Hi all,

I've bought an Ocke Mannerfelt B28 which is currently a tandem deck. I'm looking to convert it to a leisure style deck.

I'm in the UK so a Vector cockpit isn't possible and I'm really not a fan of the original Mannerfelt 4 seat cockpit.

This leads me to the plan of making my own screen & dash. I want it to be a simple low profile screen moulding (ie. no glass etc) and a dash/cockpit moulding. I want it to be very curvy and modern, not boxy, so it flows with the lines of the boat.

I work with 3D cad, CNC machining and a waterjet all day, so design and templates aren't an issue, but I could use some advice after that stage!

How am I best to model a plug for this? Just using wood would be out as I want complex curves. I thought about using a mixture of wood and foam to allow me to hand shape it all?
In the past, I've also used wood to make main panels, with fleece then stretched over to make the complex joining shapes, infused with resin to make it rigid.

How does everyone else make these type of plugs with small complex shapes? How would I then go on to finish it off? Do I skim with filler and sand away or is there another way?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Cheers, James

You want to use foam to make the plug and then use a filler to smooth out the plug. Lets see some pics.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/r...ol-dashes.html
This link has some guys that did what you are looking for.

That's brilliant, thanks very much for the link! Glad to see I'm not the only one who's used fleece to form shapes!

Any other ideas from anyone? Are there any builders on here who'd like to share some examples of complex shapes like screens?

Thanks, James

I am also a drafter with 3d abilities so I was thinking about making a dash model on my program and then having a full size dash printed off with a 3d printer, I would use this as a plug and vacuum mold a clear plastic acrylic sheet over the plug, next I would cover the clear dash with the hydrographics giving it the carbon fiber look that I want and then have this laser etched just enough to get through the carbon fiber so that when I add my led lights behind the dash all of the stenciling and other design etched out lights up.

I have done this already with a flat piece but want to add the 3d part on the next one.

Ha ha, I'm loving the 3D printer idea!! My plan would be to build it in 3D and then use 2D cross sections I can cut from ply with our waterjet to form the basic shape/ act as a guide for sanding etc.

I wouldn't even want to think of the cost of 3D printing a dash! I did think that one of these companies with a big gantry router could mill me a plug from foam, still probably rather costly though!

Keep it up with the crazy thoughts, I'm loving this!

3D printing would be costly but you would be surprised how reasonably you can just have it cut 3D out of a foam billet. If you have the ability to loft the form in Solidworks or ??? you should be able to find a machine shop with smaller capabilities to knock it out its not necessary to find a giant gantry mill for something this size. I ran across a local industrial pipe insulation supplier that also manufactured the foam blocks. I was buying some rather large blocks and they inquired what i was doing with them. Turns out they also made spec foam pipe encasements for refineries and they said they would be more then happy to take care of my milling just to do something different.

Which hull did you buy? The former 4 liter outboard hull, or the big-block/#6 drive raceboat? I have hull #5, the former Volvo Penta demo boat (third photo).

Glassdave has helped me out on it in the past; you can trust his advice.

My two dash panels were quoted at $125 for the rapid prototype 3D print. The part I can't find cheep is the vacuumed mold part. I will probably just stick with the 2D flat panel for now. If I get it done soon I will post some pics.

Please be sure to post some pics of the project!