flybridge dash alterations

[Stuart Cooperrider]

I have had little success in the old BB searching for a thread I distinctly remember about replacement FB dash panels. These would be fitted covers that could be attached directly over the areas to the port and starboard of the guage panel. I have been using 3/8 plywood cut to fit but remember some solutions that weren't prone to weather damage. If I remember correctly, there was some sort of diamond plate solution along with a few others. Need the material to be in the 3/8-1/4 inch thick range, easily cut and painted if need be. Must be impervious to moisture. Help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-Stu

[Tony Meola]

Stu

Do you mean to replace the black back ground piece that sits on top of the metal plate in which the guages sit in? I will do a search later but I only remember diamond plating to replace the black insert around the guages.

You can also have the metal piece powder coated.

If you are looking for a cover that is hinged to keep the guages from getting wet, well I don't remember one but will see what I can find.

[Stuart Cooperrider]

Hi Tony.
Not the center area where the guages sit, but the lower dash on either side. The previous owner drilled so many holes in the glass for various radar, GPS fixtures, etc... that he eventually found it easier to fabricate a cover rather than fill in the holes. That's what I need to recover. If I could figure out how to post a pic I would. I'm sure I could simply cut a nice piece of starboard or similar but my memory of the post (maybe 8-10 years ago) had some very cool alternative materials.
Or maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.
Thanks
Stu

[Tony Meola]

Stu

I will hunt around the board. The other option is to have all fiber glassed in, but I have seen starboard used but you will need support depending how bad this is. You could just cout out a big square with rounded corners, then fit a piece of starboard or similar material in. You would have to route the edge of the starboard so it sits in the hole. Think of a sink and how it sits in the counter top.

I think it takes practice to get good cuts with starboard. I always wind up with not so pretty edges. In fact as I think about it, it might look pretty nice with a color contrast. Put in black starboard contrasted against the white, will cut the glare also.

Give me time I will look around over the next couple of days to see if I can come up with anything for you.

[Stuart Cooperrider]

Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm frustrated that I didn't keep better notes back when I first saw the thread. As my aging memory recalls, the material that was used was not at all what you'd expect. Not starboard, or anything engineered. But sadly that's all I got. Damn. All I remember was that it was cool.

[Tony Meola]

http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.ph ... ges#p95522

This one?

I can't get the pics to open on this one. See if this is it.
http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.ph ... nel#p13400

[Navatech]

I can't get the pics to open on this one.

The drawback of using pictures hosted on a 3rd party server... When the 3rd party server dies or when the user removes the pictures every page using those resources is impacted... The southeastmarine.com server seems to have been on a shared hosting server and the account seems defunct so the pictures that used to be there aren't showing... Even though they very well may still be on the hard disk of that server...

[Bruce]

Southeastmarine.com is my old shuttered company, I kept the domain name for email only.
The pics are available but didn't show materials but a finished build.

If all one is looking for is an overlay then many materials including plastics, carbon fiber, aluminum, brass, fiberglass or even a sealed wood veneer will work.
If it supports heavy electronics then something overlayed onto wood as Pat said in a previous link will work.

[Waytooslow]

OK--I know nothing about the 31 flybridge or any old post regarding same. But I have had similar issues on other boats and used diamond aluminum plate (tread plate) purchased from the metal supermarkets:
https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/metals/
I have also used starboard cnc cut and edges finished by boat outfitters:
http://www.boatoutfitters.com/king-star ... -size.html
Of course I have also just re-glassed the dash as well.
Hopefully one of these options will work for you.
Todd

[Tony Meola]

A little late but if anyone is interested in ss custom panel I came across these guys at a the A.C. boat show..

DMP AUTOMATION INC.

Www.dmpautomation.com

They do custom dash panels and electrical work. The panels HE had on display were pretty nice and he said the cost was reasonable . One of the panels HE had on display was larger than the ones on our bridges, and he said was about $300 TO MAKE.