Tools and materials needed to build a new interior for your 13 or 15 foot Whaler

[Binkster]

This is for a small side console for either boat. I believe plans are available on this site. A few years ago I built a half dozen complete interiors for the 13 footer and sold them on this site. I had an original console for a 1976 13 footer that I took apart and used it for patterns. As far as I know pre '76 consoles used only butt joints, while the '76 console and newer, had a couple of rabbit and dado joints. I used Sapele mahogany. Currently in my area it sells for under $6.00 a board foot. (12"x 12"x 5/4"). You will need about 25 Bd. Ft. {5, 5'x 12" wide boards, 5/4" thick]. Sapele mahogany is much stiffer than the original Phillipine mahogany so the seat thwarts can be planed to just under 1 1/8" thick instead of the original 1 1/4'.

Tools you will need, aside from hand tools and clamps are,
Circular saw, rough cut the various pieces to size.
10" Compound miter saw, (although no compound cuts are needed), To make accurate end grain cuts.
Table saw, to rip the pieces to various sizes and can also be used to make the joint cuts.
12 1/2" portable planer, to smooth plane the pieces to desired thickness (seat thwarts 1 1/8" thick, console, and seat clamps 3/4" thick, hatch cover 3/4" thick, and dash 1/2" thick). I have a Delta DP 305.
Router and router table, with round over bits and bits for joints, (if you don't make them on the table saw).
Orbital sander, various grit discs.
Battery powered screw driver/drill with various drill bits,
Small cheap drill press, {Harbor Freight] and a plug cutter, to cut plugs from mahogany scraps. (you can't cut plugs with a portable drill.)

The console is glued and screwed together with stainless screws and TitebondIII glue.
Five - eight coats of Pettits Captains varnish.

This is an easy, fun project. Super Sport parts, and custom mahogany consoles become more involved and include design work.
I've designed and built a custom mahogany side console for my 13 footer, and a custom fiberglass and mahogany center console for my 15 footer. For the fiberglass part I had to first build a plug, then make a mold from it and then lay up the console. I don't draw anything out, like I would for a house. I just cut the pieces out on 3/4" MDF board, from a vision I have in my head (for something that looks Whalerish) tack it together with finish nails, and set it in the hull. Of course I have to tweak the design, take it apart recut some of it, nail it back together, and check it out. It takes two or three tries till I think it looks right. Then I use the MDF pieces as pattern for the mahogany.
rich

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[PJMSport15MY1984]

Great article Rich.

[Dutchman]

This is for a small side console for either boat. I believe plans are available on this site. A few years ago I built a half dozen complete interiors for the 13 footer and sold them on this site. I had an original console for a 1976 13 footer that I took apart and used it for patterns. As far as I know pre '76 consoles used only butt joints, while the '76 console and newer, had a couple of rabbit and dado joints. I used Sapele mahogany. Currently in my area it sells for under $6.00 a board foot. (12"x 12"x 5/4"). You will need about 25 Bd. Ft. {5, 5'x 12" wide boards, 5/4" thick]. Sapele mahogany is much stiffer than the original Phillipine mahogany so the seat thwarts can be planed to just under 1 1/8" thick instead of the original 1 1/4'.

Tools you will need, aside from hand tools and clamps are;
10" Compound miter saw, (although no compound cuts are needed),
,
Small cheap drill press, {Harbor Freight] and a plug cutter, to cut plugs from mahogany scraps. (you can't cut plugs with a portable drill.)

Five - eight coats of Pettits Captains varnish.
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Great article Rich but, isn't there always a but, the table saw you mentioned can do a fine cross cut too so no Compound miter saw is needed. A drill press is nice but not needed as you can buy mahogany plugs, and last but not least Interlux Captains varnish will do as good if not better than the other brand, making the overall cost less if you don't have those tools available. Even the planer is nice to have but not always available and lots of sanding could do the job.
Not everybody is as lucky as you and I to have all these tools available, but they still could do an admirable job redoing the wood on one of these small Whalers.

[Binkster]

An 8" drill press from Harbor Freight Tools with a 20% discount coupon costs $56 plus local tax. Buying mahogany plugs online with shipping, 24 plugs is $9.71. Maybe the shade and type of mahogany used won't match. But you could save about $46, but is it worth it because at least you would have a drill press. A 3/8" plug cutter is about $5. Actually probably a neighbor, friend or relative has a drill press, then the cost would only be for the plug cutter. I think I paid about $250 for my Delta DP305 planer, which is an inexpensive one. I can't fathom tying to reduce the thickness of any wood with a belt sander, but you could rough cut all the pieces to size, and take them to a wood shop and have them planed. that would save some money. I had an idea a few years ago about building an inexpensive interior for a 13 footer. There is a cypress mill near me. Cypress trees grow in swamps all around Florida and the wood is rot proof and inexpensive. It usually is used for fences and lawn furniture. So I bought a piece, ( rough sawn and NOT kiln dried), and built a side console from it. It looked good, almost like teak. So I sealed it a couple of coats, and left it out in the Florida weather for a few months, and the wood shrunk and turned blackish. I gave it away to a member here, he was glad to get it. I should have bought their kiln dried lumber, as quite a few years ago I built a stern mounted dive platform for a 25' Bertram I owned from kiln dried cypress, and it looked like a teak platform and held up well.
rich