Wood

[Guest]

In my Coaster 33 the "dashboard" in the wheelhouse consists of strips of a light coloured wood glued to a layer of plywood which is itself gently curved and glued to the fibreglass base. The ply is coming away, and the strips are warped and rather chewed up and I should like to replace the lot with new. Is it best to replace the ply with more ply or with MDF, and what wood is best for the surface strips. Who supplies these things now. Can one bend MDF onto a gently curving base?

 

[peterg]

MDF is not suitable for a damp environment and will not bend so I would use proper Marine Ply covered with a suitable veneer (teak, mahogany etc.) and varnished thoroughly to provide additional protection

 

[oldsaltoz]

Hi Francis
If you want to replace the console don’t use MDF, it will not last.
Have a close look at what you have; I suspect the ply wood backing is in fact a number of veneers glued together to form the desired curve. This is not a difficult task for a novice, but it will take a little time. Sail on down to your local timber yard and tell them what you want to build and that it must be able to stand up to a good soaking, they will put you on the right track. Epoxy glues are the best for this type of work.
Old Salt Oz.