Low buck projects- Let's see 'em!

[szigi]

Originally Posted by bljones

Or use an illuminated switch.
Great idea, and the red light ups the coolness factor.

Speaking of red lights. I have fluorescent cabin lights. I got some self-adhesive LED-strips. Stuck them next to the fluorescent tubes, exchanged the switch to a two way switch and soldered wires to the LEDs. Now I can have super-sexy red light to reduce glare, and not attract insects, or normal white light.

Total cost converted to $: $12 for the LEDs, and $2 for the switch.

The pic shows the light, with cover removed.

[PaulinVictoria]

Looks like a knocking shop

[szigi]

Originally Posted by PaulinVictoria

Looks like a knocking shop

Yep! Red cabin lights do make one to think of fun other than sailing .

[szigi]

Here's an other quick project. Galley had ugly white MDF board for the countertop. So got some plywood, green stain and varnish. Some adhesive for the railing. And, as a bonus, leftover ceramic tiles behind the sink and some sealant for the caulking.

Looks way better. Total cost ~$30.

[peterchech]

Originally Posted by szigi

Here's an other quick project. Galley had ugly white MDF board for the countertop. So got some plywood, green stain and varnish. Some adhesive for the railing. And, as a bonus, leftover ceramic tiles behind the sink and some sealant for the caulking.

Looks way better. Total cost ~$30.

How does that plywood work out as countertop? I am doing mine in formica because it is more scratch resistant and a better finish, but the finish on yours looks top notch...

[szigi]

Originally Posted by peterchech

How does that plywood work out as countertop? I am doing mine in formica because it is more scratch resistant and a better finish, but the finish on yours looks top notch...

So far it does well, it's been now in place for this year. To be frank, my boat is on an inland lake, so it's usually only used for the weekends only, but we do quite a lot of cooking then, so the galley is in use.

I first painted the plywood to color, then coated it with 4 layers of varnish (bit of a sanding between the layers), and it seems to be hard enough to resist scratches.

And if it gets scratched in the future, I can just sand it a bit and recoat a couple of layers without much hassle.

[nodders]

Just needs a little fine sanding and some tung oil, and it will be ready to mount next to the nav station! Cost: about $18 for the wood, a place to put this stuff - priceless!

[bljones]

Nice work. What wood did you use?

[Bilgewater]

Finished my bulkheadboard/book-rack last week. I paid $10 for the stick on LED strip lighting that's positioned under the top shelf and runs the length. It can be seen in the photos. The toggle switch cost me about $3. I always have cans of stain and varnish on board so I may have used about $10 worth of that. I had this Hemlock left over from another house project. Hemlock is kind of a budget wood but it has a nice grain and it's easy to work with so I would guess it might be worth around $80. I purchased the 3/4" maple plywood backing for this project and that cost me $45 but I have quite a bit left over that will be used for some galley shelves I'll build next.

The bottom compartments go about 6" deeper than can be seen in the photos.



The strip LED lights can be seen just under the top shelf.

[Ritchard]

That's a real nice job, Seeya.