Considering installing my new 3 inch solar vent in the middle of my hatch cover as I don't have anywhere else to put it. Hatch seems to be made of plexiglass. Any suggestions as to how to cut the hole?
Installing a solar vent
- Thread starter Sunday Sailor
- Start date
Acylic will not hold up when hole cut in it! Just had a guy on here that did the same thing and shortly afterward it broke. Chief
Really
I have 2 in my Lewmar Hatches on my H-36 and no
problems at all and had 1 on my 2001 Hunter 290 vee berth hatch.
nick
I have 2 in my Lewmar Hatches on my H-36 and no
problems at all and had 1 on my 2001 Hunter 290 vee berth hatch.
nick
Saw speed and teeth
I've been thinking about the same type of addition into a Lewmar hatch. Ours is "checked" so if it broke I would not be too surprised or dismayed. (Except for the hole in the top of the boat until the new hatch light arrived.) I was considering using a hole saw to make the 3 1/2 inch hole required. I have cut other types of "plastic" and have found that many small toothed sabre saw blades get too hot. The "plastic" cuts, melts, and reforms behind the blade. Not a good job. High School shop class comes to mind......slow speed while cutting and probably a specific blade for plastic.
Let us all know what you decide to use and how it works.
Hello Sunday Sailor,
I've been thinking about the same type of addition into a Lewmar hatch. Ours is "checked" so if it broke I would not be too surprised or dismayed. (Except for the hole in the top of the boat until the new hatch light arrived.) I was considering using a hole saw to make the 3 1/2 inch hole required. I have cut other types of "plastic" and have found that many small toothed sabre saw blades get too hot. The "plastic" cuts, melts, and reforms behind the blade. Not a good job. High School shop class comes to mind......slow speed while cutting and probably a specific blade for plastic.
Let us all know what you decide to use and how it works.
My first thought is to go ahead with the 4-inch vent if you can. Get a hole saw blade for whatever size they call for. Drill a small (1/4?) pilot hole first. MAKE SURE there is room around the hole for the entire cover to fit on! With hatch open, place a board across the opening to support the hatch. Then place a square board on the first one to back the hole you are making. You CAN make the hole with a jig saw, but it won't be so pretty when you look at it from below.
use a hole saw and put bar soap on the blade teeth ...run the drill on slow speed.....stay focused...and back the plexi with a board of some kind making contact with the glass ...oh and you may want to put masking tape on the area that is to be cut.......
Hole Saw
I did use a Hole Saw on my portable drill at slow speed and spray
some water on as drilling and can use masking tape over the area
to be drilled.
For some reason I did not have the exact hole size and also did need to use a round grinding type rasp on my drill to make the hole after drilling the hole out and just went around the hole with the grinding rasp until the proper size for the
solar vent.
Nick
I did use a Hole Saw on my portable drill at slow speed and spray
some water on as drilling and can use masking tape over the area
to be drilled.
For some reason I did not have the exact hole size and also did need to use a round grinding type rasp on my drill to make the hole after drilling the hole out and just went around the hole with the grinding rasp until the proper size for the
solar vent.
Nick
I also used a hole saw after masking the spot and backing the acrylic with a piece of plywood, drilled slowly and used a water spray to cool it. Worked fine, and the hatch has been in place for 7 years with no problems, including being stepped on several times.
The install hole for the large nicro - the 4" size - is 4 3/4". It's a standard hole saw blade. cost about $30
The install hole for the large nicro - the 4" size - is 4 3/4". It's a standard hole saw blade. cost about $30
Thanks to you all for your support. I am going to incorporate your suggestions this Saturday and will report.
With this advice: how many of you know if you cut through Lexan or Acrylic? Even my 1/2" Acrylic slider broke during an attempted breakin prior to me buying my boat. Chief
I used a hole saw on a Beneteau 281 hatch. Go slow, use lube and I also moved to sawing the underside once the hole on top was halfway through. You need a pretty hefty drill and be careful because the hole saw tends to "lock up" and can sprain your wrist.
Bill
Bill
Agree with Tommays on it being useless. I was dismayed to see one on my boat when pushased last spring. Now the bearings are failing in the motor and hollering. I have to keep a heavy pvc 8"" pipe cap over it to keep it turned off. Plan on removing it, (round), installing a deck plate or access plate of some kind and drilling through that instead of the cabin top whenever i get around to running new antenna cable up the mast.
Thing is, that the fan is much like cooling fans on computers and I have had a few of those running for years. Surprising to find that some companies make them with cheap fans when they charge so much for the unit (unless they are made in China....)
The nicro unit is dead stone reliable and well thought out with and easy to close shutoff and power switch
The volume of air moved is IMHP trivial compared to my various passive vents ,I have vents all over including the hatch boards
The volume of air moved is IMHP trivial compared to my various passive vents ,I have vents all over including the hatch boards
Tried this on an older acrylic hatch with a slow moving large hole drill bit in a drill press,it broke in about 10 pieces.
Replaced the acrylic with a new one,no problem cutting a hole.
Age of the acrylic or plexi seems to matter.
If you had installed Lexan then you would not have to worry about your Acrylic breaking. Chief, Ind. Engineer, BA, (minor plastics)