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by Jeff Hovis (JeffH on the Glen-L Forum)

You can do some interesting things with PVC. I made a stern light/flag mast from PVC and then veneered it with Mahogany veneer. I used the stuff without the paper backing. You simply roll the back side with yellow Tite Bond glue and let it dry until it is just a little tacky. Do the same on the pipe. The veneer will curl up instantly, so you will need to keep it flat. After 10-15 minutes, just roll it around the PVC with a little overlap. Use a hot iron with aluminum foil on the outside and a thin towel. I think I ironed mine on as I went so I would not have bubbles. After it has dried, you use a very sharp razor and cut a straight line down the side with the slight overlap for a nice seam. After that I took a step bit and drilled down into the the ends so the light would fit nicely into the tube. I slid the entire mast through the pipe. The only potential issue is the length of the pipe and the sheet of veneer and the direction of the grain. For me it was no problem.

Here is a photo before I made the concave ends with the step bit. You can see how the black bottom of the light does not slide down into the pipe. After I made the concave hole with the step bit, it slid right down. I also varnished it. The little screw eyes for the flag just screwed right into the pipe.

Here are some shots of the finished light/pole on my Malahini:

Jeff’s beautiful Malahini!

Note: If you don’t want to make your own, Glen-L carries flag poles, holders, stern lights, and flags here.