# Building a center console



## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Its fairly straightforward, cut your foam, bond it to the shape you want, round the edges, glass it up inside and out, fair, fair , fair paint


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

First,  break out the handyman's all purpose tool, duct tape.
That and some cardboard, then build a full scale model to see where and how it will fit.
Half an hour spent thinking and planning, will save time and money later.


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## priscillatgorilla (Nov 29, 2014)

above is good advice !

grab a piece of cheap "underlayment" - pin it together and use that as your mold

PVC foam board/divinycell/coosa - these are all good core materials
wood is a poor choice


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Cardboard is great for mock ups, as is luan and hardyboard. Some scrap 2x4's and drywall screws can help you put something together quickly. 

Nothing wrong with using plywood to build it as long as it is encapsulated properly with good epoxy resin. If you use polyester it will not last as long, but with epoxy it will outlast you. Foam board is a great choice too, but will be much more expensive and you won't see any weight savings on a project like this one. Or you can always make a mold and pop one out of glass without a core, but this is the most complicated and questionably expensive path.


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

I've built a few consoles.  If you need to build a mock-up, Luan from Home Depot is cheap and will work.  For the actual console, I'd recommend using 9mm Okoume marine grade ply, which will end up lighter than one of solid glass.  Sheath the ply in 4 oz glass, use epoxy resin, and it's a relatively easy job that will last longer than your boat.  Here's a simple console built around a Fishmaster grab bar.


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