working on my dash ... what do you think??

[bsteckel]

i am getting ready to redo my console with new gauges, controls, etc ... i was initially going to use starboard to make new panels, but i thought i would use something thinner ... like sheet aluminum or stainless.

not sure if you can buy aluminum already anodized ? or will i have to epoxy prime and paint? would raw or just polished aluminum not stand up to the weather?

how about diamond plate?????

what about stainless ? would the glare be too much? it would match the grab rail on the console nicely.

what gauge or thickness should i use? many old holes will be covered up and also making a whole new panel for gauges, so it has to be thick enough not to bounce around.

lets hear some opinions ..

thanks

any ideas?

[RWilson2526]

I wouldnt do diamond plate. I saw a boat online once with it and I thought it looked too home made.

I think the ss will always look spotty with water spots .

I know .060 thick aluminum is readily available anodized but not sure about thicker. If I were doing it I would want to go thicker to .080 (14 ga) or heavier although 060 would probably be just fine....thats just me.

[reelapeelin]

I've seen some nice dashboards of clear plexi painted black on the backside...really looks good when done right...I would not use metal...unless you use the highest grade stainless, it could still rust...1/4" aluminum and then powder-coat would work...

[bsteckel]

thanks for the replies ..

rwilson .. i agree .. thought the diamond plate may be too "redneck", not that there is anything wrong with that
alum would work .. especially if i could find anodized ..

really dont want the work of priming and painting, or cost of powdercoating.

reelapeelin .. like the clear, painted plexi idea .. easy to work with, and paint the backside. would worry about cracking it when attaching it to the console, though..

what thickness of plex would help me avoid cracking?

[tsubaki]

Try the Lexan over the Plexiglass and don't go with the metallic stuff.
We had an issue with a bass boat and a tach seeking a ground, that caused a rewire job. To make the story short, when the motor was connected and not the boat power (lights, electronics, etc) it would back feed thru the steering cable and melt the wires.

[bradford]

I used a piece of scrap plywood that I sanded and stained and put about 10-12 coats of varnish on. It was cheap, easy to work with, and looks nice.

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by bsteckel

thanks for the replies ..

reelapeelin .. like the clear, painted plexi idea .. easy to work with, and paint the backside. would worry about cracking it when attaching it to the console, though..

what thickness of plex would help me avoid cracking?

I'd go w/ 1/4" for this and just be careful when tightening down screws...no need to gorilla-torque 'em....

Glad to see Stuarbc showed up w/his beauty and contact info... that's REELY nice work...now if we could just talk him into some pan-head screws...

[stuarbc]

ha.....actually....those were just the screws that were already in the dash....i have replaced them with good screws and some galvanized washers with rubber gaskets....and I have filled in the open spot with a battery gauge....I just haven't taken any new pictures in a while...need to though....i will take some pictures this weekend and post them for you guys to take a look at

[stuarbc]

I've seen some nice ones made out of starboard...i decided to have mine made....found a guy over on classicmako.com that can make them to your design with a cnc machine....i designed it and sent the drawings and he built it exactly like I wanted.....even countersunk the switch locations and cut me gaskets for them...I will include a picture below....

If you want to use starboard....i found a store on ebay where this guy sells smaller pieces that may fit what you need....and it is pretty cheap and his shipping is free.... http://search.stores.ebay.com/dog-ra...saselZ12824986

[bsteckel]

very nice.