custom baitwell, easy as pie...

2182 · #1 08-27-2008, 07:16 PM

After you guys all helped me w/ baitwell ideas I have spent 3 weeks scouring the net for the perfect one. I had a lean post built custom for the boat('85 18 ft) and didnt want to waste any room while still being able to hold 25-30 gallons. Finally i gave up and decided to build my own. materials: one sheet 3/4 marine ply, one sheet bendable lauan, countersink bit, screws, putty, and glue. plus all that fun fiberglass stuff (havent got that far). the trick was the "bendable lauan". it is designed for custom curved staircases. built a box to my exact dimensions i wanted (rabbet all corners for strength/rigidity) then cut your lauan to fit around the inside. i wound up cutting a bit short and then padding the extra space with a filler piece. this forms an oval, making it easier on fragile baits and easier to glass than corners. i shot some crown staples and glued where i could. also i filled the corners with "great stuff" which i hate but it works. put your top and bottom pieces on. then putty all the screw holes and where the floor meets the walls. anyway thats where i am now. i would be happy to email anyone pics as my description may be a bit lacking in detail. total cost after fiberglass will be around $200 (half of that on marine ply, regular treated ply would work and be cheaper) which isnt bad for a custom sized well. if any of you have done this and have any ideas for me at this stage please share. thank you.

McGillicuddy · #2 08-27-2008, 07:35 PM

send some pics, interested to see where you to it.. gill

Old'sCool · #3 08-27-2008, 09:56 PM

Yep, me too!!! I have a plastic drum for you if you want it.

2182 · #4 09-02-2008, 11:55 AM

i am trying to build the inner lip of the baitwell hatch; i have tried bending trim, using small pieces, cutting wedges out of strips, and lastly cutting a giant "U" and gluing it in whole. none work very well. anyone have any ideas here using wood as opposed to something synthetic? it needs to be square 3/8 x 3/8". i have all the stuff to mill it to that size if anyone knows of a type of wood that will bend. cutout is 20" by 10" with rounded corners. thanks.

datngrizz · #5 09-02-2008, 02:06 PM

Almost any type of wood that small can be made to bend a radius that large. Steam the wood and bend it around the form. This can be done (for something that small) with a piece of PVC rigged to a tea pot snout on a hot plate. Start with a 1 1/2 - 2" piece of PVC the right length, cap one end and drill a small hole in it for the steam and condensation to escape, reduce the other end to something close to the snout on the tea pot (1" ???). duct tape the reduced end to the teapot snout, insert the wood into the contraption, fill pot with water and let er rip. A piece that small will be pliant in a couple of hours. Remove wood, Clamp to form and let dry thoroughly.

Another route is to soak the wood in hot water bath for 2-4 hours. Put a wetting agent in the water such as dish soap. Same process for clamping to form.

Hope this helps.

2182 · #6 09-02-2008, 08:14 PM

that sounds simple and genius...much better than waiting 5 days for some expensive piece of fake "flex trim" to be delivered, and then cut out a tiny piece and add the scrap to my evergrowing pile. thanks again.

McGillicuddy · #7 09-03-2008, 02:39 AM

Ash, Beech, cedar and elm all bend well - straight long grained species are preferable - cedar is kind of soft. White oak would probably work in the dimension you mentioned and had excellent anti decay properties. I used to use datngrizz's technique to bend the curves on my hockey stick blades - works like a champ. Let it cool gradually in clamp jig for 24 hrs. Got you tank picks by the way. Thanks. Good luck with your bending.