Commander 120 Dashboard

This is a repost, as I messed up the last blog and had to delete it and reinsert this one.

I wanted a dash board for my kayaks as a place to keep tools, hold my soda, measure fish and I even drilled small holes in the Tool board to hand lures on to dry before going back into the Plano boxes.

This is the second one I made. The first was a prototype and was just scrape 5/8″ plywood leftover form my garage roof when I built it. I made and altered it until I found the design I liked. Fished it for a month and then made this one.

The next step was to get the parts. I went to Lowe’s and got a plastic deck board. Of course, I found one damaged and went to the manager and for 50% off on the board. The board just had a chewed up spot the banding dug into in for about and inch and it was easy to not use this or just sand it out. It only cost me $10 for the board and I made two dash boards and my buddy made one also.

As you can see on the right. I cut out the tool board and the dash board and I am showing the dash board with all the flute still in it and the tool board was thinned down. Its a pretty stiff board and I wanted it thinned down without the flutes as it’s 3/4″ thick with the flutes. I just thinned it down until the flutes where almost gone. I have planes, spoke shaves and other tools I used for this. If you have a planer you could make quick work of this. I tried my belt sander, but it threw plastic board dust everywhere.

Next the board was roughed and cleaned up, the risers where cut and drilled. I left the outside flute on the risers just to make it stronger there. Not sure if this helps, but I felt better. This is showing it sized and I would not lay and tape the template on the dash board. Then use a center punch to mark the center for all the holes and the riser mounting slots. Don’t pre-drill this stuff. It drills like butter and I found the pre-drilled holes to be sloppier than just regular. I just drilled the first hole with the 1/4″ bit and it turned out great.

I made the slots for the riser board lining a board as a fence and slide the router between holes. I free Handed the tool board with the router and do not have a template for it at this time. I can make a template if you all don’t feel secure doing it without one.

Picture from the top once together. What is not pictured in this one and showed on my Prowler Dash board is the cup holder. I found a cup holder for a cooler that had a net cup holder. I removed the net, got a 3″ brass ring from the hardware store. The hole in the tool board was sized to the opening in the ring. Then I glued it with RTV glue into place.

Pictured from the side once installed.

Of course, I have to show a 18 1/2″ fat Smallmouth that just wanted to pose on my new dashboard.

The plans. You print these on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and line up the red match lines to make a full template. Make sure they are straight! This part is really important!! When you go to print this in Adobe, It will automatically select “Fit” or “Shrink Oversized Pages” and if you print it in either of these settings your template will be the wrong size and not fit the Scotty hole patterns!!! You must select “Actual Size” as I have shown below. Please measure the light blue dimensions I have shown to double check it is the correct size before making your bases with the template.

Dashboard left side – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?cuyp8w67su9hssf

Dashboard Center – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?mvdyqitwlmb3gj5

Dashboard right – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?d27iw7z9orj2a7c

Dashboard over view, NOT A TEMPLATE!! – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?al1pat1t8b2g1uv

Riser Option 1 – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?rbvqxfn4vb4rnui

Riser Option 2 – http://www.mediafire.com/view/?aabd003ljpskdag