Parts, Supplies, and Accessories
Fall Layup
News Letters
Woodies Restorations Newsletter
November 2009
Chris Craft
Building Memories
Family Boat Building Experience
2-1/2 days of supervised, structured, boat building with your family
As Featured in Wood Workers Journal Magazine!
Next Event - January 15,16,17
GEE WIZ - no newsletter since May?!?!?! what is going on?!?!?! Well we have expanded, moved, continued to work on classic boats, had another Family Boat Building weekend and, and, and........ More about that later in the newsletter.
So here we are a week away from Thanksgiving, turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, parades, football, and fires in the fireplace. Hopefully your fall layup is complete... but if you are like most of us the boat is safely tucked away in the unheated but warm garage and maybe you didn't even have to winterize to protect your engine from freezing.
So in this issue we are going to teach you how and why to properly lay up the engine of your Antique and Classic boat.
As Usual, along the way we are going to sprinkle in some announcements about some exciting changes here at Woodies Restorations. Changes that are being made to serve you better!
Layup of your Engine
The steps to a full layup
- Change engine oil
- Fog engine with oil
- Drain water
- Remove and store battery
- Plug Exhaust pipes
- Drain fuel system? or fill?
- Cover Flame Arrestor
- Cover / plug fuel tank vent
- Cover with paint any blemishes in the engine paint
- Leave reverse gear in neutral position during storage
When (and when not) and why (and why not) follow the procedure
When not?
There may be a few cases in which you won't need to lay your engine up for the winter:
- Maybe you don't have a winter - maybe you live in the south where you can use your boat year round
- Maybe you live in Kentucky and are just a little crazy and want to boat on the one or two warm and sunny days that occur each month throughout the winter - even though the water temperature is in the high 30 degree range! Yes, my son and I water skied each and every month one year! The coldest water was 37-1/2 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you can store indoors and have some assurance that even in a power failure the engine will stay warm AND you intend to use it throughout the winter months.
When then?
- For EVERY other situation we suggest you follow the lay up procedure - Including any time you intend to leave the boat layed up for an extended period of time - more than 3 months summer or winter!
How to
- Change oil
Run the engine with cooling water attached either through a plunger looking unit called Fake-a-lake.
- Warm the engine (and engine oil) to operating temperature.
- Then remove the oil with a oil pump that sucks the oil through the dipstick tube.
- Also on Paragon Manual Reverse Gears! Remove the top plate and suck the oil out of the transmission - the transmission runs in engine oil!
- Change the oil filter (if so equipped)
- The changing of the oil will eliminate the danger of acids forming in the oil which might do damage to the bearings during storage.
- Fog Engine
- While running the engine at approximately 1000 RPM and with the carburetor flame arrestor off, either use the fancy expensive fogging oil that comes in an aerosol can or pour into the carburetor throat, not more than 4 oz. (1/2 cup) of clean heavy engine oil.
- Feed the oil through the carburetor in such a manner that the engine does not stall.
- Turn off the ignition right away after the all the oil has been poured in to retain lubrication.
- The oil will be distributed through the combustion chamber and passageways, providing a protective coating on internal engine parts!
Reminder! Woodies Restorations Has the boating supplies you need for your Captain and First Mates Very Merry Christmas!
Why Call Woodies Restorations for ALL of your Boating Needs?
- Price:
- We ARE the lowest cost stainless fastener supplier for your fastening needs! Fasteners ISO certified!
- We ARE the lowest cost 3M 5200 supplier
- We also deal directly with many of the manufactures of supplies and accessories saving you money!
- And remember, because of our Kentucky sales tax laws, if we ship out of state we collect no sales tax with no funny business! Depending on the size of your order we can often times save you money on shipping costs as well!
- Selection:
- Six Wholesale Marine Distributors supplying us with Parts, Supplies and Accessories
- Each Supplier has access to something in the order of 50,000 to 60,000 different marine items!
- We also stock approximately 2000 board feet of African Mahogany, Philippine Mahogany, White Oak and Marine Plywoods
- We also stock a line of indispensable tools for the do-it-yourselfers!
- We have Engine parts, safety related items, waterskis, wakeboards, refinishing supplies, marine cook stoves, soup, nuts, Whiskey, bongo drums and nails! - you name it we can get it! - if we don't have it or can't get it ... you don't need it!
- Serivce:
- We have price shopped for you and have over 1000 of the 60,000 marine items on our online store at competitive prices and are adding more items every day! Now you can shop in your PJs!
- We ship daily - even to the Caribbean - no problem mon!
