Filling a hole in an instrument pod

[mcanderson]

My new chart plotter is not as high as my old and so the old hole in the instrument pod is too big. As I see it I have 3 options:

1. Buy a new instrument pod.
2. Fill the old hole and cut a new hole. The pod is made by Goiot and made of GRP.

Thoughts and how might I go about filling the hole? The repair will be covered by the new chart plotter once fitted.

 

[alteredoutlook]

cover the hole with a sheet of plastic. use screws and mastic to seal it. cut hole in plastic for new instrument pod.

For plastic try ebay or use a chopping board from ASDA etc.

 

[Tranona]

Make up a flat white panel by laminating GRP on a flat surface such as a formica covered worktop with release agent, gelcoat and then mat to the thickness of the recess. Cut to size, bond into gap and make good the join with gelcoat. Mount new instrument and consume the well deserved beer.

 

[pappaecho]

3 of 4mm UPVC white sheet available widely, as a bezel over the old hole. Cut smaller hole fo new unit

 

[nigelmercier]

Can you take the pod off? If so, clean up the edges of the cut, cover with cling-film, lay on a flat surface and apply topcoat from the rear, follow with resin and mat.

 

[Seatrout]

cover the hole with a sheet of plastic. use screws and mastic to seal it. cut hole in plastic for new instrument pod.

For plastic try ebay or use a chopping board from ASDA etc.

See this lot who charge by the proportion of sq metre. Did the same job and it cost £2.54, yes 254 pennies!
http://www.sheetplastics.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home

 

[mcanderson]

Can you take the pod off? If so, clean up the edges of the cut, cover with cling-film, lay on a flat surface and apply topcoat from the rear, follow with resin and mat.

I can remove the pod cover and would rather fill the hole than place a sheet of plastic over it. All I need to do now is figure out how to use fibreglass. Might get some help. Thanks!

 

[northwind]

I can remove the pod cover and would rather fill the hole than place a sheet of plastic over it. All I need to do now is figure out how to use fibreglass. Might get some help. Thanks!

These guys have some good tutorials on their site:

http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/

 

[nigelmercier]

All I need to do now is figure out how to use fibreglass. Might get some help. Thanks!

ECFS have some good tutorials, such as:
http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/t-RepairingDamagedLaminate.aspx

They have a channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ecfibreglassuk/videos?sort=da&flow=list&view=0

I would send them the photo, and they will advise.

 

[rgarside]

Using PVC type sheet might be difficult to get a good appearance. But acrylic is much stiffer and could be epoxied onto the surface to get a good finish. Easily available as the glazing material in DIY stores or off the internet. A can of white spray paint finishes it off.

 

[nigelmercier]

The OP has stated that he does not want to bodge it with a bit of plastic. The correct way is to rebuild with GRP.

 

[Elessar]

My new chart plotter is not as high as my old and so the old hole in the instrument pod is too big. As I see it I have 3 options:

1. Buy a new instrument pod.
2. Fill the old hole and cut a new hole. The pod is made by Goiot and made of GRP.

Thoughts and how might I go about filling the hole? The repair will be covered by the new chart plotter once fitted.

It's flat so it's easy.
Get a bit of cheap white contiboard.
Put a hole in it a little smaller than the chartplotter hole.
Wax it.
Clamp it to the front of the pod.
Build up gelcoat, then 4 or 5 layers of GRP.
Next day remove the board. Sand the join if neccessary and polish.
Cut hole to size.

 

[jwilson]

Using PVC type sheet might be difficult to get a good appearance. But acrylic is much stiffer and could be epoxied onto the surface to get a good finish. Easily available as the glazing material in DIY stores or off the internet. A can of white spray paint finishes it off.

See around the plotter on http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/Untitled-1.jpg - this is white acrylic 3mm sheet from a sign shop cut by hand saw and filed/sanded/polished to shape. Quite easy to do, and looks much better than the soft pvc sheet. As it happened the colour was a near perfect match for the existing instrument housing, so no need to paint. Now 5 years on - still looks OK.

I took the photo 5 years ago to show Garmin what was happening with condensation inside the then new plotter. Now I take the back off the plotter occasionally and dry out the inside - sometimes water actually trickles out.

The problem with laminating new GRP to fill the hole is getting a colour match....