New instrument panel material
 

I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"

New instrument panel material
 

1/4" Starboard?

Wally wrote:

I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"




--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

New instrument panel material
 

"Wally" wrote in message
...
I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"


Hi you can use carbon fibre weave or cloth covered with clear coat epoxy.

Rey

New instrument panel material
 

I would probably go that direction too, but I'd ask a plastics supplier for
1/4 to 1/2" (probably 1/2") for extruded HDPE, exterior grade. Same as
StarBoard/MarineTuff, but cheaper. Great stuff this extruded HDPE. Works
like butter, wears like iron but doesn't rust. ;-)

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net


"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:3ReLc.1378$Fj6.1015@lakeread07...
1/4" Starboard?

Wally wrote:

I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"




--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

New instrument panel material
 

i second glenn's suggestion. Go for the starboard. I purchase 1/2 4x8
sheets for around $100. Good to work plus you get the UV protection, which
is what you need. Be sure to oversize any through fittings to avoid
cracking/stressing the stuff.

terry

New instrument panel material
 

You could have a new panel built to your design by Front Panel Express. Go
to their web site and download the free design software. You can specify
instrument holes, mounting holes, corner radius, engraving, material,
thickness, color, etc. The program will then price it for you, let you place
the order with their Seattle plant, and even tell you the shipping date.
Works great. http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

Rusty O

New instrument panel material
 

I use Front Panes Express for most all my custom panels (water maker,
fuel managenent, remote light control, etc) but not those exposed to the
elements. Their panels are anodized 6061 which will not stand up well
to salt water as well as 5000 series alloys.

Rusty O wrote:
You could have a new panel built to your design by Front Panel Express. Go
to their web site and download the free design software. You can specify
instrument holes, mounting holes, corner radius, engraving, material,
thickness, color, etc. The program will then price it for you, let you place
the order with their Seattle plant, and even tell you the shipping date.
Works great. http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

Rusty O



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

New instrument panel material
 

How about powdercoated aluminum? Most sign companies now have CNC routers and
can even put lines, words and graphics on it after the powdercoating.

New instrument panel material
 

Since I'm in curmudgeon mode tinght, and it's too frikkin' humid to do much
else (or is that WHY I'm in curmudgeon mode?) I'll speak for the thousands of
rational people out there and ask the un-PC question:

Why not build it out of a nice wood, treat it properly with some
amber-transparent processed tree sap, and spend a couple of hours each year
keeping it looking that way, instead of spending days finding the "right"
plastic goop for it, and having it look like crup in a couple of years?

Steve "curmudgeon mode off...."

New instrument panel material
 

"Stephen Baker" writes:
Since I'm in curmudgeon mode tinght, and it's too frikkin' humid to do
much
else (or is that WHY I'm in curmudgeon mode?)

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

I'll speak for the thousands of
rational people out there and ask the un-PC question:

Why not build it out of a nice wood, treat it properly with some
amber-transparent processed tree sap, and spend a couple of hours each
year
keeping it looking that way, instead of spending days finding the "right"
plastic goop for it, and having it look like crup in a couple of years?

One thing about wood, from compost it comes and to compost it shall return,
applies.

Wood makes great furniture, but on a boat...........

There is a material known as Lamicoid, used by graphic panel manufacturers
supplying the electrical industry.

Does a great job and is very cost effective.

Personally, I like black and white laminated together.

Engrave the white side, exposing the black in the grooves of the letters.

Simple to maintain since the dirt finds it's way into the grooves, which are
black anyway.

BTW, Steve, as a curmudgeon, you are a babe in the woodsG.


--
Lew

S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett for Pictures

New instrument panel material
 

Lew says:

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

Yeah, it was ;-) Incipient headache that has blossommed this morning into a
full-blown doozer. You have been warned...

Wood makes great furniture, but on a boat...........

Argh - tell that to Columbus, Drake, Raleigh, Magellan, you know the names of
the rest. ;-)

Engrave the white side, exposing the black in the grooves of the letters.

Simple to maintain since the dirt finds it's way into the grooves, which are
black anyway.

Barbarian.

BTW, Steve, as a curmudgeon, you are a babe in the woodsG.

Thanks - that's good to know. I don't want to upset too many folks just cos my
head hurts. I'm thinking of joining Nick's company right now. ;-

Steve.

New instrument panel material
 

But Steve,

if the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria had all been made of Fiberglass, they
would all be on display in a museum to this very day. ;-)

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net


"Stephen Baker" wrote in message
...
Lew says:

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

Yeah, it was ;-) Incipient headache that has blossommed this morning into
a
full-blown doozer. You have been warned...

Wood makes great furniture, but on a boat...........

Argh - tell that to Columbus, Drake, Raleigh, Magellan, you know the names
of
the rest. ;-)

Engrave the white side, exposing the black in the grooves of the letters.

Simple to maintain since the dirt finds it's way into the grooves, which
are
black anyway.

Barbarian.

BTW, Steve, as a curmudgeon, you are a babe in the woodsG.

