Turbine Inspired Center Console DIY
Well, did another big push on the console today for the last day of working on it for the week. I'll do a couple little things but i won't be back at my shop till monday. I had hoped to have this done for a car show on next Sunday, but weather I get it in time or not, the car is still going. I just thought this would be a cool piece to have in it.
Well I started off before leaving by setting the console back in the car to ensure that it still fit and I needed to take some contour measurements. I had originally thought of doing a carpet drape off the sides like the factory would have done, then thought that if I'm going through this much trouble, there's no point in cheaping out and to actually skirt it down to a reasonable distance from the transmission tunnel.
I marked it and wrote my angles and measurements all over it for when I got in to the shop.
I planed some 1/4" phillipine mahogany again, and cut 3 pieces to fit for skirting.
Before I attached it I realized that I never actually checked to ensure a drink would fit in the holders yet... whew it does.
It looks a little weird with the hump in it, but it makes sense when on the car.
For the passenger side I just covered the front part and skirted it. The rest I have yet to figure out my solution. I would bend a piece of wood there, but I am not sure how it would sit down that way, so I'm waiting on that one.
I drew the end of the console onto a piece of 1/4" aircraft ply, then cut it out, glued it to the console and screwed it down till it dries so I could shape it.
I drew up some "wings" and finally decided on a shape and then cut two out of some 1/4" aircraft ply. I glued them and screwed them down till the glue dries.
[/URL][/IMG]
I always screw stuff like this down while i glue it because it's easier than trying to clamp a weird shape like this, and it definitly holds, then you just take the screws out and fill the holes and move on when it dries.
I shaped another piece of 1/4" ply to put on top and that kind of completes the superstructure. I was thinking of going further back but I have a lot of work ahead of me to complete what I have here so far. I have to shape the front of the piece and blend the whole superstructure together so everything looks like one piece.
That part got screwed and clamped into place. Then I added bondo to the empty spots to blend. I still have to trim a bit of the plywood but it all held together just perfectly.
I went and popped it back in the car to test fit that the superstructure would not interfere with anything and that the skirting sat down nice. It looks alright to me. There's going to be minimal carpet skirt blending to do and I like that. The base skirts will be painted black so they'll be almost invisible against the carpet. Then the superstructure will be white with chrome, and the rest will be an attempt of mine to look like brushed metal.
For the brushed metal I'm thinking of sanding the whole thing down to 320 then taking some 80 gritt and making long passes in the same direction on the "metal" part. Then spraying a silver over it. Think it would work?
It's getting there.
Well, did another big push on the console today for the last day of working on it for the week. I'll do a couple little things but i won't be back at my shop till monday. I had hoped to have this done for a car show on next Sunday, but weather I get it in time or not, the car is still going. I just thought this would be a cool piece to have in it.
Well I started off before leaving by setting the console back in the car to ensure that it still fit and I needed to take some contour measurements. I had originally thought of doing a carpet drape off the sides like the factory would have done, then thought that if I'm going through this much trouble, there's no point in cheaping out and to actually skirt it down to a reasonable distance from the transmission tunnel.
I marked it and wrote my angles and measurements all over it for when I got in to the shop.
I planed some 1/4" phillipine mahogany again, and cut 3 pieces to fit for skirting.
Before I attached it I realized that I never actually checked to ensure a drink would fit in the holders yet... whew it does.
It looks a little weird with the hump in it, but it makes sense when on the car.
For the passenger side I just covered the front part and skirted it. The rest I have yet to figure out my solution. I would bend a piece of wood there, but I am not sure how it would sit down that way, so I'm waiting on that one.
I drew the end of the console onto a piece of 1/4" aircraft ply, then cut it out, glued it to the console and screwed it down till it dries so I could shape it.
I drew up some "wings" and finally decided on a shape and then cut two out of some 1/4" aircraft ply. I glued them and screwed them down till the glue dries.
[/URL][/IMG]I always screw stuff like this down while i glue it because it's easier than trying to clamp a weird shape like this, and it definitly holds, then you just take the screws out and fill the holes and move on when it dries.
I shaped another piece of 1/4" ply to put on top and that kind of completes the superstructure. I was thinking of going further back but I have a lot of work ahead of me to complete what I have here so far. I have to shape the front of the piece and blend the whole superstructure together so everything looks like one piece.
That part got screwed and clamped into place. Then I added bondo to the empty spots to blend. I still have to trim a bit of the plywood but it all held together just perfectly.
I went and popped it back in the car to test fit that the superstructure would not interfere with anything and that the skirting sat down nice. It looks alright to me. There's going to be minimal carpet skirt blending to do and I like that. The base skirts will be painted black so they'll be almost invisible against the carpet. Then the superstructure will be white with chrome, and the rest will be an attempt of mine to look like brushed metal.
For the brushed metal I'm thinking of sanding the whole thing down to 320 then taking some 80 gritt and making long passes in the same direction on the "metal" part. Then spraying a silver over it. Think it would work?
It's getting there.
