Compass Installation

[John Revenboer]

I am installing a Bulk Head mounted compass on my 260. What tool would you recommend that I use to cut the 4 inch hole through the Fiberglass bulkhead?

 

[Joe C.]

Compass hole

A hole saw is the best. The good quality large ones are kind of expensive. You might could borrow one from an electrican or plumber. Make sure if you do that it is sharp. If you haven't used a large hole saw like this before, practice on plywood first to make sure that you don't scar up your boat or wring off your wrist. You could also use a roto-zip type tool, but it requires skill and care to avoid a very unhappy result.Good luck,Joe C. in NC'01 H260 Windward Passage

 

[Ray Bowles]

John, Last winter I installed a full set of.....

instruments on my 95 H26. The name of the compass I used was a Aqua Meter Saturn bulkhead mount. Now to the problem. I could not get a hole saw in our community that was big enough to do the job so I bought a cut-off wheel for my Dremmel high speed tool. I marked the circle and then cut it out with the Dremmel with the 3/8" to 1/2" cutting disc. It worked out very, very well but the price was the cost of the cutter disc as it was fried when I was done. I mounted the compass on the port bulkhead and had to also cut a smaller circle inside the head wall to allow the back side of the compass to protrude into the head cabin. I went to the local cabinet maker to have a wooden disk made that fit the bulkhead vertical differences and the horizonal difference. It was an odd little wooden wedge that was fatter on the starboard side and on the top side. The end result was a compass that was correct with the boat center line and within the vertical limits the manufacture called for.The Dremmel tool allows for a very clean cut that does'nt rip up the fiberglass but if I could have found a holesaw I would have probably gone that way. After all was said and done I liked the Dremmel tool better.Raysv Speedy

 

[Ed Schenck]

Love my Roto-zip.

Used it to cut the holes for cockpit speakers. I like the fact that you can control the depth so well, no danger of cutting through something that you can't see.The drill-bit like blades are not very robust. Fiberglass seems to dull them very quickly. Still I was able to cut two four-inch holes with one blade. You should practice on a piece of fiberglass or plastic first.