Need to mount a new fuse block to...something

DJ_Allatoona

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 24, 2008
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186
42-year-old aluminum Starcraft. My new 12-circuit blade fuse block with integrated negative bus arrives in the mail today and I'm so stoked to finally clean up the wiring mess. Currently there's a small glass fuse panel with a spaghetti wad of wires, doubled-up negative connections, etc.

My first challenge, though, will be to mount the new fuse block onto something under the dash. It's much bigger than the existing fuse block & neg. bus, which are attached to what looks like a short piece of white plastic or plexiglass. I'd rather not drill/screw/rivet into any aluminum under the dash. Thinking of gluing a piece of wood or something under there, possibly to the inside of the hull and mounting the fuse block onto that.

Any suggestions for a mounting solution?
 

Chigwalla

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Use something like 3M's "High Strength Filler" or mix up your own from resin and microfibers like Cabosil.
Seal the plywood with resin first.
 

JASinIL2006

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Feb 10, 2012
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5,524
I've used PC-11 two-part epoxy to attach mounting plates. You can get the stuff at ACE Hardware.
 

Woodonglass

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PC-11 will adhere well to aluminum as long as it's sanded a bit and cleaned with shite vinegar I'd just buy the cheap 5 minute Epoxy and thicken it with baby powder so it's like mayonnaisesnd secure with tape In 10 mins it'll be ready to go
 

GA_Boater

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PC-11 will adhere well to aluminum as long as it's sanded a bit and cleaned with ****e vinegar I'd just buy the cheap 5 minute Epoxy and thicken it with baby powder so it's like mayonnaisesnd secure with tape In 10 mins it'll be ready to go

WOG - How do you spell white vinegar? :eek: LOL

DJ - could you mount the new block on the backside of the port dash? But then the wiring has to be routed from port to starboard, so not the best way.

On the side aluminum panel of the starboard or on the panel between the cockpit and bow seating area. Thinking of ease of access if or when a fuse blows.
djsdash.PNG
djsdash2.PNG
 

DJ_Allatoona

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 24, 2008
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186
WOG - How do you spell white vinegar? :eek: LOL

DJ - could you mount the new block on the backside of the port dash? But then the wiring has to be routed from port to starboard, so not the best way.

On the side aluminum panel of the starboard or on the panel between the cockpit and bow seating area. Thinking of ease of access if or when a fuse blows.

Both good ideas, Don. I'll try my darndest to keep the new block in the same neighborhood as the existing mess: about knee-height, attached to a small plank of something on the starboard hull. I got some quality epoxy and my thought is to stick the new fuse block onto the same material. If that doesn't work, I'll have to get creative.

Thanks.
 

DJ_Allatoona

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Feb 24, 2008
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186

Hey Don. I wound up attaching it behind the wooden dash on the port side. Plenty of space and out of the way. As long as I was on my back and had a million zip ties, I went ahead and chopped out a few hundred years' worth of redundant wiring, re-strung all new wires from the battery to the new fuse block, added inline fuses, and hid all the spaghetti in flexible conduit under the front seats. Took a right long time, but the clean look is worth it, and I'm pretty sure I'm safer with the modern fuse block. Just in time for winter! haha.
 

GA_Boater

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Now you don't have a winter project! :smile:

Is the USB/switch block on the port dash too? Haven't checked the other thread yet.
 

DJ_Allatoona

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Feb 24, 2008
Messages
186
Now you don't have a winter project! :smile:

Is the USB/switch block on the port dash too? Haven't checked the other thread yet.


Yes. And apart from the blue voltmeter numbers being too dim to easily read in the bright sun, it works great.

okfxlxK.jpg
 
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