Boxing in electric winch motors

[BobJ]

Greetings,

I installed an electric winch and would like to enclose the motor on the underside (it's in a very visible part of the cabin). I'd prefer to build a teak box around it but white veneer on thin plywood would also work. I don't have experience with marine carpentry and I don't know where to look for the materials. I'm guessing I start by making a cardboard mock-up of the box I need?

Thanks.

[coopec43]

If you do it in Teak you'll only need a tiny little bit so you won't want to be buying a full sheet @ around $200.

This is where I find it best to go to the trade and ask to go through their scrap bin or ask if you can buy some off-cuts.

I don't know San Francisco at all but maybe someone like Teak Me Home (725 Gilmam Berkley CA) would have some off-cuts that you could buy?

A cardboard mock-up is not a bad start because that will give you the dimensions required.

Google "Teak furniture manufacturers San Francisco" and see if there are any furniture manufacturers in your area.

[sailormed]

Do not forget that electric winches are thermally protected.
They get hot and need air, otherwise they stop all of a sudden on usually the worst moment.
So plan on air in and out openings.

[jmh2002]

White will be easier and cheaper for both colour, materials, and matching.

If it's in wood both the wood, the finishing (staining and varnishing as necessary) as well as the craftsmanship will need to be matched to your existing interior for it to 'look right' (eg: even how the corners of the box are made, the joints, angles, style, etc, should be the same - this is more difficult than it seems).

I did the same project years ago but fortunately the boatyard specialised in that brand of boat and had everything on hand to be able to match the box like for like with the interior. Afterwards it looked like it came from the factory like that.

But I wouldn't be confident that everyone could achieve the same result.

[Alita49DS]

I would be more worried about hitting one's head on the thing. My friend in NZ has a similar issue. As the motor is essentially circular what about a plastic bucket suitably decorated? Has a taper and easy to put in air vents.

[geoleo]

Better hire a person to do it. ask around

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by BobJ

Greetings,

I installed an electric winch and would like to enclose the motor on the underside (it's in a very visible part of the cabin). I'd prefer to build a teak box around it but white veneer on thin plywood would also work. I don't have experience with marine carpentry and I don't know where to look for the materials. I'm guessing I start by making a cardboard mock-up of the box I need?

Thanks.

Coopec's idea for material- sourcing is a good.

The headache factor is also something to keep in your head...

The starting place is where you can attach it.

Attached picture shows a couple rough solutions. The white brackets would be typical attachment points for aluminum or stainless sections cut from a piece of angle. The yellow lines denote using an open-ended box for ventilation; the red lines have show the enclosure going all the way to the inclined wooden panel. There should be another hole or grill at the highest spot possible to allow circulation. The brackets could be replaced by wooden cleats; this will allow easier initial fastening, but repeated removal may degrade attachment security over time, depending on what type of wood you use.

Making cardboard or thin plywood forms will aid in producing the final enclosure but it isn't strictly necessary to assemble a complete mockup (though since you'll have the pieces it'd be easy enough to tape them together for a trial fit).

Start with the hardest panel first, the one that intersects the headliner and the forward or beam (i can't tell which) side by cutting a section of whatever you're using for panel making as close as you can to fit, then take a sharpie or dark pencil, lay it flat on a short piece of 1" thick block and follow the curve of the headliner and angle of the bulkhead to trace (usually called 'scribe') a line describing the actual dimensions onto the pattern. Leave as much extra on the 'bottom' of the pattern as you can as you'll probably have to do this several times to get the most accurate fit.

Once the first panel is fitted, it will dictate where the others go and how they're shaped.

Plenty of other ways of doing it, most people who do this kinda stuff are open to giving a hand, so ask around your local scene for pointers and you might get someone to physically help...if you want it.

[BobJ]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

Here's a shot of the old electric winch with it's cover, taken from directly below.
The cover has a flat bottom, screwed on, with no ventilation. The winch motor was much smaller (an old Lewmar OP-1) and it lasted over 20 years.

I'd like to have an elegant solution like the old one - how do you bend plywood like that?

[BobJ]

"The starting place is where you can attach it."

Here's what it looks like under the headliner, obviously before replacing the winch:

[Stu Jackson]

You don't need to fully enclose it if all you're looking for is better visuals. Keep the "back"sides open.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by BobJ

Thanks for the helpful replies.

Here's a shot of the old electric winch with it's cover, taken from directly below.
The cover has a flat bottom, screwed on, with no ventilation. The winch motor was much smaller (an old Lewmar OP-1) and it lasted over 20 years.

I'd like to have an elegant solution like the old one - how do you bend plywood like that?

You don't. Typically you'd glue multiple thin layers (1/16 -1/8" depending on the species) around an appropriate form, making the enclosure oversize to allow for trimming and finishing. It's not particularly difficult, but is messy and details are important.

An advantage is that you can use thicker, more bendable woods for the interior and a thinner section of less bendable wood (like teak) for the cosmetic layer. For an interior layup, a non-speciality glue like Weldwood III would be quite sufficient.

There should be plenty of sources for veneer all along the west coast, figure out the diameter you need, give them a call and (f they know what they're selling) they should be able to give you advice on thicknesses and layup schedules.


Looks like you have plenty of solid attachment points, so no worries there.

[BobJ]

I have a second motor/gearbox assembly here at home for the winch on the other side, so I could experiment. The pre-made teak dorade boxes from Whitecap are close. I cut out the baffle and one side. With teak spacers between the box edges and the headliner, these might work. They even have vent holes on one end. Or I'll keep the bulkhead side open as Stu suggests.

I'll take the one I just cut up to the boat and see how it looks.

[BobJ]

Close but no cigar. These are the closest-fitting teak boxes I could find online. Has anyone seen any others? Anything custom is way more money.