- We will find the "impossible to find" items for you!
- We solve your problems!
This activity was featured in Wood Workers Journal and we have had inquiries from all over the nation!
Our Next session is quickly filling up! Don't be too late to sign up! Consider it a Christmas Present for many of your family! Talk it over this Thanksgiving at the dinner table!
Click here to be contacted for this event!
270-866-BOAT (2628) [email protected]
Our People
- Drain water
If you have Fresh Water Cooling - that is - a water and antifreeze mixture being circulated through the block - you will not want to drain the block! These cooling systems are typically on engines that have run or will run in salt water or brackish water. If you have fresh water cooling you will have a heat exchanger that will need attention as it will have raw water (fresh or salt water that comes from the body of water you are boating in) that could freeze in the heat exchanger and ruin it. The tank on top of the engine in the picture below is the heat exchanger and expansion tank of a fresh water cooling system. If you aren't sure which type of system you have call us 1-866-921-BOAT (2628) and we will help you figure it out.
Most boats have a raw water cooling system where water is pulled from the body of water you are boating in. If this is the type of cooling system you have a choice of whether or not you drain the water based on the temperature of where you store your boat. No matter where you store your boat you may be able to forgo the water draining step...... but you will want to change oil and fog your engine.
Drain water how to!
- Drain all water. Sometimes the drains will be clogged and it will be necessary to probe with a piece of wire to dislodge the sediment. Leave plugs out during storage
- You may want to consider painting the drain plugs after you take them out so they are easier to find in future years. Chris Craft painted the drain plugs red in later years to help owners and service people find the plugs easier.
- Engines used in salt water should have all passageways thoroughly flushed with fresh water and if necessary, clean out any deposit or corrosion which might restrict the water flow. A Woodies note here.... flushing the engine is kinda like closing the barn door after the horses are out! Salt water can corrode the threads of the head bolts and the threads they engage within the block. If you have raw water cooling and run your boat in salt water contact us and we can help you through the process of installing a fresh water cooling system on your engine.
- Each brand and model of V8 engine will have some variation. But if you understand the principles of the procedure it can be used for V8s and 6 cylinder engines.
- OK now we are ready to drain!
- Remove the plug on each side of the block (on V8s) - these are located just above the oil pan, midway between front and rear engine supports.
- Remove the plug at the bottom of the water pump - Operate the starter (with the coil wire removed) to drain each compartment formed by the rubber impeller.
- Remove the plug in the bottom of each exhaust adapter - located at the aft (or lowest end) of each exhaust manifold
- Disconnect water lines at the water pump outlet
- Drain water from the line or lines running from the thru-hull water intake to the pump inlet. In some installations this line becomes a natural water trap.
- Remove the plug at the bottom of the transmission oil cooler (hydraulic reverse gears only)
Was that getting boring or what?!?!?!
But wait!
Don't touch that dial!
There is more about Layup later in our newsletter!
Hey Paul-
I wanted to tell you how much fun(and work) it was to build that boat. My three boys and I haven’t had a chance to spend time together like this in a long time. Every night when we got back to the hotel, we would talk about the day and then do all kinds of reminiscing about crazy things that we experienced growing up. It was a riot.I would like to thank you and Brad for your generous efforts to make our boat a success. Whenever we needed a tool or help you guys were there.John
Paul,
Jimmy was proud as he showed off the boat to the folks that stopped in
their tracks to check out the cool boat and kid. The boat was really
stable even when I got in it with him.
As I told you before I think the best part about it is not necessarily the experience on the water but the building it together experience that has something physical "the beautiful boat" as a forever reminder of an investment in time that was made with him..
Jim
Layup of your Engine (Continued)
In lieu of draining
- Now here is another method... it is not the Chris Craft approved method .. but a method I have used for many years and I know others have to is:
- Mix up one gallon of Environmentally friendly antifreeze and one gallon of water (this gives you a 50/50 mix which depending on the antifreeze used gives you a Zero or minus side of Zero protection solution. You can also use a premixed antifreeze and just don't add any water to it.
- Put the mixture in a bucket and put the water intake hose in the bucket. Start the engine and rut it until the bucket is almost empty.
- REPEAT the process until green (or whatever color the antifreeze is ) liquid is coming out of the exhaust.
- Mix one last batch of the magic elixir and fog your engine while the mixture is being pumped into the engine.
The DOWNSIDE of this procedure is that it takes about 3-1/2 hands to get this all coordinated!
The UPSIDE is that your engine is now filled with a corrosion inhibiting mixture.
