The finishing touch to the interior of many boats is the vinyl-covered headlining panel, which can be detached to access under-deck fittings. Jake Kavanagh watches upholsterer Alan Dring make one from scratch
Making neat corners
12: For an inside corner, cut the vinyl at 45˚, but stop short of the plywood by the same amount as the thickness of the panel (6mm if it’s 6mm board, and 4mm for 4mm board).
13: For a sharp outside corner, cut out a single ‘finger’ at 45˚ to the corner. Remove the outer triangles.
14: For a more rounded outside corner, trim in a series of fingers, again stopping the cut short of the plywood, by the plywood’s thickness (6mm in this case).
15: To cut the aperture, poke your finger into the vinyl over the hole to indicate its centre, then cut into it from the other side (mind your fingertip). Now make a star pattern, stopping 6mm short on each cut.
16: Sand off the edges of the corners, so they won’t pierce the vinyl.
17: The board with its various cuts, ready for the final stage.