Building a DIY Carbon Fiber Table

Boat projects have a way of sneaking up on you. They rarely start as big ideas, but often seem to end up as one!

This was the case with one of the most recent projects on our sailing home - a new table for the rooftop lounge.

The problem with our table

The original table wasn't great. It was heavy, sat too low, and was just small enough to be annoying rather than useless. Trent never really fit under it comfortably, and from my side it wasn't quite high enough for me to comfortably (and safely) reach the sail bag. The final straw - cracks that formed in one of the corners. We decided the table had to go, and something newer and better would take its place.

Taking DIY to a new level

The idea was to build a lighter, higher table, that actually worked for how we use the flybridge.

After tossing around design ideas and having a convincing conversation with another cruiser, we settled on a foam core, carbon fiber table, with white gel coat for the finish.

Learning to vacuum bag

The project started with us figuring out the shape we wanted, then cutting and routing the foam. From there it was time to vacuum bag, something we hadn't done before.

With guidance from another cruiser we wrapped the foam core with 3 layers of carbon fiber, then infused it with resin. To give us more working time we mixed the West Systems 105 resin with 209 Extra Slow hardener, marking the first time we'd used hardener for a DIY boat project.

Once the vacuum bagging was completed the table was faired, and the top was sprayed with gel coat. Then, our attention turned to the base.

Creating a custom base

Part of the conundrum was figuring out a base structure that was strong, easily bolted to the stainless table legs, and gave us the extra height we were looking for.

Trent designed what can only be described as a layered foam pedestal. He routed and shaped each layer, turning a blocky pile of foam into something that looked intentional.

From there the project moved into fiberglass and epoxy, which is where I took over. I used West System resin with 206 Slow Hardener to glue the layers together, before fiber glassing over the whole lot and joining it to the table. It was a challenge to wet everything out properly and get the fiberglass layers on in time, especially as I had the flu, but when it comes to boat projects we just make it happen!

Using West System 407 fairing compound

After a few hours the fiber glassed structure had cured enough for me to think about filling and shaping it. We'd decided to use some leftover West System 407 fairing compound, with this being my first time working with it.

New materials always come with a bit of doubt, but it turned out to be straightforward enough - just mix it with the resin and hardener until you get a peanut butter like consistently, then apply it with a scraper like icing on a cake.

By the next morning the fairing compound had cured enough to sand, and honestly, it was much easier than I'd anticipated! Strong yet easy to shape, Trent and I worked together to get a smooth surface that was ready to gel.

Time for gel coat

The part I was less relaxed about was the gel coating. I’m still getting comfortable mixing gel with wax and MEKP, and have had it fail on me before. Staying within the guidelines isn’t always enough; I’ve learned that being right at the upper end of the range matters if I actually want my NCS gel to cure properly.

After applying a VE resin tie coat I rolled on the gel coat and hoped for the best. By the next day it became evident that it worked (mostly!).

Final touches

For the final shaping and finish I handed the table over to Nino. Watching someone with decades of experience work is always a chance to learn something new. He applied thick gel coat and used a scraper on the last coat to shape the gel, flattening out the ridges from the roller. It's something I've since tried myself on a gel coat repair, and I'm pleased with how it went!

Before reinstalling the table, I took the time to polish the stainless legs using Collinite metal wax. Salt doesn’t forgive neglect, and this felt like one of those small maintenance jobs that pays off later. Once everything was back together we bolted the table into place with a sealant layer in between the table and legs, then left it alone to cure.

The final result; a table that's more functional and aesthetically pleasing than the old one, which was joyfully thrown off the boat.

Like most boat projects, this one involved learning, second guessing, a fair bit of sanding dust, and at least one moment where we wondered why we started. But it also reinforced something we keep coming back to; building for how you actually live on the boat matters more than sticking with what came from the factory.