For maximum protection... now drain the engine!
The Battery
- The battery should be removed and stored. Make sure that it is kept nearly charged to prevent deterioration
- Batteries in storage or idle for months at a time should be kept under trickle charge or should be fully charged once per month. At Woodies we prefer to charge once per month. A battery that is stored discharged or partially discharged for a long period of time will have internal chemical damage due to standing in that discharged condition.
Exhaust Pipe
- Plug the Exhaust pipe(s) to prevent moisture from entering the valve chambers during storage.
Fuel System
- Chris Craft says to drain the fuel system completely. " The fuel filter / sediment bowl should be emptied and cleaned. The carburetor should be removed and drained, and the Fuel in the tank should be emptied by siphoning or pumping." That was conventional wisdom... We have read several articles disputing this conventional wisdom!
- We here at Woodies think that doing this subjects the owner to unnecessary risk of injury due to fire and explosion during the process.
- We believe the fuel tank should be nearly full to prevent having a great deal of space in the tank for moisture to enter with the air that equalizes the pressures on the inside and outside of the tank as the barometric pressure changes daily around us. We have used this method for the last 10 years in our own boats and have not yet had to even rebuild the carburetor on our 1960 Capri. We say nearly full so there is room for expansion of the fuel in the tank.
- The flame arrestor should be covered to minimize the amount of air and moisture entering the engine through the carburetor.
- The fuel tank vent fitting should also be covered according to Chris Craft. We use a hull plug like is put in t he bottom of a bass boat. They are available from any K Mart or Wal Mart in the sporting goods section. They are adjustable. You tighten the rubber stopper until it is snug in the vent opening and then snap the lever over center to finish plugging the opening.
Engine Externals
- Now is the time to look for rusty spots on the engine and wire brush these off and repaint the spots with Chris Craft Blue paint.
Reverse Gear
- Leave your reverse gear in Neutral!
Call Greg Tucker
Greg is a problem solver! He has been working to solve customers problems through helping the customer select the right product or tools to solve their problems.
He is THE BEST at finding hard to find items.. and finding them at the LEAST COST! We are very lucky to have Greg on our team. CALL HIM Put him to work on YOUR team! You won't be disappointed!
Robert Ruddy
Robert comes to us with right at 30 years of woodworking experience most recently as a Master Woodworker. Robert hails from California and is now living in Kentucky while he rebuilds his 1968, 41 foot Chris Craft Constellation that was damaged in a Flood. Robert has replaced the decks, and nearly all the ribs, stakes and planking on one side of it. Let Robert help you solve your woodworking problems too!
Greg Tucker
Greg comes to us with 26 years of management in the hardware business. He has been working to solve customers problems through helping the customer Select the right product or tools to solve their problems. He is also very good at finding hard to find items.. and finding them at the least cost! We are very lucky to have Greg on our team. Put him to work on Your team too! You won't be disappointed!
Greg also has developed an Internet based maintenance form for e-mail reporting and confirmation of maintenance from any part of the world. We currently have two boats monitored using the service in Belize Central America and Vallejo California. Ask us about that service for your boat!
Taylor Cundiff
Taylor came to us 24 years ago and has had to put up with his anal retentive Dad (me) for that many years.
Taylor has been a wooden boater all his life and now owns Hull #1 of the series of two hundred fifty 16 foot 1962 Ski Boats.
Taylor is a Tech School trained collision repair specialist and as such does one heck of a job on fairing out boats and paint and varnish work. Most recently Taylor graduated from Army training school at Fort Eustis Virginia (down the street from the Mariners Museum Chris Craft Archives) and is a trained professional Blackhawk helicopter mechanic for a branch of our Nations Finest - the US Army! He now serves in the Army National Guard and is also one heck of an engine mechanic. He also operates any of the woodworking tools in the shop with safety, skill and speed. Taylor has excellent troubleshooting skills.. let him solve your engine performance problems
Andrew O'Brien
Andy came to us as a customer that wanted to do some of his own work. We found Andy could operate many of the woodworking tools in the shop and has a great love for wooden boats. He has been a wooden boater since his Uncle threw him the keys and told him to drive his new 28 foot Chris Craft Cruiser from Panama City, FL to Mobile Bay. Andy had a 1957 Chevy and has done about everything to a 283 V8 engine imaginable so Andy and I and Taylor are our engine specialists. Andy is also doing the Web updates for many of our projects giving us a "depth" of two people handling this critical communications work. Andy comes to us with both a military electrical background (Shipyard electrician on Nuclear Submarines) and a customer service and Marketing background from a firm that services the home improvement industry. Let Andy solve your boat wiring problem or provide you with options to solve the "Peskiest" of improvement projects you wish to accomplish!
