Attaching Busbar to helm

GA_Boater

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I don't think so. Reason being is glues (?) holding electrical stuff together isn't a good idea. If the adhesive gives up and the buss bar dangles and bangs something hard enough to knock off the protective cover. the possibility of shorts and fire exist.

Use some real hardware to securely attach the buss bar to the console. There must be a place that is functional, yet hidden enough so the hardware isn't visible.
 

Bayou Dave

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I don't think so. Reason being is glues (?) holding electrical stuff together isn't a good idea. If the adhesive gives up and the buss bar dangles and bangs something hard enough to knock off the protective cover. the possibility of shorts and fire exist.

Use some real hardware to securely attach the buss bar to the console. There must be a place that is functional, yet hidden enough so the hardware isn't visible.

I sort of thought the same thing but thought JB or 5200 was pretty permanent stuff. I do have one place that will be visible, but not too visible to attach it with hardware.
 

jbcurt00

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Maybe encapsulate a piece of wood in fiberglass, glass it to the inside of the console, then screw the bus bar onto the block.

No thru holes, securely fastened and as a 1 time job, you can use whatever resin (polyester waxed/unwaxed resin or epoxy) you can get locally on a smallish container and a small repair piece of glass cloth would likely be enough
 

GA_Boater

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I sort of thought the same thing but thought JB or 5200 was pretty permanent stuff. I do have one place that will be visible, but not too visible to attach it with hardware.

5200 is a sealant that just happens to stick well. It's made to be clamped between two parts needing sealed.

JB Weld is the most misused product. It's made to fill holes, not hold stuff together.

JB's idea to glass a chunk of wood to the console and use that as a base is good. As long as the console material is compatible. Some are made of plastic. I don't know about yours.
 

Bayou Dave

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5200 is a sealant that just happens to stick well. It's made to be clamped between two parts needing sealed.

JB Weld is the most misused product. It's made to fill holes, not hold stuff together.

JB's idea to glass a chunk of wood to the console and use that as a base is good. As long as the console material is compatible. Some are made of plastic. I don't know about yours.

I like JB's idea also. When I receive the busbar I will look at the helm again and figure out exactly where to place it. Then use JB's idea or use hardware if the spot is inconspicuous.
Thanks GA and JB.
 

gm280

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When I was cleaning out my hull in preparation to refurbish back to like new again, I had a couple fiber-glassed in wooden blocks they place on the side of the hull. And I can easily tell you, that would be an absolutely perfect option for you to attack to your boat for installed anything. I had to work really intensely to remove those fiber-glassed block out. And I can tell you, you will not have to worry about them falling off if installed right. JMHO!
 

Bayou Dave

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When I was cleaning out my hull in preparation to refurbish back to like new again, I had a couple fiber-glassed in wooden blocks they place on the side of the hull. And I can easily tell you, that would be an absolutely perfect option for you to attack to your boat for installed anything. I had to work really intensely to remove those fiber-glassed block out. And I can tell you, you will not have to worry about them falling off if installed right. JMHO!

That seems like the route to take. I can get a small repair kit at Wally world for 14 bucks.
 

bonz_d

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Does this helm have wood in it that the steering hardware bolts to? That would be one option. Another would be to get a piece of UHMW for a base, drill and countersink for screws and then epoxy into place. There are plenty of 2 part epoxies available that would hold it.
 

Bayou Dave

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Does this helm have wood in it that the steering hardware bolts to? That would be one option. Another would be to get a piece of UHMW for a base, drill and countersink for screws and then epoxy into place. There are plenty of 2 part epoxies available that would hold it.

I just checked the helm and there is zero wood. I will receive the busbar by Tuesday and will figure out the best place to put it and method of attaching it.

On another note, I am attaching a 30 amp inline fuse at the + battery cable then running 10 gauge wire to the busbar. From the busbar do I need another inline fuse to power the stereo? The stereo itself already has a 10 amp fuse built in.
 

bruceb58

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Why do you not want to use a screw? Would the screw be seen from the outside of the helm?

Yes, you need another fuse. Maybe you should be putting in a small fuse panel and not a bus bar.

You are running a 10 gauge ground wire to a bus bar too right?
 
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Bayou Dave

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Why do you not want to use a screw? Would the screw be seen from the outside of the helm?

Yes, you need another fuse. Maybe you should be putting in a small fuse panel and not a bus bar.

You are running a 10 gauge ground wire to a bus bar too right?

Yes, I may run 2 screws from outside the hull depending on where I end up putting the busbar. I am running 10 gauge pos and neg wire from the battery to the busbar. Since you say I need an inline fuse from the busbar to the stereo what size fuse should I use? 10 amp like the built in one the stereo has?
 

bruceb58

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Yes, I may run 2 screws from outside the hull depending on where I end up putting the busbar. I am running 10 gauge pos and neg wire from the battery to the busbar. Since you say I need an inline fuse from the busbar to the stereo what size fuse should I use? 10 amp like the built in one the stereo has?
Yes. what you are preventing is a short between the busbar and the stereo. The one in the stereo won't blow in that case.

I would not be putting screws to the outside of the hull either. Scuff up the fiberglass, epoxy a piece of wood to the fiberglass. Add epoxy coating to the wood. Then mount the busbar/fuse panel to the wood.

You have a picture where you want to mount this? I have added busbars to my pontoon and there were plenty of places to mount besides going through the fiberglass of my console.
 
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Bayou Dave

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Yes. what you are preventing is a short between the busbar and the stereo. The one in the stereo won't blow in that case.

I would not be putting screws to the outside of the hull either. Scuff up the fiberglass, epoxy a piece of wood to the fiberglass. Add epoxy coating to the wood. Then mount the busbar/fuse panel to the wood.

You have a picture where you want to mount this? I have added busbars to my pontoon and there were plenty of places to mount besides going through the fiberglass of my console.

No pic of where I want to mount it. As others suggested I may epoxy or fiberglass a piece of woodk and attach the busbar to the wood. There is a place on the helm I could screw through that is not to conspicuous. The angle part under the steering wheel in the photo. I won't make a final decision until I get the busbar on Tuesday. At this point my main quesiton is the size of the fuse from the busbar to the stereo.
DSCF0005_zps5fsjuifq.jpg
 
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