Living For Sail · video

What this video covers

To restore the cockpit sole of a Liberty 458, the owner replaces the center core with 1-inch Kusa panels, securing them with epoxy and vacuum bagging to ensure a flat, void-free bond. To mount the binnacle, he designs and 3D-prints a custom vacuum-powered drill jig using a Prusa Core 1 printer and PLA filament. The jig features a vacuum port and 1/16-inch neoprene tape to create a seal, allowing the jig to hold firmly to the fiberglass surface under 25 inches of mercury. This setup enables precise drilling of the main binnacle hole and four mounting bolt holes. He further uses a 3D-printed guide to hold a 3/4-inch router bit, cleaning the hole bottoms to accept G10 backing plates. These G10 plates provide a hard mounting surface beneath the future Permateek decking, preventing compression of the synthetic teak under the binnacle's load. 3D-printed vacuum jigs provide a repeatable, accurate method for drilling and routing hardware mounting points on complex boat surfaces.

Boats in this video

More from Living For Sail

BACK to Work on ANTIDOTE! - How I Used 3D Printing to Fix My BoatAug 2026⛵️ I Tried Boiling Water Out of My Boat... It Actually Worked - sort of?!Jul 2026⛵️ This DIY Sailboat Repair Has To Work... Right?Jun 2026Uh oh... 2 Reasons why there is No New Video Today...May 2026

From Living For Sail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.