Oh yeah.... and me
I started wooden boating when I purchased a 1962 28 foot Chris Craft Constellation about 24 years ago. I had been doing woodwork since I was in high school 38 years ago. In fact a few of the tools we still use today were purchased way back then! I had been working on cars and engines all through my high school and college years. So working on a wooden boat was really no problem. In fact, I derive as much pleasure working on the boats as playing with them! Over the years other wooden boaters had asked me to make this or fix that or restore this and soon I was in the business part time. About 5 years ago this business became my second full time job and now that I have quit corporate America I enjoy this job every day! I didn't quit corporate America until after I had worked for nearly 30 years as an engineer nor before I got to learn and apply World Class Manufacturing principles. We use those very same principles to reduce wasted steps, materials, time and of course customers money! We feel that is what sets us apart from any other restorer a customer could choose from.
Ben Andrew
Ben works with us 5 hours per day as part of his high school curriculum. Ben takes care of our yard, building and tool maintenance, runs errands, and helps us with odd jobs and shop cleanliness and organization. Ben sharpens our chisels and plane irons to razor sharp edges. Ben's work is very important as it keeps the highly skilled workers working quickly and efficiently on the highly skilled jobs. If you are a do-it-yourselfers, let Ben sharpen your tools for you! Ship us your tools and get a one week turnaround on the sharpest plane irons and chisels you can imagine!
Brad Christensen
Brad is a college professor in the Industrial Technology/Engineering Technology field. He began teaching family boat building classes in the early 1990s as a high school teacher in Iowa. Over the years, Brad has conducted boat building experiences for children at summer camps, Boy Scout groups, churches, city recreation programs, and eventually at Woodies Restorations. He has designed several boats including a very simple 16 ft kayak that can be built from 2 4x8 sheets of plywood, a pedal powered battleship with operating turrets that squirt water, and the "Memory" electric classic speedboat for Woodies Restorations. Brad is not a regular employee of Woodies, but is involved with the Family Boat Building weekends.
Our New Facility!
We have put together a team with diverse skills.. .but also people whose skills overlap with other team members skill sets to maximize the effectiveness for our customers. In other words... everyone can do everything well...but each person does at least one thing EXTREMELY well. Give us a call, come visit or talk with some of our other customers and see if you agree!
| ||||||
V. D. Tucker
We surprised V.D. with a photo... can you tell?
V. D. was the premier homebuilder in the Jamestown and Russell Springs area for over 30 years.
We bring V. D. in for special projects like run out tables for our table and band saws, portable work benches, walls, bathroom and kitchenette remodeling, and so forth.
Today he is in the shop on another special project for one of our great vendors.... building a bookshelf.
So, even if you have what you might consider odd jobs, we can help you get them done too!
Coming Soon! 3 Dimensional Scanning!
I know it looks like something out of Star Trek but it is not. We have a 3D scanner that if we are as good as we think we are we will have the capability of scanning virtually any part and producing an electronic file that can be used to produce a wooden part in a CNC router or any metal part in a CNC machining center. Call us or just stay tuned for more announcements concerning this service!
Buckwheat - our mascot and security guard
He thinks he is 5'=3" tall and bullet proof....... as do most Chihuahuas. Instead of ankle biter he is an ankle licker.
Save 10% Off on your first order!
Just type in the promotional code Woodies24 when prompted when ordering online!
Call if you don't see what you want online and you will STILL get 10% off!
Boat Sales
We now have a showroom for the display of your boat! We offer a service where for $100 we list your boat on our website until it sells, or until you take if off the market. For and additional $60/ month we will store it in our showroom. When a prospective buyer wants to test it we will (with the owners approval) take it to the lake and demonstrate it at our regular hourly rate!
The featured utility is a 1956 Chris Craft Continental. It is currently in the Nashville, TN area and coming to our showroom soon. The owner indicates it is a project boat with need for a new bottom or at least repairs to the bottom. All of the hardware is with the boat and the trailer is roadworthy.
Check out our Boats For Sale page and see if there is one in there for you!
28 foot Owens Cruiser
Onwer says it has to go! For the price of the trailer! $4000.00
For your convenience we have a new easy to remember TOLL FREE phone number!
1-866-921-BOAT (2628)
Ask us how you can earn discounts on your Family Boatbuilding Experience!
Problems removing your email address? Try this link >
