Vinyl Trim Boards

[Raschoony]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

OK let me know if this is crazy or not.... Use carriage bolts with torque waashers cover that with vinyl.... then just a washer and nut on the other end after installed on the boat....
Torque Washers
Carriage Bolts

 

[Mud Puppy]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

You should be able to get just about any bolt diameter "T" nuts and there should be just about any barrel length that you require. I know that they make a 3/8" length barrel and on 1/4" plywood the would protrude enough to bush the hole in the fiberglass without the bolt/ screw bottoming out in the "T" nut barrel before the trim board is tight.


They make one that uses nails to hold them in place, but a real pain to start the nail with old fat fingers.


The regular ones work just as well and suck up into the wood enough to keep from spinning. I would just clamp up your ply and drill through the wood backer and the glass at the same time and then "set" the "T" nut before wrapping the trim board.

I would use a "Star" type (external) to bite into the glass to prevent loosening.

You can get all in S.S.

 

[britisher]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

To attach those panels to the dash, you will need to use 1/4" tee nuts and 1/4" bolts. The length of the bolts will vary depending on which part attaches to the dash. That's a bit trial & error. You will also need large 1 & 1/4" SS washers to handle those holes. I would nip out and take some pics for you, but only this week I was asked kindly by a LEO to move my boat from the front of my house to a local storage center. The incentive he gave me was a $250.00 citation for breaking a local county ordinance. Anyway, that's another topic and not for here.

 

[Mud Puppy]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

I threw together a sketch real quick to depict what I mean:

 

[Raschoony]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

Thanks a bunch.... Now to find some time...

 

[britisher]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards



The earlier poster has, I'm afraid got the bolt and tee nut the wrong way round. The Tee Nut should be inserted from the Panel BACK and the bolt inserted from the Panel FRONT. Once tightened up snug to the tee nut. You do this BEFORE you upholster the panel, so it's trial & error to ensure everything fits snug and secure. Once you have done that and are satisfied with the fit, and you may have to change bolt lengths in some parts of the location. You then upholster the panel. Once that's done, offer up the new panel, locate the bolts through the dash holes and tighten up from behind with the washers and nuts. This is how Sea Ray did this for all the tee nut locations on that boat. Trust me. I have the same boat and have to re-do EVERY single fastener on the darn thing.

 

[Raschoony]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

thats what I had in mind... but was using a nut... but a tee nut behind the board would make it sunk in the wood better and flush... and prevent spinning....

 

[Mud Puppy]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

View attachment 226985

The earlier poster has, I'm afraid got the bolt and tee nut the wrong way round. The Tee Nut should be inserted from the Panel BACK and the bolt inserted from the Panel FRONT. Once tightened up snug to the tee nut. You do this BEFORE you upholster the panel, so it's trial & error to ensure everything fits snug and secure. Once you have done that and are satisfied with the fit, and you may have to change bolt lengths in some parts of the location. You then upholster the panel. Once that's done, offer up the new panel, locate the bolts through the dash holes and tighten up from behind with the washers and nuts. This is how Sea Ray did this for all the tee nut locations on that boat. Trust me. I have the same boat and have to re-do EVERY single fastener on the darn thing.

The OP was trying to "Bush" some of the holes, those that were not broken out to 2".

Also, just a question, if you can get to the back side for a nut and a washer, why couldn't it be a bolt or a machine screw?

Also, the trim backer would have to be attached before the foam/ vinyl which to me makes no sense to me, but sometimes I'm a little dense. Doing it the way I pointed out, the boards could be fitted up, removed, foam/ vinyl installed using Monel or SS staples, then reinstalled as a finished trim piece with no fasteners showing at all...

none, plus, if you ever need to remove panels for any reason, one could simple remove the bolts from the back of the panel, and reinstall when finished.

I'm not really sure, how your foam/ vinyl attaches. Looks like there is no way to remove yours without trashing the vinyl. Also, why do you need an additional nut when that is the function of the "T" nut? The backer panel is sandwiched between the "T" nut and the fiberglass panel, so they won't go anywhere and the longer barrel will help bush the hole as the OP wanted.

Even with the back-up washers, they should work as drawn.

 

[jimmy wise]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

if you want to it was mentioned to use button caps, most upholstery suppliers can make button caps for you. then you just screw from the front with a screw into a canvas snap then put the vinyl matched caps. tee nuts are going to be fun with thin panels

 

[britisher]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

The OP was trying to "Bush" some of the holes, those that were not broken out to 2".

