rod lockers

[matchangler]

has anyone got any pics of how they built there rod lockers........

[Evan]

ok spill it Tim what new boat have you bought??? wouldnt happen to be made of plastic ????

[matchangler]

nah man that was my orginal plan then the wife told me she,s expecting again with 4 kids man i had to severly cut my boat budget plus i just brought a new quad bike to ,so i got bubba,s hornet off him ideal for what i want bring on the comps.......

[gez]

Well' How timely? Just in the last couple of minutes come in from the garage, just drilled some lockable latches on to a rod locker I made, and job finished - (job also included adding 40HP Honda, spray job, carpetted floors/platforms...etc...etc...)
I have some digi photos, but havn't the PC cable at the minute, maybe tomorrow.
I used a nice straight bit of 9mm C/D grade structural ply (2400 X1200, Approx $45) used some 15mm offcuts as end-peices, and once all the sections were cut, liquid nails was used to bond the peices together, any gaps filled with appropriate sealant, then several coats of primer with water sealing properties. To add a bit more strength, I screwed some brackets along the base (front and rear) and then carpeted the whole thing inside and out.
The tricky part I found was that because of the shape of the hull, the locker isn't square (when viewed in cross section), and is also tapered slightly from one end to the other, and I was actually pleasantly surpised that when I cut all the pieces it came together well. Though I only weigh around 65kg's, I can stand on the locker and walk from end to end ( 7 and a half feet, by the way) , though I don't plan on using it as a casting platform

I'll try to get some pics up in the next day or so.
Cheers. Gerard

[matchangler]

sounds good gez the pics would be good ,so you say you have shaped the back of the locker to the boat and the front square...

[gez]

so you say you have shaped the back of the locker to the boat and the front square...

Thats correct. The lid hides the fact that the locker is tapered slightly and gives a larger surface area than the actual size of the locker.

Gerard.

[gez]

G'day Tim. I didn't really have any photos of the rod locker in progress, mainly when it was finished, but basically once the base and sides and lid are cut, it's only a matter of making sure the end-pieces are cut to the precise angles. I made several templates out of the thickest cardboard I could find until I got it exactly right, the let liquid nails do the rest. a bit of thought has to go into what type of hinges and latches will be required as well. I have absolutely no history of woodwork or carpentry, other than as a spectator and provider of refreshments, so I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.
Looking at the locker from the front, it runs from the front thwart to the rear transom corner, and the rear length follows the shape of the vertical ribs, and the lid runs hard up against the ribs at gunnel height.

[gez]

The locker fits snug under the transom corner, and I cut the lid on a curved angle. The lid opens inwards rather than outwards so that if accidently opened while something is on top of the lid, it won't end up overboard.

[gez]

The locker looks a bit bigger than it actually is, but it doesn't really take up any floor space, and I can even attach some tackle and storage compartments underneath when i find some that are suitable.

[gez]

The boat hit the water for the first time today, and with one other person, and also a bench seat onboard, there was no problems with moving freely around the boat casting lures.

[matchangler]

looks good gez ,well done mate

[Evileye]

did ya catch anything!!!! hahahahha

nice rig