How do you secure side panels?

I am finishing up my project and the last thing I have left to do is secure my carpeted side panels in place. I didn't have the foresight to figure out how to secure them to the side of the boat. I have thought about getting some L brackets and secureing them to the floor so that I don't have to go through the side of the hull but that kinda ruins the aesthetics of the interior. Anyone else have any ideas?

What if you attach small L brackets to the lower part of panels and then attach them under the deck carpet?

Stainless self tapping screws into the ribs?

bassboy is right - stainless self tapping screws into the ribs. Make sure you put all of the screws in the bottom first, then get some clamps and put them along the top if you want the sides to conform to the contours of the side

That's how I did it also.

Here's a picture of my boat before I started I am just using it to show that mine doesn't have ribs that go up the sides like a flatbottom does.

Heres another picture from a little farther down the line on my project showing the type side panels I am trying to figure out how to secure

It would be be a serious pain if you ever wanted to take them back off, but subfloor adhesive would probably do the trick.

jdd5p said:

It would be be a serious pain if you ever wanted to take them back off, but subfloor adhesive would probably do the trick.

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Welcome aboard jdd5p!

Thanks for joining! :beer:

How about some shiney chrome L brakets.

If they're not structural panels and nothing is mounted to them,you could use hook and loop strips(AKA velcro).Dunno how well things match up on the back side to be able to use it.

liguid nail,around the edges will hold it

Maybe PL400 or some sort of epoxy. You will likely want to scrub up the aluminum with a grinder or belt sander with coarse grit to give the adhesive something to bite to. I think some sort of mechanical fastening would be better in the long run because the natural flexing of the hull could cause an adhesive to break loose. Maybe you could put 1/2" square aluminum tubing on the top and rivet it from the outside (although I hate putting any holes in my hull) and screw into the 1/2" tubing from the inside. Then use brackets to the floor plywood to hold the bottom. I would use aluminum for the sides... sure it's considerably more expensive, but a project is only as good as the materials you put into it. Are you using treated plywood? the stuff in the pics looks untreated... I agree with the other guys...use stainless screws no matter what.

Otherwise, it looks cool....good luck.

I have got a better idea, provided you are somewhat familiar with a tad more than very basic carpentry.

Cut the length of the panels to 3 inches less than what they are now. Get a good hardwood, say oak, and plain it down to 1 1/2 inches by the exact width of the plywood. They will go on the two ends of the panels. Attach them with biscuits, and Titebond III glue (completely waterproof). If you don't have access to a biscuit jointer, 3 inch galvanized finishing nailgun nails should do the trick. Just be sure to clamp it well with pipe clamps, and completely cover the edge of plywood with the glue, as it will be about the best water sealer you can come up with. Now, put your panels in place, and screw through the ribs you do have, into the new piece of oak with stainless screws (you will need pilot holes into a hardwood).

It may seem like a whole bunch of work, but in a year or so, the screws into the endgrain of the plywood will work loose. The hardwood will prevent that for as long as the rest of the wood lasts.

For attaching the top edge of the side panel I would use some small 1/8" stainless steel pan head screws and either some lock nuts on the outside or just some plain old nuts & some lock tight. Drilling a few little holes at the very top edge of the rail won't cause any leaking since at the most it will get the occasional splash.

Here's what I would do to secure the bottom edge. Using an angle finder determine the angle needed and then rip one side of a treated 2x4 off so that it will fit flush against the floor and side panel. The opposite edge can then with be rounded off with a router or you can just cut down the edge with a saw so it has more of an octagonal type look to it. Then you can just screw everything together with some SS wood screw. Not the best description I know but hopefully it halfway makes sense.

FWIW I would avoid using pop rivets or any type epoxy / adhesive. If you ever need to remove the panels it would be a huge PITA.