Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

John the landlubber

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
146
Hi, I would like to build my own helm and steering console on my RTK Rigid Raider, but have never made anything out of fibreglass. I gather I can make it out of 1/4 inch marine ply but will this need some reinforcement as it will be carrying two adults. Will I have to reinforce the steering console with something where the wheel fits? Are there any other important things I need to consider? Many thanks, look forward to hearing from you!
 

CalicoKid

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
1,599
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

Center console? I'd use 1/2" for the helm and gauge panel as well as fiberglass both sides. You could also use double 1/4" with a layer of glass between for super strength. You could get away with 1/4" for the rest of it provided the shape of the console itself is sturdy. If it is going to be really tall it might get flexy and need more panel thickness. I think your corner joints are where the issue of strength comes in most.

Really cool boat BTW, nice work so far :)
 

John the landlubber

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
146

John the landlubber

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
146
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

Thanks guys! I'll address daddy first, looked at those consoles on link provided, cheers dude! Great value and would definitely be interested, but am in UK and the cost to ship would make it too expensive. Can't find any in the same price bracket in the UK though. Real bargain!

Thankyou also Calicokid for advice. Can you tell me a way to make it so the corners don't have corners? Also, how would you recommend fixing it to the boat. It will probably be accompanied by a double "bench style" seat to increase dry storage space.
:}
 

CalicoKid

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
1,599
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

Attaching to the floor of the boat should be easy. Probably a flange all the way around the inside or outside of the bottom of the console to screw through would work. Round corners, is that what you meant? I suppose if you are wanting to build it from wood and then glass over the whole thing then some large quarter round for the corners would work. You could make quite a complex profile if you had the tools, recessed to accept the plywood panels etc. You could also build it like a square edged box with 2"x2" inside corner braces and round the corners off with a router, belt sander or something similar and glass over that.

If you want to get away from a boxy shape and have something more rounded and smooth then you might want to research making a mold and laying up the solid fiberglass part up inside of it. You could add wood or composite members where needed (helm) as the layup proceeds.

One last idea to look into is the method speaker enclosure builders use of pulling a stretchy fabric over a form that makes up the basic critical dimensions of the enclosure. In your case the helm station, the mounting foot and some removeable temporary framework. The streched fabric forms a more organic shape than a plywood box. Resin and chopped glass is brushed over the whole thing and then a layup is built up over that. Once full thickness is achieved and cured the temporary framework can be removed as the fiberglass console would be a single standalone part. This would be tough to lay glass cloth over smoothly though.

...on 2nd thought it might be easier to buy one... :D
 

John the landlubber

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
146
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

CalicoKid said:
Attaching to the floor of the boat should be easy. Probably a flange all the way around the inside or outside of the bottom of the console to screw through would work. Round corners, is that what you meant? I suppose if you are wanting to build it from wood and then glass over the whole thing then some large quarter round for the corners would work. You could make quite a complex profile if you had the tools, recessed to accept the plywood panels etc. You could also build it like a square edged box with 2"x2" inside corner braces and round the corners off with a router, belt sander or something similar and glass over that.

If you want to get away from a boxy shape and have something more rounded and smooth then you might want to research making a mold and laying up the solid fiberglass part up inside of it. You could add wood or composite members where needed (helm) as the layup proceeds.

One last idea to look into is the method speaker enclosure builders use of pulling a stretchy fabric over a form that makes up the basic critical dimensions of the enclosure. In your case the helm station, the mounting foot and some removeable temporary framework. The streched fabric forms a more organic shape than a plywood box. Resin and chopped glass is brushed over the whole thing and then a layup is built up over that. Once full thickness is achieved and cured the temporary framework can be removed as the fiberglass console would be a single standalone part. This would be tough to lay glass cloth over smoothly though.

...on 2nd thought it might be easier to buy one... :D
 

John the landlubber

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
146
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

Thanks again Calico Kid. Today went to a boatbuilder I know (master builder of clinker style wooden boats) who has sold me a few bits and bobs to build from. I have 1x1200mmx2400mm shet of 3/4 inch marine ply and some Mahogany 2X1 inch batton for the framework. I have decided to put the framework on the inside as I am more of a butcher than a carpenter, lol. Anyway, I basically looked for a console design that I liked on the net and am using the dimensions and basic layout as my plan. Tell me, what do you think of a console finished in marine ply and painted? Would sure save me a lot of time and money. what do you think?
 

CalicoKid

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
1,599
Re: Please advise me on building a helm and s/console

I think I'd at least coat every surface with epoxy before painting. The littlest bit of water gets in the wood and it's going to delaminate, rot etc. Even the best paint will check and crack on wood.
 
Top