base wedges cut but not yet fitted. The general plan is to cut and fit the cockpit framing with screws (which was how the boat was built in 1941) but once all the interior framing work is done I'll remove it all, stain & varnish the ceiling boards then reinstall all the timber frame work with screws and epoxy.

[WoodRay]

Plugging away there Bob. Quality doesn't come quickly, and you're doing a great job.

[Bob Vic]

After some months of time away from the tools, I'm back into it again. Over the past couple of days I've been working on the seats. New alloy fuel tank is underway, restored gauges are due back in a month and engine electrics are with Andy. I'm thinking that the engine & ancillary gear need to go in before the deck goes on.

[WoodRay]

Great work Bob. I'd probably set the engine up before the deck goes on as you say. Nothing worse than having to work in a tight space especially as we age.

[screwit]

Looking good Bob

[Bob Vic]

I've been back on to Nirvana for a few weeks now, following our winter trip to the Flinders Ranges and Cober Pedy. Timber work on ther seating area of the cockpit is almost done. All seat frames complete, Cypress pine floor boards cut and fitted, beech seat bases cut and fitted, beech kickboard all done too. The square holes in the two seat bases are for storage bins under the upholstery to hold car keys, wallets, sunnies etc. I'll make up the bin and then fit hinged lids. Steering column is in as a trial fit to check kickboard height and clearance. Steering rod and gearshift rod (both 1/2" gal water pipe!) run under the seats, but I can feed them up through the exhaust hole later on, saving the grief of having to lay them into the bottom of the boat under the seats, before I glue and screw everything into place.

[WoodRay]

That's all a bit exciting Bob. Looking the goods with that work. Keep it up.