Predictor Tube Seat Pedestals

[jrs1958]

Hi all….I’m almost finished installing tube seat pedestals in my 84’ Predictor. It’s still a work in progress. The captain’s chair won’t swivel because of the steering wheel and controls, but the fore/aft adjustment is nice. The co-pilots chair will do a 180. I’ve taken a bunch of photos along the way of how I did the install and will post them once I get them organized.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/3.jpg

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/2.jpg

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/4.jpg

1984 Predictor 1968 Mercury I-6 125 HP

[Chris]

I fixed up the UBB code for ya. http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[85Predictor]

http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif
Very Nice!!

[ckmate225]

That looks like a pretty nice addition http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif

[175checkmate]

Looks great. I may have to look at doing something like that when I have to build my seat bases.

[illMATTic]

nice job. wont you sit too high? i have my seats right on the box on the floor. i like to sit lowwwww. http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

[jrs1958]

Before I took out the original seat boxes, I measured them and they were 9” high to bottom of the seat. So when I was figuring out if the pedestals would fit I, used the O.E.M. height as a gauge. I thought about lowering the seats a little but the curve of the hull limited how thin I could make the mounting base and still have clearance for the mounting bolts. Maybe with a flat pedestal base I could have gotten an inch or two lower, but since this was a big experiment, I figured to play it safe and go with the original box height. The pedestals I used have an angled seat base plate. The front of the seat plate is installed at 9”. Here’s a picture of one of the bases before I started.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/5.jpg

[jrs1958]

Here’s some photo’s of how it was done.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/6.jpg
I made 2 laminated pieces out of 3 - ¾ “, 1 - ½ “ pieces of plywood and fiberglass mat. C-clamped it together and let the resin cure.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/14.jpg
I then measured, cut and glassed all the pieces. I used ‘kitty hair’on the laminated piece to smooth the curved edge. I screwed everything together with stainless steel screws with a double layer of wax paper sandwiched between the top and the base.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/13.jpg
The wax paper allowed me to fill the gaps with ‘kitty hair’ and to glass the inside and outside together as a unit. I also adjusted the fit between the hull and the base at this step for a close fit. The wax paper allowed me to separate the top from the base when everything had cured. I also drilled the holes for the seat base.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/11.jpg
I drilled 3 holes in the laminated piece to screw the base to the floor. But before I screwed the base to the floor I glassed between the laminated piece and the floor. I also used kitty hair between the rest of the base and the hull. Once everything had cured, I glassed the inside to the hull with mat and woven roving cloth. I installed the toggle bolts with rubber washers on the top. I also used electrical tape on the toggles on the bottom to protect the threads in the toggles from getting ‘glued’ in the next step.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/12.jpg
I then used kitty hair to glue the top to the base, and used stainless steel screws to hold it together. The next step was to smooth the seam between the top and the base with bondo. (I used kitty hair on the captains chair base seam.) Then glass the outside of the base to the hull with mat and woven roving cloth. The rubber washers seal the toggle bolt holes from getting glassed shut.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/7.jpg
I then cut 3” off the pedestal tube with a sawzall and used a file to clean the burs off the end of the tube. In the next step I glassed the underside of the wood base of the seats with fiberglass mat and woven roving cloth. I then mounted the seat bases to the seats with 3/8” stainless steel bolts and nuts. I had to use a bedding material between the wood and the base because the wood had a slight warp to it and the slide of the base would lockup when I tightened it up. I used kitty hair thinned with a little resin.

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421548768/8.jpg
Next, I drilled the wood bases on the cushions to clear the mounting bolts and nuts. The final step was to remove the levers, springs and pins from the base. Install the seats, tighten down the clamping knob, stick a drill through the bases and drill the locking pin holes into the tubes. Then I reassembled everything.

A few pluses, is that now the seats can be removed very easily to gain access to the bow storage area or to vaccuum. Or, if you are going out by yourself to race you can shed a few pounds by removing the co-pilots seat altogether. Just put a beer can cooler upside down over the exposed tube end. You don’t want to fall on it without the cooler. Ouch!

I purchased the pedestals from:
http://www.greatlakesskipper.com

1984 Predictor 1968 Mercury I-6 125 HP

[HemiBee]

Nice job....looks like you put a lot of thought into it http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif

[DONCONVINCER]

Great job.. I like.. I would have done one thing different. I would have put stainless steel castle nuts on the back side of the base instead of the toggle so you could take the seat stands out without dropping the nuts

[jrs1958]

I used Garelick togglers. It was 6 for $20 at Boaters World. You can check them out at:

http://www.garelick.com/#

I’ve already had the pedestals in and out a few times. Now there out, I just put masking tape over the holes. I’m currently working in the bilge area. Once I get the carpet installed in the spring, I’ll squirt some non-hardening sealer in the holes to seal the plastic.

[DONCONVINCER]

Great toggles.. Excellent for retro fit or to replace the type of attachment I would have used. Now that I see what you put in I think it was a good choice. One problem with castle nuts is you have to assemble things with a bolt in the hole so resin won't get in the hole. Those toggles can be put in after assembly and if the threads get damaged you can just cut off the retaineer and install a new one. I have never seen those type with the retainers before.

[jrs1958]

What sold me on these was the ‘no drop’ feature of the nut once the bolt was removed. With this pedestal design, the togglers have to be install in the top before it is ‘glued’ to the base, because there is no ‘swing’ room for the nut.

[DONCONVINCER]

I wish I had known about those things when I installed my ski pole. I put brass thread anchor sleeves in the floor and into the center stringer. Then I bolted down the anchor plate with 2 5/16x18's in the center and 4 3/8x18's on the outer corners. It's a bit of over-kill but it looks good. (The steel plate is 4" x 8")

[jrs1958]

Here are some photos of how the pedestals turned out once the carpet was installed.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/jrs1958/Peddone3.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/jrs1958/Peddone2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/jrs1958/Peddone1.jpg

1984 Predictor 1968 Mercury 1250SS 125 HP I-6

[mate229]

Very nice

[jrs1958]

Hey everybody thanks for all the positive support. It was a big job but I think it turned out looking great and was worth the extra effort.

1984 Predictor 1968 Mercury 1250SS 125 HP I-6

[Boston Predictor]

nice job...The previous owner of my boat had swivel seats but now they are stationary. looks good not to high up.

[brian s]

wow i wish you were here when i did mine i lost my mind and i still dont like the way mine turned out im going to redo them at the end of the season i will do them like yours. nice job