plastic board construction - recommendations???

[jones01m]

I will be constructing a new dash with recessed gages and have come down to a couple of options:

1) Make a mold and build a fiberglass layup
2) treat it as a woodworking project except use a plastic/composite boards

with my woodworking tools I am certian that I can do the option #2 and have this come out looking great. Can someone recommend some lightweight plastic that can be processed in the same manner as wood? What are some examples you have with using such material?

A picture of the dash I would like to construct is below. I appreciate your help.

 

[zopperman]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

You could use those PVC trim boards from lowes, but resin will not adhere to PVC, so you cannot do any glass work...
ALso, they are relatively expensive, but I'm sure you could do the dash in one board.

Or cardboard with serveral layers of glass.. Here's the thread that inspired my dash: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=495963

I'm maing mine out of 1/2" ACX and coating it in 2 layers of bondo mat

 

[jones01m]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

zopperman, thanks for the feedback. I like the dash that inspired you and the link you provided.

On the picture of the Century the panel comes to a line where two intersecting angles come together. The gages are recessed directly at this intersection. At the gage location there is a nice round over that could easily be formed with a 1/4 round on a router. The intersecting angles could also be formed fairly readily with a tablesaw. I am confident I can make this out of wood and have it look very nice, however, I would want to completely seal it off and paint it or gel coat it. I am concerned about wrapping glass into the gage recess and have it come out correctly around the sharp transtion - so there goes making it with wood and resin an glass coat.

The ideal would be to make out of a paintable or gelcoatable (probably not a word??) plastic, and just use the same cutting processes a would as working with a wood project.

Again, I really appreciate the suggestions.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

If she were mine, I'd make it out of 1/4 " MDO plywood. That's the stuff they make Hiway signs out of. Resin coated on both sides and will last for 50 yrs. Paints like a DREAM and can be Gelcoated!!!! You can buy it at most Quality Lumber Yard. NOT Lowe's or HD. Or, I'd use the Fanciest Grained piece of 1/4" Oak plywood I could find, stain it and coat if with 6-7 coats of Epiphanes Marine varnish. It would look AWESOME!!!! But I LOVE WOOD!!!!!

 

[zopperman]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

Wood is the man to listen to^^^.

Another option, like I said before is PVC. ezmobee made his dash (similar to yours) out of PVC trim board and I think it looks great: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=338633

 

[fngboater]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

how about any of those plastic cutting boards?you can get some pretty big ones from restaurant supply stores theyre about a 1/2" thick. i do construction and was able to come accross some of those big toilet partitions which are about an inch thick plastic.(basically same material as the cutting boards) the panels are about 5'x6'. you can cut them and shape them just like wood. kind of heavy though. but it will never rot although i dont know what would bond to it.

 

[kilowatts]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

Hi Guys:

I used 1/4 inch black "Starboard" brand material for my new gauge panel with very good results. UV safe and can be worked like wood. Completely inert but you can't adhere anything to it, only attach with screws or bolts. My local store cut out the gauge holes with their CNC cutter to my specs!

kilowatts

 

[ondarvr]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

.Go down to your local plastics supply store and you will be amazed at the options when it comes to Plexiglas panels.

 

[jones01m]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

Awesome! Thanks for all the responses

Woodonglass - thanks for the tips on the wood ply. If I can resin coat this MDO without adding glass it is sounding pretty attractive. My worry was cracking, however, I trust more in others experience and... from what I have read... you da man!!! This option is now at the top of my list.

zopperman - thanks for the link. I will likely go to lowes at lunch and check this out. Looks like that stuff is paintable too.

fngboater - I was thinking about something similar. I was concerned about paint adherence. I can definately see the residual router marks on that in the public restrooms... looks like it would cut well.

kilowatts - thanks for the comments on the "starboard" brand stuff. This material was high on my list so the comment about nothing sticking to it was critical.

ondarvr - I didn't know there was such a thing as a plastics supply shop. I am definately looking into this. There is something about "plastics"... reminds me of a scene out of the Graduate. Are there any online sites I might be able to check out also that you might recommend?

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

If you want one more opinion here, I really like Woody's idea on the MDO....this seems like a really good place for.

Now your idea of making a fiberglass dash...well I love that idea, but you're in for a lot of work there. If you already had a mold, fine, but you don't and the bulk of the work it making the plug to make the mold off of. For a simple dash like the one in the picture, it wouldn't be too involved, but I don't think I'd go the glass route.

CW another $.02

 

[jones01m]

Re: plastic board construction - recommendations???

OK. I am convinced. I am going with MDO. It will be a while but I like to try outline my approach prior to actually getting to the task. As you can see from the photo below a have a ways to go.

Attached is a link to the restoration project. I have made some progress since the last update. we'll see where I get this weekend.

I appreciate all the good suggestions.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=494546