Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

[whitejamie99]

The original dash holding the instrument gauges has warped and faded and needs to be replaced. What does everyone suggest as a replacement material. I've read some posts about plexiglass but think I will have a hard time with the hole saw cutting out for the gauges. I'd like something pretty cool but easy to do. Any ideas?<br /><br />Jamie

 

[Realgun]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

3/8" plywood covered with epoxy?<br />Thats what I did. Polycarbonate is actually easy to work with too.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

<br /><br />You can buy composite panels in many configurations. This one is Aluminized Carbon Fibre. That piece was 10 or 20 bucks, it's been a while.. Easy to cut and sand.

 

[whitejamie99]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Hey thanks Calico Kid!<br /><br />I saw the write up on your dash in another post. My friend suggested stainless steel but it would be harder to work thank this. Where/from whom did you get your material? I haven't seen this material anywhere.<br /><br />Jamie White

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

I got the stuff online at a combat robot site. I'm not into the robots stuff but they had what I wanted and were easy to buy from. Click this Link. Ther are some pretty cool colors etc. available.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

CK, what thickness did you buy? How strong is that stuff?

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Great looking gauges there if I do say so myself, CK

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Thanks GG, they're Beede Instruments, took a little hunting to get the array I wanted in that particular model.<br /><br />The composite I bought Ralph is less than 1/16th inch thick. I believe it is the .023 size or the .041. They call it CARBON FIBER HEXCEL TEXALIUM. It is about the toughest stuff I have ever come across really. It is somewhat flexible so I used it as an overlay but I don't think I could break a 12" x 12" sheet with out somehow using my foot or a gun or possibly a big wrecking bar. You know how the sides of a good fiberglass canoe feel? Well this stuff is thinner, more flexible and much stronger. The finish is very clear epoxy showing the weave inside in three dimension. They produce it under pressure and it is a true composite. It is not an adhesive vinyl product. I cut it with a jigsaw/metal cutting blade and a couple of plain old hole saws. I used a sanding block to dress the edges. I bonded it to the dash using epoxy.<br /><br />I was considering Starboard material too (like the white cutting boards) but could not add that much thickness to my dash and still install gauges and switches. As an insert though I think Starboard would be slick.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

I love the way it looks CK! The Gauges are Sweet! <br /><br />I want to see if I can use it on the lower part of my helm where my trim switches, key switches, trim tab switches and radio are mounted. Do you think it is strong enough without anything behind it?<br /><br />Were you able to mount your gauges to that size without any additional support or is that just for looks? <br /><br />How did you mount it? Is it holding up to the sun?<br /><br />I'm itching to pull the trigger and buy some but I need a couple hndred bucks worth and want to make sure it is strong enough (won't flex) without some backing.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

The piece in my dash is bonded to the helm with epoxy. Originally the gauges were mounted in different locations in the helm and there was one less. I filled the old holes with plywood and epoxy and made front and back flush. The carbon fibre panel is there to cover up the old holes. I epoxied it on and drilled my new holes through the panel and helm. So in my case it is very much supported from behind. Good thing too because my steering helm is mounted through that panel. If there are just gauges and switches in the panel I'd say this stuff would be plenty sturdy but it would flex some if you pushed hard on it. Depends on how you mount it I suppose, and the size of the piece of course. A backing of 1/4 inch a/b or b/c plywood could be bonded to the carbon fibre sheetstock and it would be stiff as heck. You'd want to do that only if the edges were not exposed though for looks.<br /><br />I have a piece on the desk here about the size of a credit card and I can bend it about 1/4 inch deflection with my two hands. As I said earlier You would really have to abuse it to get it to break. It is very strong. They also have much thicker stock but it is very expensive. I'd say if you had pieces that do not exceed six inches on the short side flex would be no issue at all (long narrow pieces should be fine) But a big old piece like 18 inch by 18 inch would be prone to deflection but probably not breakage. It would hold gauges just fine, again, but I wouldn't mount the steering to it without a much more substantial backing.<br /><br />Put up some pictures of the areas you're thinking of redoing and I could tell you what I think for what it's worth. Or you could order some scraps, I think they sell little packs of cut offs etc. on that site, and have something to handle and decide for yourself.<br /><br />The sun hasn't phased the stuff yet. But it has only been on there a year and a half and the boat is kept out of the sun unless we are using it which is, sadly, about 20 times per year max for a full day each time.<br /><br />Thankyou very much for the compliments. It makes a guy proud to have his work admired!!

