Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Just curious what everyone is using to cut the plastic bases and plastic helm?
I'm going to be installing speaker in the seat bases and need to cut out spots in the helm for a switch plate and stereo.

Ryan

Rotozip works great.

I drilled corner starting holes and then used a Stanley Fatmax Jabsaw to cut my GPS/FF into the dash. It took just a couple minutes and was clean where a power tool sends fine dust everywhere under the helm that has to be cleaned up.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-20-556-6- ... B00005QVQH

kryptonite wrote:Rotozip works great.

I agree !

If using a jig saw use a down cutting blade so it does not chip the gelcoat on fiberglass.

Woody wrote:

kryptonite wrote:Rotozip works great.

I agree !

That's what I used to enlarge the openings in my seat bases. I went from 5" round speakers to 6". I made a jig by cutting a 6" hole in a scrap of 1/4" plywood. Clamped the plywood to the seat base and used it as a guide. You still have to control the Rotozip because it doesn't have a pilot bearing, but it made it easy not to veer off course and totally fup duck the base.

I've never been able to control my Rotozip on any surface. It's about an unused tool for me.

I'd drill a starter hole and use a sabre saw with a proper blade.

sunedog wrote:

I made a jig by cutting a 6" hole in a scrap of 1/4" plywood. Clamped the plywood to the seat base and used it as a guide.[/quote]

Good idea!! I'm going to be adding speakers up front next week. I think a 5" hole saw will do the trick but if I have to go larger I may have to use your idea. Thanks.

Thanks for all the suggestions
Ryan

Bamaman wrote:I've never been able to control my Rotozip on any surface....

It does get kinda wild if you don't hang onto it good, but I have found it handy for several different projects.

I just installed new speakers under my seats. I duck taped the entire area and used a jigsaw. It worked great and I wasn't overly concerned about perfect looking holes because the speaker face covered it up. It was easy...fiberglass would be an entire different story!

I just bought this hole saw set from Harbor Freight. The speakers I'm installing require a 5 inch hole, so this seems perfect since a 5 inch hole saw is included in the set. Hope it works.

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-piece-c ... 68115.html

omar174 wrote:I just bought this hole saw set from Harbor Freight. The speakers I'm installing require a 5 inch hole, so this seems perfect since a 5 inch hole saw is included in the set. Hope it works.

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-piece-c ... 68115.html

I was looking at that set on Amazon. Wasn't too sure about the reviews though...I installed a second set of speakers on mine today and didn't want to wait for it to get shipped. My boat is in a slip and don't have access to electricity for my Dremel. I ended up using the drill bit from my Dremel on my cordless drill & Hand/Jab saw to finish. Came out great. I feel I had better control with the drill than I would have if I used the Dremel.

My speakers needed a 5" hole, if I recall correctly. I already had a Milwaukee hole saw that has a single arbor (which costs like $20), and then you attach whatever size hole saw you want to it (each of which costs $10-$20). I figured it was worth the $17 or whatever the 5" saw costs, so I went with that.

This is what I used. Run it forward until the drill bit makes a hole in the plastic, then run it in reverse so the teeth dont get too much bite at once. Worked perfectly. I think I paid about $40 at my local hardware store. It may seem kind of pricey, but I figured I had one shot to get it right.