Wheelhouse mould (or mouldings) wanted.

[Tanqueray]

Does anyone know of any wheelhouse moulds kicking about or somebody who can produce mouldings for me?
Something along the lines of a Fisher 46 or Rhea 850 is the sort of thing I'm after. It's a one-off project and I can laminate / modify myself if required or someone can just work with me on the design and then produce the mouldings.
Pm if you like. Ta.
(Yes, I can do it the long way round but I'm looking for a short-cut to speed things up if poss).

 

[PCUK]

For one-offs we build in ply then laminate inside and out. Strong and durable (and cheap!)

 

[Tanqueray]

For one-offs we build in ply then laminate inside and out. Strong and durable (and cheap!)

Yep, me too, but it's more of a time issue

 

[Concerto]

Cannot help with moulds, but this article by a professional man might be of help. He does contribute to the forum sometimes and writes for PBO.

Hard Top II

 

[Malish]

Yep, me too, but it's more of a time issue

Sounds like you need to pay a yard to do it... no time invariably means more cash

 

[fisherman]

google images wheelhouse mouldings, but the chances of a good fit are slim. Instead of ply/grp use Nidaplast: it can be bent, bonds well and sustains shape after one application of 200gm GRP, and doesn't rot.

 

[Tanqueray]

Thanks for all the replies folks, most useful.

 

[JJW]

For one-offs we build in ply then laminate inside and out. Strong and durable (and cheap!)

Are you still doing wheelhouses
thanks Jeff 07778474754

 

[Neeves]

Welcome to the forum.

I built ours, helm station, in foam, bends easily, upto a point, easy to fair, (when you cannot bend) then glassed inside and out. For windows you can cut a hole, recess the edges and then bond acrylic. If you want opening windows or doors piano hinges and braces or variable struts. Finish with a 2 pack spray.

To get a perfect fit when you have the 'almost' complete unit before you spray paint:

Using packing tape where the unit meets the existing structure, so tape stuck to existing deck. Turn unit upside down and trowel on a thick, non drip, layer of filled epoxy. Plonk unit onto tape (needs 2 or 3 people) the filled epoxy will then take up the exact form of the junction. Remove excess, use it to fill where it is a bit thin. Leave to set off. When set - lift off - the epoxy will lift cleanly off the packing tape. Fare back to shape/finish you desire and reinforce with glass tape. We had ours as a flange and when completed could attach finished unit to chosen location using Sikaflex and screws attached to the existing gelcoat.

Its not quick. Foam is easy to work with, you can carve it with a carving knife, and much lighter than ply. Its easy to make alterations. Glassing the foam unit can be fiddly at the corners - you need a decent place to work - garage, big garden shed. For spray painting I built a polythene tent and sprayed from the outside (the fumes are lethal) and get everywhere.

I found it an immensely satisfying exercise but convinced me not to build a catamaran at home - fairing a helm station was acceptable - fairing 2 x 40 hulls - no way. We had fitted 1m extensions to the transoms a couple of years earlier, similar technique - except to attach we ground off the gel coat for 800mm forward of the existing transom to give a large overlap - and then attached the foam 'shoes' and glassed the shoes to the hull then filled and faired.



Jonathan

 

[PCUK]

Are you still doing wheelhouses
thanks Jeff 07778474754

Certainly do. Here's one we made earlier. This one from GRP Flats.

 

[PCUK]

. . . and another more recent model built from ply encapsulated inside and out with West Epoxy.




. . . and no movement with my 13 stone on the top marking out the electric sunroof.

 

[Neeves]

. . . and another more recent model built from ply encapsulated inside and out with West Epoxy.


View attachment 164833

. . . and no movement with my 13 stone on the top marking out the electric sunroof.

View attachment 164834

You could as easily make from foam which would allow you to curve the roof - the strength will be determined by the thickness of foam and the weight of the glass.

Jonathan

 

[PCUK]

You could as easily make from foam which would allow you to curve the roof - the strength will be determined by the thickness of foam and the weight of the glass.

Jonathan

The roof is curved using thin ply laminates. Personally I don't like foam cores.

 

[rogerthebodger]

The roof of the wheelhouse on my ferro boat was made from 2 sheets of 3/8 " ply over curved laminated roof beams

 

[PCUK]

Pretty strong then!

 

[coopec]

For one-offs we build in ply then laminate inside and out. Strong and durable (and cheap!)

Absolutely! That is the way to go. BUT I would use ply as part of the wheelhouse

I'd make a plywood "mold", cut and lay Divinycell core over the mold, curve (using a sander) the corners, then fiberglass the outside. Remove the mold then fiberglass the inside.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=building+a+boat+wheelhouse+f/g

 

[rogerthebodger]

Pretty strong then!

Yes and the sides were made of 22 mm thick solid Iroko with lap joints at the corners.

The infill was taughtened and laminated glass 13 mm thick

I do tend to over design as its me paying the bills and sailing the boat

 

[PCUK]

I think that when building for ourselves, we always over-engineer!

 

[salar]

All the one-off mouldings in my boat were made using female moulds made of faced MDF and curved with plasticene or for larger curves, filler and ever larger curves, thin MDF bent and framed. There's no reason why a female mould couldn't be made for an entire wheelhouse. As long as the design is right it needn't look like a slab-sided refrigerator.

 

[PCUK]

How very dare you!!!