# Has anyone ever built their own flip flop cooler seat



## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

Has anyone ever built their own flip flop cooler seat or storage box like the pics below for their boat, if so, I sure would like some pics and building materials and instructions on how to build it. I am a pretty good wood worker so working with wood is no problem. I have never worked with fiberglass so I know nothing at all about it. Thought about building a box then cover with fiberglass cloth but don't know the procedures or problems.
The red cooler seat frame is very simple, but I want to build a box for storage. The simple design lets a passenger set with a driver, then flip the back forward towards the steering wheel so they can sit and fish from the seat. Will add lots of needed storage, or insulate it and use a cooler or live well. The seat I want to build is a lot smaller than the regular flip flop seat you see all the time. My seat box will be 30" wide X 16" deep X 20" tall, with a 4" cushion on top. The frame work will be out of Mahogany, the box from 3/4" plywood. The back rest will not be padded. Has anybody built anything like this for a boat before, need your help, thanx.
See several pics below. All the seats below are home built.


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

Sorry. I don't have any experience but I think it's a great idea, especially if you have wood working experience. Good luck. Post pics as you go along.


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## Texcam (Mar 25, 2007)

Check out West Systems, they have a lot of how to use their fiberglass products articles.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/


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## adpostel (Jan 14, 2006)

I just used the West Systems for the first time on a console project that I am doing. The stuff is expensive, but VERY VERY easy to use. As a matter of fact, it is pretty hard to mess it up. I bought the pump kit with it that regulates how much resin to hardener you use. One pump of resin to one pump of hardener. Can't really mess that up, and it worked very well..... alot of videos on youtube about West Systems. Good Luck.


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## Fish-n-Chips (Sep 28, 2011)

I would assume from wanting to do it yourself you're trying to save yourself some money. Also judging from the pics, I'd assume this is for a Boston Whaler? If you're wood working skills are good, then I'd build the whole seat out of mahogany and attach to the floor with aluminum L brackets. Though fiberglass is also an option, and price wise probably a wash... but the fiberglass will require little upkeep, where as the wood will require sanding and varnishing every few years depending on use/exposure. IMO its hard to beat the look of fine mahogany wood work on a BW.


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

Look under the post: "show your Whaler" and you will see the first Whaler I built in 2009 and like a fool, I sold it. Now the other 15' Whalers pics are there also. The flip flop seat I added to the other Whaler was way too wide for my uncle to get around so I removed the flip back seat pad. So with this one, I am going to build one for this boat so I can use as storage and he can get around pretty easy. This is approx. the 10th or 11th boat that I have redone, remodeled or added to in some major way. My wife says it keeps me out of trouble.
I wanted to build a seat like below and the cooler chocks, but after pricing Mahogany, I changed my mind real fast.


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

P.S. you don't know of anyone who has a lot of old Mahogany for sale cheap to you?


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## Fish-n-Chips (Sep 28, 2011)

Not down here I don't. If you lived in Michigan, would be a different story. I remember helping my grandpa refinish his older boat and he'd complain about the cost of the mahogany, and that was decades ago. Maybe you could find a local fiberglass shop to make you a box? Then add your own top (starboard?) and cushions. I always did like the looks of those old Whaler RPS seats.


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

That seat with the red Igloo brings back memories. No other wood options? I don't know wood but would think there might be other woods with good stain that would look good. I built a red oak salon table for a Bertram I did that came out pretty. Would have been better if I was more patient with prep work. TW


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## Majekster (May 13, 2008)

that would be a pretty fun project - covering the wood with fiberglass would be very nice, as long as you have enough patience to do so.

I am planning on building a rod rack in the near future, and covering with fiberglass & inlaying some decals I've had sitting on my tackle area for quite some time.

You'd want to layup at least 3-layers of glass to be sure and make a good build of glass over the wood.

As far as materials go, you'd want to use woven cloth to "wrap" any pieces...DON'T use biaxial cloth to try and wrap something, it doesn't work well & you'll frustrate the heck outta yourself, with little pieces that keep popping up at the bends and introducing bubbles in your build up that you'll need to sand out to make the final product transparent.....use a LIGHT weight woven cloth, do 3-4 layers and it'll be much more easy than you think.

As far as material goes, you can get most every fiberglass product you need at Johnson Fiberglass in South Houston (that's where I bought all of my material when I rebuilt my Majek).....and use the MAS epoxy SLOW setting epoxy if you're going to do it when temps are above 75deg....it penetrates VERY good and it's simple to mix w/o bubbles.......after your fingers start begging you to quit sanding, you'll learn how to work & not make bubbles.

Good Luck & make a thread if you do it, I'd like to see the progress.


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