Vanshades acrylic splashback installation tips, including control panel

[W1bb1y666]

Heyup all,
Has anyone installed one of Vanshades acrylic splashbacks? I'm at the point of getting ready to install the EVO furniture I've recently built and am struggling to get into my head the best order in which to do it. I'm trying to wrap my head around the units, the electrics, and the splashback all at the same time and am going slightly insane :-D I placed the units in the other day, just to get an idea how they fit and to mark out some wiring locations too (that's partly done already, there's a cable run behind the panelling leading to one of those common 12 way bladed fused disti boxes which is currently roughly located in the cupboard with the lift-up lid, behind the red X (I'm not even sure if that is a good place for it... but it is easy to access; a problem for another day). Mainly what's mashing my head right now is the Vanshades acrylic splashback itself.

Vanshades guide recommends using sikaflex, trimming down along both the horizontal edge so it sits on top of the worktop and the right hand vertical edge to sit flush against the tall section of the units. So, AFTER the units are fitted. https://www.vanshades.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Splashback-Instructions-compressed.pdf
This relies on me not botching the measuring/cuts in a rather expensive piece of plastic - from what I can gather, doable with a jigsaw, straight edge clamped and a fine toothed blade on slow speed (Makita B22 blade I was thinking of), but also requires me to consider where I need to put some conduit for cabling due to the next bit below...

I also need to install some kind of control panel for some 12v switches for fridge/lights etc, and maybe a single/double 240 socket, again requiring me to have to cut into the acrylic with, say, a multitool. Has anyone tried this without smashing the acrylic to pieces?



Just after some tips or ideas from anyone who might have done a similar job.

Cheers

 

[W1bb1y666]

It's just occurred to me that I never followed up on this. I eventually sussed out a way to do it. Here's some pics that might hopefully help someone else with a similar problem

Siakflex'ed on as per Vanshades instructions, but done before the units went in, so I could take the worktop off again. That wouldn't have been possible (or not very easy) if I'd mounted on top afterwards



Tucked behind the tall unit on the right so no risk of screwing up the cut of the perspex and having an uneven edge.



It did mean using a baton for support, which makes it VERY stable



and I opted in the end for a socket in the cubby



You can just make out the inverter on the left. I have a socket on the side of that unit behind the drawer above the fridge, which is the input from the EHU/CU under the bonnet. The socket in the cubby is basically an extension lead which is either plugged into the inverter (most of the time, and turned on when I want mains. run from a Seatbase 230Ah LiFePo) or if I'm on EHU, I simply move the plug to the EHU feed. Decided to do this so there's complete separation of earths between inverter and EHU, and it takes seconds to switch over by simply plugging into one or other of the sockets

 

[Skyliner33]

Interesting, wonder why Evo say that their furniture wont work with a Vanshades splashback?

 

[W1bb1y666]

I initially had a problem where I bought and installed the vanshades full set of blinds, not realising until an installer near me said that the standard blind unit behind the drivers seat protrudes too much to then install a normal splash back. This fella himself actually made up blinds on eth back of polycarb laminted sulu board, in exactly the way the Vanshade splashback you see in the photos above works. You can see in the next pic how the unit protrudes. I got in touch with Vanshades and they were happy for me to return it and replace with the perspex splashback instead, and just pay the difference in original price.




It was a bit awkward don't get me wrong, and this was my first ever attempt at DIYing this. The units do sit slightly proud of where they probably should, but it all looks flush once screwed to the batons installed along the wall. A couple of spacers to stop the rear braces of the units from bending and all good.

I figured mounting behind was the only safe way to do it as it was simply too risky trying to cut the perspex without scratching or chipping it.. Besides, with hindsight I'm glad I didn't try because I've had need to remove the bamboo worktop to retrofit something and it would have been impossible as the worktop has to be lifted upwards to be removed

 

[DXX]

Perspex, acrylic is very brittle but cheap. Risky to cut with a jigsaw.
Found a few more £ polycarbonate offers much a much stronger option.