Best Material for Boat Switch Panel

[Frank Drackman]

My neighbor somehow destroyed the panel that controls the switches for his live well and bilge pump on his boat and asked me to make a replacement. The woodworking is very simple but I am concerned about the longevity.

It is in an area that is constantly exposed to salt water so he suggested using Corian or one of the other solid surface materials. I have used these before and didn't like the way it held screws.

The panel will be 10" x 5" x approximately 1/4" thick. Any suggestions?

Thanks - Frank

[Bill Adamsen]

There are so many choices. Aluminum is easy to mill and if anodized is very durable. Stainless, especially 316 are hard to mill but are super durable in the marine environment. Stainless can be can be finished with "spotting" or "stippling" for a professional look. I would think Corian might be a good choice. I've used Lumasite (see photo) in 1/4" and 1/8" sheet which makes a fiber/acrylic panel of various transparencies. The finish I have used is Frost but there are others. It drills, mills and sands nicely and is extremely hard and flat. Shown are photos of a sheet section and then something I milled from the stock.

[Dave Stuve]

My favorite boating material is Starboard, a HDPE 'plywood' that has great wear, corrosion, and UV resistance. You can drill, rout, and work it just like wood. My sailboat has lots of Starboard in it, and after 12 years, those parts still look like new. I use screws in the joinery. And lots of marine stores sell small pieces of it for projects.

This looks like the manufacturer? http://www.starboardplastic.com/

[John Gustafson]

Dave's suggestion sounds like a good one. Actually, almost any plastic material will work initially. The problem is UV resistance. With out that added into the compound. the material might hold up structurally, but will wind up with surface degradation and in a few seasons look pretty ratty. Corian may do well, but it is essentially an indoor product so uv resistance may not be all that great.

[Lee Schierer]

My sailboat has lots of Starboard in it

Doesn't that make it hard to get any where? Sorry, old Navy guy....

[Barry McFadden]

.............Teak???

[Nick Decker]

I would've said teak, except that I used to have a sailboat with a lot of teak trim. Great wood, looks great, too much maintenance.

[Shawn Pixley]

Starboard. (The voice of experience)

[andy bessette]

Most plastics, particularly King Starboard, are a poor choice for a thin switch or circuit breaker panel because of a lack of stiffness and rugged durability. Much better are aluminum or epoxy-glass.

[Bill Adamsen]

I would concur on the metal or fiberglass. Plus for an instrument panel - if plastic - marine regulations might require an FR4 (fire retardant) rating. Starboard's flammability rating on the spec sheet says "not classified." Fiberglass panels can be thin enough for easy instrument and switch mounting, and as Andy says, are extremely flat and stiff. There are lots of options out there, just make sure they are rated for marine use and are UV and chemical resistant.

[Keith Outten]

Aluminum and Stainless steel are not the preferred choice if yours is a salt water vessel. Salt will attack both metals in a short period of time. Aluminum will corrode and there isn't anything you can do to stop it. I frequently replace aluminum letters on buildlings with Corian letters. Stainless will break down, Newport News Shipbuilding tried using Stainless pipe for their air/water lines on piers and it didn't last but a few years so it was replaced with inconnel. Carbon steel lasted longer than Stainless exposed to salt water.

Corian is probably the best choice, Dupont says it will last about 50 years in exterior service so UV exposure is not a real concern. Corian works easily with woodworking machines and bits and it engraves well. Half inch thick Corian is best installed using keyholes. Quarter inch thick Corian can be attached with epoxy or construction adhesive if you don't want to use fasteners though the front surface. I have used Corian plugs to cover screws through the front of signs, the same way you would use plugs for wood projects. Last but not least you can cover very small screws with Dupont color matched adhesive without a plug. You can engrave Corian and get perfect detail, even very small text and graphics will look fantastic. I have been laser engraving and CNC routing Corian almost every day for over ten years. You can see some pictures of engraved building maps in my SawMill Creek gallery. You can drill and tap 1/2" Corian but the thread won't be as strong as more traditional materials but threads will work as long as there isn't a rough service component. Corian meets the fire retardant specs for building materials and is frequently used for counter tops in boat and ships galleys.

The next best option is King Core plastic. It's a soft plastic with a color cap that you machine through to reveal the core color. It's used frequently on boats and other applications that are exposed to extreme weather, there is no paint to worry about as the colors are in the material but the thickness of the cap doesn't allow very small text to be machined. Nothing sticks to King Core material, no glue, paint, etc.

[Ole Anderson]

Black 1/4" acrylic sheet would be my choice. Machines well, stands up to the elements, and unaffected by either salt or fresh water, and it looks good.

As far a stainless not being a proper choice for saltwater? Somebody must be using the wrong stainless alloy then. Stainless steel has been used for bright work in marine applications for years. I have a 1999 center console used in Florida coastal waters with stainless used in the cleats, bow rails and swim ladder with no problem. And aluminum hulls have been used for years in marine applications. You don't want to mix stainless and aluminum though or the aluminum will become the sacrificial anode. Metal hulls need to pay attention to dissimilar metals and have an active or passive anode system.

[Bill Adamsen]

Might check out some marine survey sites for electrical system evaluations. Boat systems are very complex because of the four grounding systems, electrolysis and exposure to moisture.
http://www.marinesurvey.com/yacht/ElectricalSystems.htm

I could tell you that I have no issues building components for my small boats out of 316 Stainless, but add a bit of stray current escaping from the system and things change dramatically.

[lowell holmes]

Teak, teak, teak, . . . .

[Garth Almgren]

Doesn't that make it hard to get any where? Sorry, old Navy guy....

That's easy - three starboards make a port. It's like Nascar, but in the opposite direction.