Thanks - that's good to know. I don't want to upset too many folks just
cos my
head hurts. I'm thinking of joining Nick's company right now. ;-

Steve.

New instrument panel material
 

Wally wrote:

I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"



Consider a door kick plate in brass. You need not polish it, just
let it go "natural", or paint it.

Bonus, it's not magnetic, unless you use it as a conductor for some
of the instruments. Not advised.

Terry K

New instrument panel material
 

Karin says:

if the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria had all been made of Fiberglass, they
would all be on display in a museum to this very day. ;-)

No, they'd have been ground up to add to road tar years ago. ;-) Osmosis
woulda got 'em with the primitive gel-coats they were using then.

Steve

New instrument panel material
 

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:xWsLc.6390$Fj6.5379@lakeread07...
I use Front Panes Express for most all my custom panels (water maker,
fuel managenent, remote light control, etc) but not those exposed to the
elements. Their panels are anodized 6061 which will not stand up well
to salt water as well as 5000 series alloys.

While 6061 may not be as corrosion resistant as the 5000 series (and I'm not
sure if I agree with that), it is pretty much the standard alloy for all
extrusions used in aluminum boats (like channels, railings, pipes, etc.
etc.). Also, most sailboat masts are 6061. It's pretty good especially
when anodized.


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

New instrument panel material
 

I forgot to include Starboard in my question - I've used it for lots
of items onboard - especially the companionway slides where teak on
teak always stuck in humid weather. Now it's 1/4" acrylic sliding in
starboard grooves. I didn't want to use 1/4" anything cause I don't
want it sticking out that much. 1/8" or less is OK.

BTW, it's hard to find 1/4" starboard in So Cal in less than full
sheets. The last piece I got came from a plastics cut shop in the
Seattle area - www.clearcutplastics.com

I looked at the Instrument Panel mfg that some one else recommended -
this leaves the panels with raw alum edges as they start with anodized
panels and cut out, and don't re-anodize the panels.

I want to LP the cockpit so glassing in the holes and recutting new
holes seems a good choice.



On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 15:59:02 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
wrote:

1/4" Starboard?

Wally wrote:

I'm replacing the cockpit instruments (wind dir, speed, knot etc) in
my sailboat and of course the holes are different.
The original ones were cut right thru the cockpit combing
gelcoat/glass - so have some big holes I can't use.
The solution seems to be an overlay face panel - but what material -

- not teak - too hard to keep up,
- lexan/acrylic - starts to look bad after some years,
- electropolished stainless - but what finish - don't want a mirror
- aluminium anodized - maybe - hard to find good anod in So Cal?

Any other suggestions. It needs to be about 30" x 7"

New instrument panel material
 

You could make a sheet of fpr easily for that. Spead about a pint of
gelcoat on a release surface, as it hardens to soft cheese, put a layer or
two of CSM wetted out with polyester resin. If you want it thin, use some
light weight CSM and a couple of layers of cloth, maybe 6 oz. After it cures
you can sand the layup down a bit to get it to an even thickness if need be.
Then pop it off the release surface. Then you will have a nice gelcoated
sheet of frp to cut to size and drill out.
For the release surface you could use some plate glass if you have any
laying around or tile board . The tile board will give you a decent surface
that may be nice enought but you could compound and buff it to any degree of
gloss you want.
Excluding the release surface this would cost about 50 bucks, give or take.

--
Ron White
Boat building web address is
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

New instrument panel material
 

ps, I would rather have a removeable panel that you can remove from the
front side rather than glass it back up and drill new holes. It is a lot
easier to work on it with a panel that can be removed and laid out face
down for service.

--
Ron White
Boat building web address is
www.concentric.net/~knotreel

New instrument panel material
 

On 24 Jul 2004 16:25:21 EDT, "Ron White"
wrote:

You could make a sheet of fpr easily for that. Spead about a pint of
gelcoat on a release surface, as it hardens to soft cheese, put a layer or
two of CSM wetted out with polyester resin. If you want it thin, use some
light weight CSM and a couple of layers of cloth, maybe 6 oz. After it cures
you can sand the layup down a bit to get it to an even thickness if need be.
Then pop it off the release surface. Then you will have a nice gelcoated
sheet of frp to cut to size and drill out.
For the release surface you could use some plate glass if you have any
laying around or tile board . The tile board will give you a decent surface
that may be nice enought but you could compound and buff it to any degree of
gloss you want.
Excluding the release surface this would cost about 50 bucks, give or take.

I did something like this, but I used a waxed sheet of plate
glass...and did it in a slightly different order.

I made the frp; cut and beveled the edge...then I put on the gelcoat
to accommodate the bevel.

It took a bit more sanding on the gelcoat doing it this way, but I've
a nice radius on the edge.

New instrument panel material
 

You're right - removable is what started me on this whole process - so
I end up rethinking filling and re-drilling ...



On 24 Jul 2004 16:33:07 EDT, "Ron White"
wrote:

ps, I would rather have a removeable panel that you can remove from the
front side rather than glass it back up and drill new holes. It is a lot
easier to work on it with a panel that can be removed and laid out face
down for service.