Neeley's Barrelback - Sacramento

[Jimbob]

The weekend progress:
Mounted the flanges for my vent openings. I decided to mount then from underneath so they don't show when looking into them under the vent scoops. Pickey, pickey, pickey.
I also laid out my windshield brackets and determined the spacing for the other deck hardware. Lots of figuring out where the windshield brackets should be. Made the windshield glass patterns, but am not sure if I will go higher than the brackets. I will put the front seats back in next weekend and see how the windshield glass would end up from the driver's perspective.
Pictures below of the boat windshield I am copying, my windshield patterns, and the deck hardware layout.
Jim

[Jimbob]

Back to the drawing board on the windshield patterns. David at Classic Boat Connection sent a picture that shows what the windshield should look like. Looks like a higher arch from the tops of the center and outer brackets than I did. Looks like about a 3" arch to me. I will make them over this weekend. Plenty of left over plywood for me to practice with.
Jim

[TomB]

Jim,

I wonder if the glass has been replaced. Here is an example of a 1942 Chris Craft 19' barrel back.

It needs some love but shows glass that is much closer to what you had patterned.

Tom

[Bob Perkins]

You may want to wait until your seats are in place and make sure it will direct the wind over your eyes (and hat if possible)

[Jimbob]

Thanks for your input guys!

Tom, my brackets don't seem to be as high as the ones in the picture you provided. I'm trying to replicate a 39-40 Barrelback. I got some brackets that are supposed to be accurate for that year. In that year, they also used Bugatti fold down windshields (picture below). A replica of those are about $7,800 without the glass! so I went the cheaper route. As you pointed out, the glass might have been replaced with something different. In talking to Al Schinnerer at California Classic Boats, he has seen restorations that are not completely accurate as to what was used in the day. So, from that, I have some leeway and intend to use it.

Bob, this weekend I will take your advise and put my seats back into the boat and see how things are situated. I am now thinking that I will end up with an arch that is somewhere between the two designs. I could use my big pedestal fan as a test. (with a hat on of course)

The only reason I am doing this so early is because I want to do all of the fitting before I finish my decks, and get the brackets to the plating shop. I already have a screw hole from positioning the center bracket in the wrong place. Easy to cover up at this point, I just stuck in an extra bung!

Jim

[Jimbob]

Here's the final windshield design. I figured out from pictures of original boats that there is a 3" rise from a straight line between the top of the windshield brackets so that's what I did. I put pieces of the black gasket under the patterns to check alignment with the deck. I like this design much better that what I came up with earlier.
Jim

[steveh41]

Jim,

The new windshield contour looks great... seems very correct for a vintage boat. Do you already have frames?

Steve

[Jimbob]

Thanks!
The frames are there, they are bronze and still need to be plated. If you enlarge the picture you can see them.
Jim

[hoodman]

Right on, Jim, looking good!

[Jimbob]

Thanks Matt!
You comment "right on" reminds me of that old Barry White song Never Gonna Give You Up where he sings "keep on doin' it, right on"
So now I have a song stuck in my head for when I'm workin' on the boat.
JIm

[Bill Edmundson]

"Right On" Jim

Bill

[Jimbob]

Today's Progress.
Today was spent fitting the hatch hinges and related trim. Hardware and hatch items were all positioned and screwed into place. All items have now been removed in preparation of stain and varnish. It will be a breeze to install all of the items after the final finish.
Jim

[Bob Perkins]

Great work!

This was my favorite build week - my company had shutdown.. best Christmas present ever.. A week of building.
home stretch!

[steveh41]

Looks great Jim!

Steve

[Jimbob]

Thanks everybody!
Jim