Lowering fwd overhead shelf

Spike38 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:04 pm Post subject: Lowering fwd overhead shelf

This is likely addressed elsewhere but the search engine doesn't reveal it, at least to me. Thinking I'd like to lower the overhead shelf by three inches or so. It looks as though one approach would be to replace the 5/16" bolts, which appear to thread into the outside handrail bases, with bolts 3" longer plus 3" of spacers.

This idea's not original, I'm sure, so I'd appreciate feedback from anyone who's done it, or rejected it in favor of a better way. One drawback I see is that it may eliminate the neat flushmount for VHF, stereo, etc. I've noticed in some of the albums.

Thank you all.

thataway · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject:

Things to look at are head clearance when you are forward and standing or getting into the helm seat. I believe that there is both the bolt--and a screw into the overhead. My 25 is not cored in the center, but is on the outside decks. You might want to check how yours is built. You will have to make wooden "spacers" to pull the shelf up against when you tighten up the bolts/screws.

Swee Pea · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

I lowered the shelf on my 22' C-Dory Swee Pea so I could mount a radio and speakers on the shelf. No inteference with head room for me. I used two pieces of 2"x2" oak, available at Lowes. I cut them to size and sanded to fit in the shape of the roof/ceiling. I drilled holes to match the roof handrails, bought longer bolts, and fastened the shelf through the 2x2 into the roof handrail as the shelf is originally mounted. Finished photo can be seen in the Swee Pea album, picture 74. Hope this helps.

John

Bad Boy · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject:

Check my pictures on the shelf I built under the electronics folder. There are several others that I viewed by looking at as many pictures from C-Brat photos. Very time consuming but there are several variations that are worth considering before you design your shelf.

Since it sounds like you want to add more stuff in it, I would suggest you make it longer, fore to aft so that you are able to attach two bolts on your shelf for more support. I was skeptical about C-Dory's desgin to only hold it up with one bolt on each side. This may be an issue for headroom when you stand up from your captain's chair. It is not an issue for a short guy like me.

You can purchase stainless all-thread and cut your own lengths as needed. Instead of trying to make the perfect spacers, the all-thread allows you to use nuts and washers to lock it permanetly into the ceiling and also inside the shelf as a stop to any depth you want. Spacers are hard to cut perfectly because the ceiling is not flat, smooth or consistent.

Attach the shelf to the all-thread with acorn nuts, which finishes it nicely and this allows you to remove the shelf in the future without removing the all-thread (as you would if you used bolts) so that you do not lose the seal integrity of the hand rail on the roof top. With the factory bolts, every time you remove them to drop the shelf, you risk that the rail on the roof can raise and break the seal, leading to potential water leaks inside.

By installing my 8" speakers on the bottom of the shelf, it allows me to have easy access to the back of any instruments that I installed on the front and also enables me to tighten the nuts I used as spacer stops.

Bad Boy · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

Spike38,

I am sorry but my shelf modification is located in the Main Console Modification folder , not the Electrical/Electronics folder.

Spike38 · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:44 am Post subject:

Many thanks for your thoughts. So far it looks like the threaded rod is definitely the way to go. The only problem encountered as far as I've gotten is finding the threads in forward end of starboard handrail apparently buggered, I suppose when originally installed. Can just barely catch the end of the thread but plan to experiment with running a tap up there - hopefully not ending up with no thread at all. Bob, my shelf was held up by four bolts, and where the bolts penetrate can't see any evidence of coring - looks like solid glass to me. I guess that's good, if true.

Thanks again, very helpful.

thataway · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:13 pm Post subject:

The screw/bolt was on the 22. Different models and years are different. Definately the 4 bolts is far superior to screws. Good idea on the all thread SS rod. If it is stripped, you can just fill with JB Weld--if you want to remove later, then heavily wax the rod before putting the JB weld, or "liquid steel" epoxy in place, and back it our as the Epoxy has just set up.

Spike38 · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject:

Just a postscript on this now that it's done. The only problems were the buggered threads mentioned in previous post which running the tap took care of (and thanks, Bob, for the JBWeld suggestion - good to know I had an alternative if the tap made things worse) and the fact that the slightly different angles at which the original bolts came through the overhead were magnified, of course, at the ends of the threaded rod, three inches out. So the holes in the shelf (I used the original) had to be fairly greatly enlarged. Not fancy by any means (I'm in awe of the "shelf" on CAT FEVER) but it got me where I wanted to be for now. Thanks again for the help!