Cabin Trim

During the installation of the Bomon Windows in Circe's main cabin we ripped out all the factory vinyl and foam coverings from the walls and under-deck areas, and we didn't want to replace it. Originality isn't important to us plus we thought the vinyl was ugly and impractical........and don't even get us started on wood rot, rusty staples and broken zippers....but what to use as a replacement? 

While we were procrastinating and trying to decide how to finish the cabin trim we got distracted with other projects and suddenly, almost 2 years had passed.......check the post dates.......so, we decided we needed to 'git 'er done'!

We had seen several DIY interior rebuilds on other boats where rigid panels had been used quite effectively to replace soft trim and carpet liners so we decided to try our hand at making some window surround panels. We first considered teak faced plywood, stained and oiled to match the remaining original woodwork, but in the end we decided that painting the panels to match the original headliner and the new upholstery would help keep the cabin bright.

So, from MacBeath Lumber we bought two sheets of 4mm Okoume marine plywood, single side finished. To get the wood onto the boat we sliced the sheets down to manageable sized blanks, 48" x 25". We chose the thin wood so as to keep the total cabin wall thickness, including the new panels, less than the depth of the registers on the Bomon window extrusions. As it turned out, even with the thin panel material, we still had to buy longer screws to ensure full engagement when the window clamping rings were re-fitted.  

As a first step we applied Smiths penetrating epoxy (co-incidentally made right here in Richmond CA) to both sides of the panel blanks and to the cabin walls to guard against future rot problems, if we ever have another leaking window. This shot shows the penetrating epoxy going onto the inside face of the Hydrotek cabin wall liners.

Next we made some patterns for the trim panels from 60# Kraft paper and.........

.......then traced the outlines onto the plywood blanks.

We used our ancient jig saw, with a fine tooth blade, to cut the outside profile of the panels.

Cleaning up the edges with the detail sander. We also sanded what was going to become the finished front face of the panels, to knock down the grain a bit.....it tends to rise after the application of the epoxy. This shot also shows the areas that were treated with the penetrating epoxy. No point putting it on the central area that was going to be cut out!

After several fit-trim-fit-trim cycles we were happy with the way everything looked and transferred the outline of the actual window apertures onto the blank trim panels. We cut them out from the back side, to minimise chipping of the front side of the panels.

Next was three coats of Zinsser Bulls Eye heavy surfacing primer, with a light sanding (220 grit) after the first two coats to knock down the remaining wood grain. We wanted to see a little bit of the wood grain, to help give the panels some texture, but not so much that it looked rough. 

Back when we first installed the Bomon windows we had painted the upper part of the aft cabin/cockpit bulkheads to brighten up the Galley and Nav Station. We planned to do the same with the new window trim panels.

The bulkhead paint had been mixed to match a swatch of the headliner naugahyde. We had plenty of paint left over so it was the obvious choice for the new window surround panels.

First colour coat being applied.

When we came to applying the final colour coat there was a 20kt wind howling through the marina so we we moved things inside to minimise dust and crud getting onto the fresh paint. 

After the penetrating epoxy was dry we were able to start fitting the trim panels. We removed each window and put new seals on them before re-installing them over the trim panels. Here is the finished forward panel on the stbd side.

The centre panel and...........

.........finally, the aft panel. 

This shot shows the teak trim we fitted over the headliner retaining strip. The blue tape shows the position of the screws holding the retainer, so we  wouldn't hit them with the trim fasteners

Here we are re-installing the window shades. We taped them in place before final fastening while trying to get the best pleat alignment between the shades on the three windows, difficult with compound curves on the cabin walls. 








Here are all three shades installed on the starboard side, not perfectly aligned but pretty close.

Because we had built a separate panel for each window we were left with a small gap where the panels butted together.

We considered using teak trim strips to cover the panel joints but then decided teak would draw the eye too much so we went with trim strips painted to match the panels. Here we are securing the trim with #18 x 5/8" brass brads.  We deep punched them and.........

.......used a little putty and paint to camouflage them. Here is the putty going on.

And here is the final result....not to shabby a job for a couple of superannuated Matelots using hand tools and a Workmate on a windy dock! Next up will be similar treatment for trimming the areas under the side decks. Stay tuned.








UPDATE 2013-09-21
The last project in the cabin reconstruction was to re-install the original vinyl trim welting to blend the new window surround panels we had just built with the original headliner. During the tear down for the Bomon Window  installation we pulled the welting loose and left it hanging 'as was' until we knew exactly how we were going to finish things. Checking the Blog post dates that was two years ago.......amazing how time flies when you're re-habbing an old boat!

This shot was Christmas 2011 and shows the trim welting in the two forward corners of the cabin beginning its two year 'holding pattern'....literally and metaphorically. Fits right in with the decorations....No?

This one shows the aft welting during the June 2012 helm rehab project.....still hanging!

Here is a more recent one, after the window surrounds were finished......still hanging! 










OK, after the heartburn of stripping out the 'naugahyde nightmare' we did say NO MORE STAPLES....but realistically there was no other option for re-installing the old welting. It is designed specifically to be stapled. In truth it's an effective way to mask joins and transitions in soft trim but we just have a 'thing'  about staples.

Here is the welting 'open' to allow stapling over the raw edge of the joint to be covered and.......

......here it is closed, to hide the staples and cover things up at the seam or joint.












So, if we absolutely had to use staples then we needed to get some stainless ones. First discovery, stainless staples, in the generic 1/2" crown 22 gauge type found at Home Depot don't work well. We got and tried some with our little Wal-Mart electric stapler but they really were too big and didn't holding the welting securely. We needed 1/4" narrow crown staples, similar to what the factory had used. Second discovery, 1/4" crown stainless staples are typically a special order item and aren't available at the usual hardware outlets. We tried numerous on-line suppliers before finally finding some 1/4" crown x 3/8" leg in 18 gauge, on line at Best Materials . 

Third discovery, industrial grade SS staples aren't cheap......$30 + $6 freight for this box of 1000, the minimum quantity available. 

Fourth discovery, these industrial narrow crown staples need to be applied with an industrial, air powered stapler.....is this project getting away from us? 










After failing to beg, borrow or steal a suitable stapler we were stalled. Should we buy a $100 tool we would almost certainly never use again after this project? We already had four times the number of staples we needed! Should we rip out the remaining welting and replace it all with teak trim? What to do? 

We finally bit the bullet and bought a Senco pneumatic stapler. We also borrowed a 150 psi compressor from our local Boat Tech/Diver and were finally ready to go!

After all the preparation and build-up, the actual re-installation of the welting was a bit of an anticlimax. All four corners of the cabin were completed quite quickly. Here we are starting on the aft starboard corner of the cabin and........ 













.........here we are about halfway across the cabin, and.......

......here's the finished result. Amazing how easy things are with the right tools!

Here is a shot of the finished aft port side and.......

.....the forward port side. The welting does a good job of blending the old with the new and the 'ol homestead' is really starting to look quite civilised!











And finally.....we knew we wouldn't use the stapler again in the foreseeable future, if ever, so we negotiated with our Diver to trade it for an equivalent value in no-charge bottom cleanings and occasional use of the stapler as needed......so, we all lived happily ever after!