Also, just a question, if you can get to the back side for a nut and a washer, why couldn't it be a bolt or a machine screw?

Also, the trim backer would have to be attached before the foam/ vinyl which to me makes no sense. Doing it the way I pointed out, the boards could be fitted up, removed, foam/ vinyl installed using Monel or SS staples, then reinstalled as a finished trim piece with no fasteners showing at all...

none, plus, if you ever need to remove panels for any reason, one could simple remove the bolts from the back of the panel, and reinstall when finished.

I'm not really sure, how your foam/ vinyl attaches. Looks like there is no way to remove yours without trashing the vinyl. Also, why do you need an additional nut when that is the function of the "T" nut? The backer panel is sandwiched between the "T" nut and the fiberglass panel, so they won't go anywhere and the longer barrel will help bush the hole as the OP wanted.

Even with the back-up washers, they should work as drawn.

Mud Puppy,
I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel here. The method I described is how Sea Ray put them on the boat in the first place. I simply repeated that method of construction. There is no law that says you have to do it the way the boat manufacturer did, but if you want to use a different method, that is yours and any one else's prerogative.

The way Sea ray did it, is the same as how other manufacturer's did it with tee nuts. You need to dry fit first because some bolts need to be that bit longer to get through a hole. Once you have successfully dry fitted it, then you upholster. By putting in the bolts from behind, you run the risk of the bolts being too long and creating an 'impression' through the vinyl. Covering with vinyl is just like covering any panel with vinyl, stretch and then staple at the back. There should be no reason once completed, to remove the vinyl as the panel is fully assembled and covered. If you need to remove the panel from the dash, loosen off the nuts,remove along with washers and the whole panel comes off. Some of the holes are necessarily bigger for the wiggling, but if the poster wants to fill them with PB, then re-drill, they can do.

That particular passenger dash panel and the sister driver dash panel 2 wood panels joined together, so that they cover the front of each dash then curve around and cover the side of the walk thru. The foam covered vinyl covers the whole thing. It is in effect a 90 degree panel, which is also angled upwards on each front facing dash panel just to make things more fun when you are rebuilding them. You cannot join them together as a rigid 'whole' as you can't get them on that way. Sea Ray constructed the 2 panels with a 'flexible' joining in order to wiggle them in. I used a glass mat method, which gave me the flex on the corner to wiggle them in. I suppose you could throw that design out the window and just put on 2 separate panels on the dash, but it would not look good IMHO. It is exactly the same tee nut construction with the main side upholstered panels that run down each side of the main cockpit section, as well as the bow panels which curve round the front bow seating area. Except that in the case of those, it is a particular wood construction in order to create the upholstered 'corner'. Newer boats just have 2 separate panels. I guess it's cheaper to make them and fit them, but they don't look as good. That bow side panel has 1/2" for the panel that backs against the dash and 1/4" plywood for the side bow panels, as the side bow panels 'curve' in toward the bow.

 

[jimmy wise]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

if you want to it was mentioned to use button caps, most upholstery suppliers can make button caps for you. then you just screw from the front with a screw into a canvas snap then put the vinyl matched caps. tee nuts are going to be fun with thin panels. the reason the cardboard was on the panels is to hide the head of the tee nut so install tee nuts into holes on panel barrel and tongs to panel, they bolt frme from back side into the barrel. cover all the front sides with chip board then 1/8 or 1/4 foam. then vinyl.

 

[Mud Puppy]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

britisher, thanks for the reply and explanation. I guess I just can't see the reason behind why it was done that way. :yield:

Guess it was some of those military engineers who have gone on to make boats kinda reasoning behind it.

And by no way did I mean any offense at all; I just think outside of the box all of the time and this was one of those instances! :grouphug:

 

[britisher]

Re: Vinyl Trim Boards

No offense taken. As the dash panel is identical to mine and have successfully rebuilt it, re-upholstered it and it looks just like Sea Ray did it when brand new, I was simply passing on my experiences.
That is not to say that SR always did it right. Mine has the 4.3 V6 in the back with the full width sunpad/engine cover. SR in the wisdom installed the side ply panels that sit either side of the engine as an integral part of the seat boxes. I looked at that and thought, what a stupid idea. I redesigned mine so these panels are stand alone panels held back and front with SS nuts and bolts. If you need more access to the motor, you remove which side panel you need to remove.