How best to repair a hole left after removing an old chart plotter

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Duncancw

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Hi all

I recently removed an old chart plotter near my nav table and I'm just considering how best to repair it or cover it over.

I will be adding a battery monitor and a dual port USB charger in the near future so they could be used to help cover the hole or I could put them in a nearby location.

Any suggestions how best to repair this??

thanks in advance

Image 2.jpg
 
You can get various types of plastic sheet cut to size. I had the same problem, my new chartplotter was a different size to the original one. I made up a plate to cover the area then mounted the new plotter in the plate.

This is the old plotter

old dash.jpg

This is the new plotter mounted through a matt finish sheet cut to size to align with the engine panel so it looks as though it was meant to be there. In the photo it looks darker, in fact it blends very well. It is glued in place.

New dash 2.jpg
 
What’s the wood veneer on the existing woodwork? I’d be sourcing some ply with identical veneer and then putting trim round the edges. Captive studs poking out through holes in the new panel with stainless acorn nuts on make a very neat job. You then have a removable panel that matches the surroundings to mount your new instruments on.
 
The cut out could be squared up, lined and a door made and fitted in the hole, then mount your new equipment, battery monitor and a dual port USB charger. I had the whole back panel replaced with two doors made and instruments mounted on the doors. This gives easy access to the back for cable terminals and such like that. Dune6 (post 2) idea was similarly incorporated into one of the doors.

How the panel space has been finished on my boat to replace old panel that was full of holes: -

50959690718_103f65dff0_h.jpg
 
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Probably won’t help you but on my main bulkhead there is a stain in the woodwork where a battery from the clock that was mounted there leaked. There is no way I can see of removing the stain so I’m going to do an ‘Uma’ and fix a white board over it...
 
I enjoy working with wood and veneers. I also like dual purpose components. Josephine complains that the chart table is a dumping ground, for anything.

I'd find a closely matching veneer. I'd built a recessed liner for a cupboard. The door for the cupboard would be devised to hold whatever toy you don't have, but really need. Battery mon for the engine battery, barometer, clock (tide), new chart plotter, wiring neatly carried to the hinge. The cupboard would hold the parallel ruler, dividers, pencil, relevant pilot book and (bottle of malt + glass - both in a neat rack)


Or I'd forget most of this and simply built an open rack for the bottle and glass, in matching wood. To ensure marital harmony - maybe 2 glasses.

But I would not waste the opportunity.

Jonathan
 
I have deployed various strategies to cover holes left by removing old instruments....

My old plotter hole was covered up with a snap-in case holding a Samsung Galaxy Tab-A .... I bought a case on Amazon, cut the front flap off, stuck it to a piece of plastic, countersunk four fixing holes and screwed it over the hole the old plotter left. Now the tablet just snaps in and out so I can use it in-place or take it with me. Tablet runs navionics, victron bluetooth app, weather, internet etc. etc.

Before:

1625125181179.png

After:

1625125225483.png

Alternatively you could use these people ....

Signs and Labels Direct - Engraved signs made easy

.. and get a matt-black aluminium panel knocked up to hold other bits and pieces you need. They are excellent and very helpful, and their online panel design tool is mm perfect. I had them make this - cost about €20, next day delivery (gauges and switches not included) ....

Capture.JPG
 
Baggywrinkle said:
... My old plotter hole was covered up with a snap-in case holding a Samsung Galaxy Tab-A .... I bought a case on Amazon, cut the front flap off, stuck it to a piece of plastic, countersunk four fixing holes and screwed it over the hole the old plotter left. Now the tablet just snaps in and out so I can use it in-place or take it with me. Tablet runs navionics, victron bluetooth app, weather, internet etc. etc. ...
Click to expand...

That’s a really neat solution for a tablet.
 
john_morris_uk said:
What’s the wood veneer on the existing woodwork? I’d be sourcing some ply with identical veneer and then putting trim round the edges. Captive studs poking out through holes in the new panel with stainless acorn nuts on make a very neat job. You then have a removable panel that matches the surroundings to mount your new instruments on.
Click to expand...
That is a good idea. You do not need absolutely matched colour if you buy pale coloured hardwood ply. When I had a panel at the chart table which had holes in it from old instruments I made a replacement. I could not get plywood veneered to match the boat's teak veneers so I bought a piece of 12mm hardwood ply and cut it to match the original panel. Not a 90 degree corner or edge anywhere, so quite a job. i mixed water based teak stain with some oak stain to get a reasonable colour match with the existing panels because the teak stain was too red to match the original but faded teak veneer, I tested various stain mixes on an offcut piece of the ply. Finally I varnished the panel with Epifanes matt and fitted it. Its the panel with the small plotter and the computer CPU in this photo.

tn_DSCF3763.JPG
 
I just noticed that the picture shows an odd looking yellow plastic device on the right. For those that dont recognise it, its a mini flare gun.
 
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