Console, T-top, deck and more...

[Curapa]

I have been pretty busy lately. I built a t-top for my boat a couple of years ago and it broke a little bit back. Completely my fault as I tried to tow my buddies 15' Bass Tracker with a rope tied off to the top. It was one of those "F" it moments where a bit of alcohol is involved and you can imagine how the rest of the story goes.

I was not very happy with the original design anyways, it lacked some curves and the top was a bit too big for my taste. I decided to mount the new top to the console instead of the deck to save valuable foot room in my 18 footer. Since I was removing the console I decided to tackle a few more projects like modifying my console to flush mount my electronics, adding a splash-well and fixing a soft spot in the deck.

Pics of original top and new design. The new top will be painted white like the original.

 

[Curapa]

Modifications to the console.

 

[Curapa]

I still have another coat of paint to apply to the console. I am also making an electronics box for my new radio and the VHF.

I still have a lot to do so there will be more pics to come.

 

[reelapeelin]

Wow Curapa... nice glass work there!!...and yer right about the curves in the top...definately adds to the overall look...keep the pics coming...GREAT WORK!!...wanna see the finished console!!...

 

[RidgeRunner]

Very nice. I love the flushmount idea.. And the work is great.. How did you bend that top like that?

 

[chumbucket]

Looking good there.

Reminds me a bit of the lines on my T-Top.

 

[joe7670]

Nice work. Like the console modification.

 

[Curapa]

Thanks guys.

Ridge, I bent the tubing in a very shade tree fashion. I had a top to a trellis that was left over from a job (cut the wrong size). I clamped the tubing to one end and bent it around the curve. I carefully marked each tube at the bending points and they came out identical.

I should get the last coat of paint on the console today and maybe some sanding done on the electronics box.

Pic of the trellis I built a while back as an example.

 

[RidgeRunner]

Ditto CB.

 

[RWilson2526]

Nice man...hardcore repairs and modifications you got going there. I want to build my own radar arch in the worst way...you are giving me inspiration.

 

[Curapa]

Got the last coat on the console today and the holes cut / switches installed. I went with round switches with a small blue led when on.

 

[Shrek]

I dig the heck out of that console. Nice work!

 

[Curapa]

The console is done.

I got working on the deck today. I pulled the fuel tank cover to find some pretty wet foam. Believe it or not that is what I was hoping for. The boat sits kind of far in the water and I was hoping to find some unwanted weight in the foam. I will have to further inspect the foam to see just how bad it is.

I was undecided on whether to take the whole deck up or just the part I knew was bad. I decided to pull up only the bad. Looks like I will have to take a little more out down the side. I was surprised to see only 1/2" coring, for some reason I was expecting 3/4". I am glad I did not already buy a sheet of 3/4" as I came close to doing. The top separated from the core pretty easily.

 

[vwf1971]

Awesome work you are definitely taking that console to the next level. Great looking T-top as well by the way she's got nice curves.

 

[vwf1971]

Silly Question but after you cut the floor out like that do you just re-glass in the piece and then paint the floor or do you have some other technique?

 

[Curapa]

VW, I set the saw depth to cut the top skin and plywood core leaving the bottom fiberglass skin in tact. When the core is removed I will epoxy the new core and top skin back. The top skin will get ground around the edges of the cut and fiberglass cloth will cover the joint. I have non-skid molded into my deck so the whole think will get epoxy faring to fill in the non-skid pattern. I then will paint the whole topside and roll on new non-skid.

 

[awthacker]

Very nice work. Do you need special tools to bend the aluminum tubing, or just clamp it along the wood template? I'd like to try that, as opposed to the $2,000 purchase route.

 

[Curapa]

Very nice work. Do you need special tools to bend the aluminum tubing, or just clamp it along the wood template? I'd like to try that, as opposed to the $2,000 purchase route.

It's actually EMT galvanized tubing. You can bend up to 1 1/4" by hand pretty easily, any bigger and it gets tough. I have made several things out of the EMT, the only thing is it has to be painted but only because the welds will rust. If I had a TIG welder I would have gone the aluminum route. I had about $70 in the first t-top and only about $10 in the new one because I reused most of it.

 

[reelapeelin]

Hey Man...I's just eyeballin' yer handywork on the new top...when I spotted another Wellcraft logo peekin' around back of your work trailer...whatcha hidin back there???...

 

[Curapa]

It's the same boat. She got a paint job a while back and is now "fighting lady yellow".