Console Project

[Seadog]

Want to show some pix of my console rebuild. Lookin for some feed back. Take a look if you please:

  BEFORE

LATER

NOW

Raised the top about 6 inches and redesigned the top layout.
Closed in the forward seating compartment and foamed it in, cut a hole in the top of the seat and converted it to a fishbox.

This is a shot of the console before:

BEFORE 2

This is a one after the redesign and fishbox added:

AFTER 2

In AFTER 2 you can see the fishbox up front with the drain. The bottom of the box slants to the drain side by 1/4" to help with drainage. Made the lid for the box out of 3/4" coosa because klegecell tends to warp slightly when laminated and the coosa lays flatter.

Here's a shot of the console front. Shows the fish box without the lid:

LAST

And with the lid:

VERY LAST

Done a ton of work on this thing. Got a long way to go but it's startin to take shape. When I took on the project I decided to do the console first. I figured if I could get that the way I wanted and restored it right, then I'd be up to the rest of the project...

[JimCt]

Seadog, What's coosa & klegecell?  Google didn't give me any info.  I need educatin'.

Console looks good.  Why did you raise it higher?

[Seadog]

Jim - Coosa and Klegecell are synthetic composite materials used in boats as a core material - transoms, hatches, stringers, bulkheads.  They have a lot of applications. Once they are laminated with fiberglass and resin they are lighter and stronger than marine plywood and if exposed to water, won't rot.
Click here for a picture of a rotten plywood transom core.  Here's another.

Do a google search again.  Look for KLEGECELL and COOSA COMPOSITE -should get plenty of hits and info. Look at 'DIAB Group' under the Klegecell hits - tons of info there.

Raising the console was just my preference. Can see the gauges better, switches will be on top and easier to reach. Little more room and better viewing of electronics.

[Wilson]

That thing is lookin' great!!  I am going to do something similar, but I opted to just build the thing from scratch.  If it rains this weekend then I may be building it this weekend.  I'll be using 1/4 " coosa for most of it with 3/4" for the top.

[Seadog]

Thanks Wilson - good to get the 'seal of approval'. Your building a console from scratch? Thats gonna be a job and a half!  Is it for your Mako? I really like Coosa. It's easy to machine and work with and it stays flat.  Plus it holds screws better and won't compress like Klege.  Do you have a  console style your using as a model?

By the way, I started letting the resin set up a little longer before laying on the glass, at your suggestion.  Air bubbles are down A TON! Thanks for the advise!

[Wilson]

Rebuilding seems easy compared to rebuilding my console.  If you saw it you'd understand.

[Anonymous]

Seadog,  Is your console in the original place?  Saw some posted pix if a console moved fwd. some to give more cockpit area.  May make for a more bouncy ride sitting forward though.

Just got snow dumped on us last night so my AS hunting trip's off...

[Seadog]

Here's another shot:  CONSOLE

Shows the klege bonding setting up on the sides.  The 1/4' klege extends down the existing console side by 12".  Once it dried - its strong as hell.

[JimCt]

That console looks great!

[scott_gunn]

It may be too late for this, but if you keep your boat out of the water, and all of the water drains off the deck into the back starboard corner (where the riggin wires go), then you should have put the fishbox drain on the starboard side as well.  That way you can store the boat at a front to back, port to starboard angle and all the water will drain out of the boat *and* the fishbox.  Otherwise you end up with some water pooling in the fishbox or a back corner of the boat somewhere.  It's no big deal but I wish my fishbox drain was on the other side.

[Seadog]

Scott - My hull is, well, just a bare hull right now. No stringers or floor. No nothin'.  I think I know what you are talking about.  Mine had that 'rigging channel' with an access cover, that ran from the console aft, along the starboard side.  

I'm gonna run the rigging under the floor and can go port or starboard and I can decide that later.  Also the bottom of the console fishbox is raised on the starboard side to help the water run to the fishbox drain.  I'm thinkin if the boat is on the trailer and level side to side but with the bow up, the slant in the bottom of the fishbox will direct the water to the fishbox drain to port. Once its on the deck it will run aft.

Guest - I'm gonna scoot the console forward some to offset the weight of the outboard.  Maybe 150 - 200 hp range.  Maybe 4S or E-tec. Bait well is in the floor forward of the console.