Well...here goes. I will be building this model. This Chris raft was only offered one year(1954). I have some scant parts from a 60 year old kit. I will be making many parts from Basswood and balsa. Thanks to a couple of generous friends I have the plans and templates. The built model is a stolen picture from Tim's beautiful build of the same model in 2013. Hope you don't mind Tim. You have set the bar high. I can only hope to do as well. This one will take time. I will post updates as I go.

Just an idea of what I am doing to build the 35 Chris Craft. Plans laid out on flat board. Trace and cut out patterns on paper. trace them onto 1/8 Basswood with felt pen. Then cut those out on the Dremel scroll saw. Lots of measurements and rechecking and rechecking. Note the block under the rear deck frame. Measured from plans with calipers to match the slope exactly.

I made little block where each frame goes, then placed them all on a dry run. Even though they are cut to the Dumas plans, they needed a lot of attention. I also am in the process of reinforcing all her chines etc. This is where I left her off today.

Did not like the way the bow at the chine made such a hard turn on the 3rd frame. Fixed that.

Using 1/8 basswood on her stern. I will be using 1/8 Balsa on her hull. She looks pretty straight. Waiting for propulsion gear from MACK products in NJ. Let the glue dry and clean her up a bit tomorrow. I will remount the frame to my board then and sister some of the frames in prep for when I plank her.

These are the photos and specs from her 1954 Chris Craft catalogue

Mack propulsion gear came in...so I was able to mark her alignment. I used the center of the engine boxes in the template underneath as my guide. Both measure just under 2.5" from the keel. I have a collection of props already, so tested with a three blade (1.5") and fit perfectly.

I built the stuffing box frames and built the shaft tubes right in. I know some might wonder why. I believe I can glass her hull later with them in place without a problem. Just have to be very careful.

The peices with green tape are template I made so that when I laid the bottom sheets on I could have the shaft log through hulls cut out already.

I put on her bottom sheets and filled in with a bit of famowood. For the bow I am trying to get as close to the rise of the chine to the bow as possible. I will use some famowood to contour her fwd planing hull to fine tune it later. Next I will turn her over and add wood glue to her seams for extra strength. Then built up the stern bilge area with another layer (as Tim did) to for a stronger mount for her struts.

I laid down a coating of resin in her bilge. Also put her stb and port sides on. I had to cut some small cuts in the foredeck where it starts to angle down to the step off to the aft deck at the cabin sides. That way I could bend the deck down without snapping it. Filled the cuts with famowood and sanded. I then used 1/8 X 2" balsa to build the nest section fwd toward the bow. Today I am putting in the balsa blocks to form her bow. Starting to take shape.

Day before yesterday I installed her balsa bow blocks. Spent yesterday shaping them. They are close to the pic with the chine pronounced. I looked at photos and saw that although she has the bulbous bow, her bow line is sharp below that. Just have to go out and get a piece of balsa to shape the bow cap topside, then I will shape them together so it all looks like it grew there. Then comes fine tuning etc. photos are what we are aiming for here..

I was not super happy with the bow line yet...so... I cut out a template from the schematics and then sanded her down a bit to match the contour.

Then I bought a piece of Balsa 1/2" for the bow cap and cut and sanded it. btw..balsa has gone up 200% just in the last year. China is apparently buying it up.

I will not glue into place until I am happy with the hull and have it glassed.
Waiting for my Z resin and denatured alcohol to come in. Any day now. Then I can coat her insides.

Cut and put together her cabin sides. ...I will not try to fit them at all until the cabin frame is set up to take them. It will need all the strength and support I can give it.

That is me thinking while I work in the shipyard.