Cabin Light addition

Salmon Fisher · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:09 pm Post subject: Cabin Light addition

Looking for some feedback on attaching light fixtures to the interior ceiling of the cabin.

I am going to add the Perko exterior dome lights to my cabin interior.
In the new boats, I have noticed they have a wood base affixed to the ceiling somehow. The fixture then is screwed to the wood base, I would think.

I think I will affix the light fixture to the fiberglass roof with foam double stick tape and skip the wood base. Is that a good solution? I know I could use 4200, too.

Thanks in advance.

colobear · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:19 pm Post subject:

There are some "industrial strength" double sided tapes made by 3M that should hold well. I have some somewhere and will look for the name. I use 4200 on a cleaned surface and mahogany wood for the base. That has worked well for several years.

potter water · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:26 pm Post subject:

Typical double sided foam tape doesn't work on Still C-razy interiors because of the rough nature of the interior finish. Epoxying a wood block and screwing the fixture to that is a good solution. Of course, you'd better be sure that is the location you want for many years to come.

Salmon Fisher · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:53 pm Post subject:

Barry: Do you make your own bases? 1/2" thick?
Potter Water: Yes, definitely! Just will center over the table and also above the sink stove area.

Would putting 4200 on the back of wood base and a couple of pieces of foam double stick tape or a dab or two of long set hot glue work until 4200 sets?

potter water · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:45 am Post subject:

The glue gun might be solution. I think I'd just cut some one inch dowel or other scrap wood and wedge the piece in place while the 4200 sets up. Your locations for the lights sounds like you are right over a stable surface for the bottom end of the wedge.

Sunbeam · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:49 am Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:24 am Post subject:

My CD22 came with four of these lights. One on each side of the cabin (above the sink and above the dinette table). There are also two in the berth, one on each side on the ceiling. They are held in place with two screws each. These are just screwed into the fiberglass. This is the factory installation.

I am going to add one on the bottom side of the overhead shelf above the center of the console. This will also just be screwed in.

I also took out the incandescent bulbs and replaced them with flat LED arrays. The LED switch was suggested in on of these forums.

slowtrot · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:35 am Post subject:

I use long thin pieces of wood bent into bow shapes to compress glue lots of different shapes. If you have a table saw you can make lots of these out of straight grained wood and you can vary the compression strength by the thickness of the rip. I have made these as long as 15 ft to compress finish carpentry work from wall to wall or from floor to ceiling. Small cabin boats are perfect for this. I would rip a stick 3/4 by a 1/4 and have the length about 6 inches longer than the compression distance. Try it in place and shorten it until the force felt about right not too much and not too little. Put the glue on the piece to be glued in place and compress the stick into a bow between the glue piece and the opposite wall and let the glue set up. Some one told me years ago that these were called "go sticks" but I think of them as "stay" sticks.

slowtrot

thataway · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:25 am Post subject:

I have found that hot glue, holding in place, until either epoxy or 5200 sets up is the easiest and fastest way to put wooden blocks in place.

If putting in new lights, strongly consider LED lights.

Sunbeam · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:41 am Post subject:

colobear · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:51 am Post subject:

I make my own bases and use 4200 with dabs of hot glue at the corners to hold until the 4200 sets up. The hot glue has really worked well. I give the 4200 plenty of time to set, 2-3 days.

C-Nile · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:20 pm Post subject:

There is another approach. Instead of attaching a lighting fixture directly to the ceiling, instead attach a fixture to the side, or do what we do and hook the fixture onto the hand rail. At any rate, we shine the beam directly onto the ceiling. We use a 60W equivalent warm light LED Standard base bulb, plugged into our 200 Watt DC/AC converter, and can tell you that this make the entire cabin awash in warm light. It's just a different approach. The advantage is that you get indirect lighting. When we don't want a great deal of light, we use our LED lights which are very adequate. The other advantage of a lighting fixture hooked onto the interior handrail, is that is can be moved to other areas of the boat, or stowed when not in use. We used this light all season.

Rich

thataway · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject:

And the current draw of a 60 watt LED equivalent, thru a 200 watt inverter is? Lets, see we have 110 V of current thru zip cord to some type of lighting fixture not designed for a boat. This does not sound like a good idea.

ssobol · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:41 pm Post subject:

By 60 watt equivalent I think the OP is talking about the number of lumens and that the LEDs put out is as much light as a 60watt bulb. With LEDs the current for this could be quite low. Zip cord has plenty of capacity for a 60 or even 150 watt incandescent bulb in your house (and is likely UL approved), so I wouldn't think it would be a problem in a boat.

I suspect that there are plenty of boats represented in this forum that have 110 vac circuits installed using outlets obtained from the local hardware store without any issues (mine included). I wouldn't think that the installation mentioned has any more problems than some of the other installations that have been described here.

Salmon Fisher · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:42 pm Post subject:

Thank you for all the great ideas for my project. This really is the place with the "Helpful C-Dory Men" kind of the like our favorite hardware store, Ace.
Our local Ace Hardware in Arlington, WA is THE place to go for a true hardware store experience, complete with oiled fir floors and the most knowledgeable people on about almost anything for the home.
Each 1st Saturday of the month is Super Saturday, you get 20% off what's not on sale. Free Popcorn, too!