How to Fabricate a Chevy S10 Center Console

Building a custom center console for a Chevy S-10 can be a very creative process. you make it look however you want, use any kind of material you want, and customize it to any extreme. In this case, the project vehicle is a 1994 Chevrolet S-10 pickup.

Things You'll Need

• 4X8 sheet of 3/4-inch MDF (medium density fiberboard)
• Jig saw
• Table saw
• 5 yards of fleece
• Cheap paintbrushes
• Fiberglass mat
• Fiberglass resin
• Air filter mask
• Pneumatic stapler
• Pneumatic nailer
• Router with various bits
• Tape measure
• Cardboard
• Permanent marker
• Scissors
• Fiberglass body filler
• Plastic body filler
• Plastic body filler spreader
• 40-, 80- and 120-grit sandpaper
• Sanding block
• Resin mixing cups

Instructions

1. Place the cardboard in between the seats. This is going to become the template for your center console, as it's easiest to build the finished product in cardboard before wasting materials.

2. Trace the bottom of the floor using the permanent marker onto the cardboard. You want to keep it tight to the vehicle, as this will be how the piece sits on the floor.

3. Draw a rough shape for the rest of your console on the cardboard. Consider items that you want to use the console for, such as a cup holder, armrest, or space for your monitor. Make sure to create a perimeter for the console, including the front and back pieces.

4. Using the scissors, cut out the cardboard along the marked line. This is your template, so make it accurate.

5. Transfer your new template to another piece of cardboard so you can have both sides of the console.

6. Hold both pieces in between the two seats and see how you like the shape. Tweak it any way you see necessary, just make sure that the shape is the way you want it when you're done.

7. Transfer your template design to the MDF using the permanent marker and the cardboard template. Try to conserve your wood by starting the template in the corner of the board. Do this for both sides of the console.

8. Cut out the design using the table saw for large, flat spaces that make up the bulk of the design, and the jigsaw for curved or more intricate areas.

9. Place the two pieces of MDF in the cab and measure the distance between them using the tape measure. Set up the wood so that it fits accurately in between the seats. This measurement will be used to form the middle supports.

10. Take the measurement you just made for the middle supports and cut out some strips of MDF that are 1-inch wide by the length you just measured, using the table saw. Cut out at least 6 of these supports.

11. Nail the supports between the two pieces of the console using the pneumatic nailer. Make sure both sides are equal to each other, and that one side isn't higher than another.

12. Place the console into the vehicle. Now you're going to create the bottom supports for the console, which will support the body. Mark where you want these supports to be using the permanent marker.

13. Using the table saw, cut 2 pieces of the MDF that are 5 inches wide by the measurement that's the width of the console.

14. Nail these pieces to the console at your previous marks using the pneumatic nailer. Then place the console in the vehicle and make sure it fits correctly.

15. Go over the edges of the console using the router and a half-round bit. This creates a smooth edge for the console.

16. Staple the fleece to the top of each side of the console, so that it bridges the hole between the two boards. This needs to be pulled tight as it will eventually become the top of the console. Make sure the fleece is taut between the two sides of the console, and nail it to the wood along the way.

17. Mix the fiberglass resin per the instructions on the packaging, making sure you are wearing an air filter mask. Apply the resin onto the fleece using the paintbrush. You want to soak the fleece in the resin, that way it will harden and become the top of the console.

18. Flip the console upside down once the fleece has dried, and apply fiberglass mat to the underside of the fleece, then soak the fiberglass with resin. The mat is going to reinforce the console, so if you want to form it around the joint where the fleece meets the wood, this is fine.

19. Mix the fiberglass body filler using the provided hardener and instructions on the can, and apply on the top of the console. You want this to be applied to smooth out the top of the console, and it will fill in any gaps on the sides or in any joints.

20. Sand down the fiberglass body filler using the 40-grit sandpaper and sanding block. This is going to form a rough shape around the body, but it doesn't need to be perfect yet.

21. Mix the plastic body filler using the provided hardener and instructions on the can. Apply over the fiberglass plastic body filler.

22. Smooth out the body filler using the 80-grit sandpaper first, then moving up to 120-grit. This is the finishing step, so make sure it looks smooth.

23. Upholster with your material of choice. If you want to paint the console instead, sand the box again with finer sandpaper, such as 200-grit or finer, and make sure the filler has no voids.