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Thanks CK. I am thinking of doing all the areas you see (now that I had time to think about it). I'll do the gauge area with very thin gray stuff purely for cosmetic purposes. It's hard to tell from the pics but that area actually has three levels to it and I am hoping the thin stuff will bend to fit the curves.<br /><br />The portion near the wheel will be done in red and will need to be thicker as the area where the switches and radio mount (where the black polycarb plastic is now) have big openings behind them and the plastic is really the only thing holding them in. <br /><br />I'm also going to do the side in red where the boatmate cell phone holder is now. <br /><br />Now should I do the area under the shifters in red, gray or black? Decisions, decisions.<br /><br />I'm really glad I came across this post! I've been dying to come up with a way to improve the helm and this stuff looks like the ticket!<br /><br />

<br />

<br /><br />The boat is a 1979 28' Formula Liberator That I rebuilt from scratch.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Wow, that is some helm! Your job looks a little more complicated than mine and it looks great already. I had to do the overlay to cover up my repairs. <br /><br />I don't think you can bend this stuff over such a sharp angle as on the top of your helm where tha gauges are. It would pop off because no matter how much you bend it, it straightens out the instant you let go. I do not know if you could soften it and bend it? You might need three pieces, or two, you could do the top and bottom only where the gauges are and skip the center section where the ashtray is mounted. <br /><br />As far as the lower helm section I would remove everything, cut a piece to overlay the area, then mock it up and trace the dash openings onto the back of the sheet from behind the helm. Trace the shapes onto some pieces of 1/4 inch plywood and cut them out, these are the backing for your large openings, they will provide plenty of stiffness. Epoxy them to the back of the sheet and epoxy the assembly to the helm. Then cut new holes, or cut them before you mount the sheet to the helm if it makes more sense to. Consider how you will address the edges of the sheet though. I didn't do any more than sand mine smooth and smear a film of epoxy on the edge to seal it. it looks OK but I wish I'd have beveled it or colored it or something.<br /><br />The carbon fiber will be plenty sturdy even if you just screw it to the helm, maybe that's what you are doing on the bottom, replacing individual pieces? This stuff is strong as heck and when bonded to a wood backing it becomes very very stiff. Laminates of this kind are used in racing sailboats, spaceships and battle-bots, it should look cool in your boat too! By the way, I don't think I'd use silver on the top sections because of glare. And if it were my boat I'd just use three bands of it, one for the top gauges, one for the lower gauges and one for the steering area. Or maybe just do the steering area and leave the top as is, because it really is nice looking and original looking except for the new instruments, which are so nice I wouldn't want to put anything up there that competes with them. I wanted to put it all over the boat to at first but I think you can easily over do it with details like this, it becomes a theme kind of. The bottom though looks like mine did, lots of random holes. I think it would look best if you only did the bottom but that's me. Either way I would recommend you ask the supplier if they can send you some samples so you can get a feel for it.<br /><br />Your boat looks fantastic, Ralph, do you have a link to more pictures?

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Thanks CK. <br /><br />I think you've convinced me. I am only going to do the bottom and under the shifters. I can always do the other areas later. I was just out working on her and came in to take a break. I want to get her out tomorrow...<br /><br />By the way, that's not an ashtray it's this:<br /><br />

<br /><br />Here are some mpre pics. I'll post a new thread after I finish the helm with the Carbon Fiber.<br /><br />Before:<br />

<br /><br />After:<br /><br />

<br />

<br /><br />

<br />

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Ashtray, LOL!! Well where IS your ashtray then? LOL! I couldn't tell what that was so I had to use my imagination, could you picture an ashtray full of butts at 70 MPH?<br /><br />That boat is impressive, the sound of those V8s must be intoxicating, and it is a little too nice to smoke in... <br /><br />Are you doing a color change? I think they have some yellow too. I definately want to see pictures when you get into this project.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Nice job Ralph!!<br /><br />CK, I know they are Beede gauges, I designed them

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Hey Gauge... Ya know I'm not married to those teleflex gauges I have there! Can ya help a guy out? I can be up there in a couple of hours!

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

What do you have for gauges in there Ralph? I can see two tachs and a speedo, what about the minor gauges?

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

No kiddin' GG? Well nice job then, I like them very much. I wonder if you notice anything unusual about the group in my dash??

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

Gauge: I have 2 tachs, 1 speedo, 2 temp, 2 oil, 2 volt, 2 trim, 1 fuel 1 in-dash depth (Hbird), 1 hours. They are all teleflex that I bought new off eBay during the rebuild about 3 or 4 years ago. I like the Gauges you designed much better! What color do they light?

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Instrument Dash on 77 Glastron-Carlson

No kiddin CK, those are a GG design, circa 1999-2001. The only thing I notice odd is that you have 2 different series' of gauges. The tach is the oddball. The speedo and minor gauges all have metal pointers and have graphics that start at the 6 o'clock position and go to the 9 o'clock position, while the tach has a plastic pointer and goes from 7 to 5.<br /><br />Ralph, on the "perimeter lit" style of gauges, we use a little lamp boot to change the color of the lighting, so you can have clear, red, green or blue. We don't have a match for your size gauges that are "back lit" (through a polycarbonate dial face). Triton boats is our only Marine customer that does that, and their gauges are of the 5" variety. Let me know what you like and I'll see what I can do.