I mounted a Hawkeye depth sounder gauge in the dash of 2016 R23. Scary stuff….as you have to go through both the Naugahyde, then the foam backing underneath, then the thick plywood. If you just drill willy nilly, the bit will grab the Naugahyde and foam and destroy your dash as it all wraps around the bit, pulling from everywhere under the Naugahyde.
I was successful in cutting a 2” hole using a multiple step procedure that involves first tracing a circle of the hole in the
Naugahyde (this is the actual size of the hole you want, not the size outside gauge ring.) Also hole should be a tad larger than the gauge itself in order to accommodate the thickness of the Naugahyde, as you will see further along.
- Cut the circle into 4 or 6 pie slices with a razor.
- Peel back the Naugahyde slices. Do not further cut or remove the Naugahyde.
- Cut away the circular foam backing just behind with a razor. . Remove it.
- Drill a guide hole for the hole saw at the center of the circle through the plywood.
- Place hole saw in the drilled hole
- Gently pull the Naugahyde up around the hole saw so that it rests well above the saw teeth. Make sure it is completely out of the way.
- Drill your gauge hole in the plywood, while holding or gently pulling on a Naugahyde slice to keep it all out of the way of the hole saw teeth as you drill.
-Mount your gauge by folding the Naugahyde pie slices into the hole along with the gauge.
PM me for pics.
Good luck, SeaCabin
