Can I cut and hinge my bench?

I have a vee bottom john boat, 11 or 12ft, and it has wood on top of the metal bench that you sit on. I'm wanting to remove the wood top from my middle bench and make two cuts in it so that I can add a hinge and use underneath it as storage.

I'm not sure if I can though because i don't know if the boat relies on the wood for integrity.Each bench has two arms on each side from the side of the boat that screw into the wood, then 8 screws (4 per side) going longways that secure the wood to the boat.

 

ok you have a distant picture of the boat so how about some close up pictures of the seat Or bench as you call it something that shows detail of what's there !!

 

its dark out didnt think the pic would come out. turns out it did

 

The plywood thwart probably does play a role in athwart stiffness, but you could beef up the support braces and cut a hole for a hinged top. You could beef it up with more wood or aluminum, pick one.

BTW, that's not a Jon boat, but is a typical warped bottom skiff. The "middle bench" is called a thwart and using the space below as storage is a common and sensible upgrade. Line it with some foam and you have a built in beer cooler.

 

Just A Thought !!

If you were really cunning you could make a complete new seat top same size at whats in the boat and build a box under the seat with either one or two opening parts to it hinged with piano hinges and self draining lower at the outside ends and higher by a inch in the middle . as has already been suggested foam over the outside if the box can make it a cooler or it can also add to the floatation that's possibly absent any where in the boats .
Just to confirm what size the boxes could be made take the 4 side brackets off and take all the screws securing the plywood holding along the seat lower uprights and have a peep inside just to make sure what you wanting to do is feasible or not !!
do you realise if you boat gets swamped it could sink completely like gone totally ?? do you know if there is any form of buoyancy in the very back under that seat or up front ???
Did you wife buy you the boat after she doubled your life insurance policy ??
JUST A THOUGHT !!

 

I didn't think of just grabbing my jig saw out and cutting out a section to then use as a door. Would surly be much faster. I would do a square door though it will be easier to use and offer a slightly larger opening.

I don't know what is under the seat. The front has nothing under it, i can see up under there. I will take a look under the other seats but i'm pretty positive they are all just empty underneath.

 

I took the middle seat out. Put in a Rolling rowing seat. I can scoot to either end of the boat and the lazy Susan under the seat let's me face any direction.
You'd have to do something really harmful to that boat before the missing seat would make a difference.

 

Perfect, now in the morning I can cut with a restful mind. Thanks guys

 

Since this is a commercially built boat, there has to be flotation per USCG rules. It is probably under the thwarts as foam or air tanks. As you are not required to make your boat drown proof, you can legally take it out, but should you? You could add storage in some other way.

 

I would bet when i look nothing is there. I think its a 78 i would have to look again. If i did remove any i would add it in other places

 

Decided I may not do it. Two of the bolt heads (flat) cracked upon any attempt to remove them (boats early 70's they been in a while) and the nuts cannot be backed off w/o holding the head still. I considered just using the jig saw to cut out the door but one jump of the blade and i have a sloppy looking door.

The plan was to use a spade bit centered at the edge of where i want the door, then from the middle cut straight out in both directions. I could then make a square with rounded edges. That hole would serve as a place to start and result in a place to open the door from. Just don't want to jack it up.

 

Use a small drill and drill several holes in a row, hen you can get a jigsaw blade in and cut out the cover to use as the door. You will need to build a frame inside to support the door. It should be fine. Stay away from the frame as the top probably has a flange on it.

 

I sprayed them down with PB. I figure I may as well replace the bolts with new and better

 

I'm not sure when the floatation requirements came in, but many of these riveted skiffs of this era had none, nor splash wells.

 

Yup, but use some common sense. Use a piano hinge on the hinge side and leave about 2 inches on the other clear across.

1. Decide ahead of time what you are going to do if you find it is full of flotation.
2. Mark the corners of the future cutout.
3. Drill a little hole on the hinge line and poke a wire in there and see what gives. Apply the decision from 1.

If you are continuing-

4. Buy a piano hinge and you'll need some 1x2.
5. Drill corners 1/4
6. Slit hinge side and a couple inches of crosscut and stop.
7. Install piano hinge
8. Paddle bit a finger hole in the lid. Don't be shy, make it twice as big as you'd think.
9. Cut lid loose (and deal with the contents).
10. Add a cleat/stop/lip inside the bench to catch the lid. This should extend well beyond the lid on either side. Knock the two corners (holes) off to 45s
11. Soak the edges of the ply in about ten coats of paint.

The piano hinge and the cleat 1x2 can absorb the stress concentration caused by the hole. For the price of the hinge you can buy a little round hatch and screw in lid, but probably not what you had in mind.

edit ... I got side tracked by a deluge (2" rain in 20 minutes, we have a small lake and that is a problem) and when I posted, the thread had advanced a bit.