J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment DC Electrical Panel Replacement

I decided rather than having the hinge only open 90 degrees and complicate the cutout, I would modify the hinge so it closed flush.

The hinge was removed from the panel and marked with tape to show the areas that needed to be notched so it could fold flat and not interfere with the components on the panel. The hinge was placed in a vice and a Dremel tool cutoff wheel used to cut the notches out. After cutting the notches, the rough edges were filed and corners rounded. This photo shows the work in process to notch the hinge.



After the notches were cut, the hinge fit was checked on the panel. The hinge was again removed and three holes 3/16" diameter were drilled that will be used to mount the hinge to the wood panel on the boat. These hole were countersunk so that they can be mounted flush when the hinge is closed. Below shows the hinge mounted on the panel, folded showing the relief area that allows the hinge to sit flat.



I traced the modified hinge and created a template others can use for modification, and for drill pilot holes to mount the hinge in the boat. This is in the PDF file attached.

Oh - all this happened this afternoon when we got power back from the blizzard. We have 20" of snow and were without power from midnight until 4 this afternoon. My plans to work on the boat this weekend were side tracked.