Plastic Classic Forum

This is a cabinet built for the specific need of creating more galley space on our boat. The dimensions and shelf locations were set to hold specific sized containers. I epoxied the corners with reinforcing blocks with thickened West System Epoxy. To assure that the food will stay put when underway, I added the very small bungee cords stretched across the front of the upper shelves. Attaching the cabinet required special anchors known as threaded rivets, which I purchased along with the tool to set them from McMaster Carr. (Any project that does not require the purchase of a new tool is not worth doing.) These rivets are essentially set like a pop rivet, only when you relase the installation tool, you have a female machine thread, in this case a 10-32 thread. Ten of these fasteners hold the cabinet to a fiberglass bulkhead that is hollow behind it. The finish is simply lemon oil rubbed over the teak cabinet.

Because of file sizes, I could not post my pictures here. Go to http://lumberjocks.com/projects/23009 if you want to see photos of this project.

Chaesapeake Bob

-- Chesapeake Bob, Southern Maryland

Chesapeake Bob wrote: Attaching the cabinet required special anchors known as threaded rivets, which I purchased along with the tool to set them from McMaster Carr. (Any project that does not require the purchase of a new tool is not worth doing.) These rivets are essentially set like a pop rivet, only when you relase the installation tool, you have a female machine thread, in this case a 10-32 thread.

Too cool.
Santyclaus take note.

They are not really designed for structural loads so use lots.

Britton, the rivets I used were made of steel and used 5 across the top and 5 across the bottom, all 3/16" in diameter. I think it will hold.

It sure feels secure, anyway.

Chesapeake Bob

hey Bob,

I was speaking more in a general sense rather than critiquing your particular application. Before starting everyone on a new great idea I wanted to interject some cautions.

Hard rivets (or Rivnuts) in comparatively softer materials (fiberglass) needs to be approached with some caution. The pull rivet will have a tendency to weaken the structure surrounding the hole. Combined with the cyclic shear forces of a rocking boat this could lead to loose rivets over time. Drilling out a loose rivet to replace it gets particularly tricky when the rivet is loose and starts spinning.

Re-pulling a rivet is sometimes an option with these types but that leads to a second problem.

The action of pulling the rivet weakens the threads too which is why I mentioned that they are not designed for structural applications. The threaded rivet can't compare in holding power to 'real' fasteners so doubling up on the number of them isn't a bad idea.

Go ahead but just be aware that you are using the fastener for something it wasn't designed to do so make the necessary compensations.

Are these the rivets you used?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#rivets/=4ck1d6

If they were: It doesn't look like it from the pictures but did you have to cut an 'anti-spin' notch in the hole that matched a stub on the underside of the rivet head? Those help a lot in keeping the rivets from spinning if the hole gets elongated and the rivets get loose.

I wasn't really thinking in terms of structural applications. More in terms of "convenience of maintenance" applications.
Silly little stuff, like the cable ties which secure my VHF antenna and masthead anemometer cables, which must be installed and uninstalled every spring and fall. It would be nice to have a convenient way of using a machine screw on those instead of fretting over working the woodscrew in and out of the same hole every year, every year coming just that little bit closer to stripping it.

BCooke:

Wow, this discussion has grown more legs than I expected!

No, the rivets I used are listed below.
McMaster Carr item #97217A359 on page 3240 of their online catalog.
"Slotted-Body Rivet Nuts for Thin Materials"
I drilled 11/32" holes.

These worked great. I installed ten (10) of them and the cabinet feels strong.

Hi Bob - nice door.

cyclic shear

Wow Britton.....this could be a very cutting edge name for a racing sailboat.

More in terms of "convenience of maintenance" applications.
Silly little stuff, like the cable ties which secure my VHF antenna and masthead anemometer cables, which must be installed and uninstalled every spring and fall.

That's how I usually see them. They come in aluminum as well so no dissimilar corrosion with the mast.

Those doors are gorgeous. I will be doing similiar in my boat soon, using Honduras mahogany.
Do you have any info on a jig you may have used to cut the slots for the louvers ?
Thanks

My guess is that he used Seateak brand doors. It looks like their style anyway. If you can build to the sizes they sell you can save a lot of money and/or time compared to building a louver door yourself. I don't think they have any type of mahogany as an option unfortunately.

Building, varnishing and maintain louvered doors is tedious and time consuming. I think that is why so many have chosen caning, slots, decorative holes and such as an alternative.

Custom cabinets sure do dress up the interior of a boat and make storing stuff convenient. Looks great.

Leaving the fitting discussion aside, I think those doors look awesome! :)