Re bedding the big windows h430

[kmatthews]

Hey all first poster here. I'm a new to me Hunter 430 owner that came with its fair share of leaks. I plan on rebedding at least 4-6 windows this spring when the weather is right for it.

Question is has anyone here tackled that job of the very large "windshield" and the side windows? Any gotchas I should be aware of?

 

[Navicula]

hi..... i have done every window except the front..... the side were easy.... i used a wire and sawed them out.... i had a plasitic company {local} reproduce it...even with the bevel....I used the dow 795 I think {black)...and it was easy.....I masked everything and I set up wood againt the window and rail to keep the pressure.....I think it was easy......I am not that interseted in doing the front one because I have a white screen shade snapped on the outside.....it allows light to come through and I dont see the crazing......I would attack the front like I did the sides.....peice of cake...go for it

 

[artboas]

hi..... i have done every window except the front..... the side were easy.... i used a wire and sawed them out.... i had a plasitic company {local} reproduce it...even with the bevel....I used the dow 795 I think {black)...and it was easy.....I masked everything and I set up wood againt the window and rail to keep the pressure.....I think it was easy......I am not that interseted in doing the front one because I have a white screen shade snapped on the outside.....it allows light to come through and I dont see the crazing......I would attack the front like I did the sides.....peice of cake...go for it

I have taken out the windshield on my 49.
Believe it or not, I figured out how to get it out in less than 2 hours with no damage.
Look up my solution in the archives. It's the only way to do this without cracking it, and scraping up the surrounding Fiberglas

 

[Navicula]

I have taken out the windshield on my 49.
Believe it or not, I figured out how to get it out in less than 2 hours with no damage.
Look up my solution in the archives. It's the only way to do this without cracking it, and scraping up the surrounding Fiberglas

Yes......It was your instructions that I followed

 

[ttac]

I have also resealed the 4 side windows. You can check out my posts on how I did it. And the Dow 795 is the sealer to use.

 

[Amos Cape]

I have also resealed the 4 side windows. You can check out my posts on how I did it. And the Dow 795 is the sealer to use.

How many tubs of Dow 795 did you us on all four?

 

[ttac]

When I did our's I used about 2 tube's per window. And you will clean off about a half tube when you are finishing it all off.

 

[kmatthews]

I have taken out the windshield on my 49.
Believe it or not, I figured out how to get it out in less than 2 hours with no damage.
Look up my solution in the archives. It's the only way to do this without cracking it, and scraping up the surrounding Fiberglas

Thanks for the response! I am wondering if you could send a link to your archived thread about the steps for the removal? I have searched and searched but can't seem to find it. I am a forum noob so I'm taking the blame of inexperience

 

[Paul Cossman]

Hi Kmatthews, I wanted to look at it myself (again). Here it is:

http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/window-rebed.169342/#post-1188880

(and here is a copy and past of artboas post):

How to remove Hunter Windshields


I had to remove one of my windshields to fix a leak.
Hunter told me to scrape away sealant, and tap wedges in to try & pry the window out. Frankly, I didn’t like this approach, and thought it would possibly crack the plexi. I found a very easy way to remove windshields, without damage.
Once I figured out the trick, it was out in about 30 minutes. This technique can be adapted to any hunter windshield. It will also work on the really big ones, such as the wrap around types. As you know, these are almost impossible to remove in 1 piece.hu
First, take a sharp knife on the deck, and cut all of the external sealant. It doesn’t have to be fully removed: just cut a full depth line around the perimeter.
Next, the “trick”

Attach 2 glazier’s double suction cups to the windshield close to one end.
Then attach the suction cups to the spin halyard.
Crank up some tension, until it is fairly taught. Think of a violin string.
Be sure to attract a safety line to the shackle so you don't masthead it.

Now go below. Take some putty knives, and drive them into the window to deck joint. As you get 1 fully in, then leapfrog the next putty knife over it.


If you are working directly below the suction cups, you will start to feel a slight lifting of the window where you are breaking the seal.
Once this happens, slack the halyard, and move the suction cups along the window perimeter. Crank up the tension again
Keep tapping in the paint scrapers, and the window will continue to lift along where you are working.
Once you have one edge, work your way fully around. There is no need to lift the window more than ¼” as you work it. You will notice that as more of the sealant is removed, the faster the window will break free. As you are always working under the suction cups, it will be very obvious when you are successful with that section, as it will lift.
In about 30 -45 minutes, the window will literally pop out. Its almost funny when this happens, because its just so easy to do something that you would have thought next to impossible.




Good idea to then tape plastic sheeting inside, so that you don’t get boat full of sealant when you clean off old sealant. Leave the plastic on when you put on fresh sealant so it doesn’t drip on the floor.

 

[SV Eutierria]

Hi Kmatthews, I wanted to look at it myself (again). Here it is:

window rebed

(and here is a copy and past of artboas post):

How to remove Hunter Windshields


I had to remove one of my windshields to fix a leak.
Hunter told me to scrape away sealant, and tap wedges in to try & pry the window out. Frankly, I didn’t like this approach, and thought it would possibly crack the plexi. I found a very easy way to remove windshields, without damage.
Once I figured out the trick, it was out in about 30 minutes. This technique can be adapted to any hunter windshield. It will also work on the really big ones, such as the wrap around types. As you know, these are almost impossible to remove in 1 piece.hu
First, take a sharp knife on the deck, and cut all of the external sealant. It doesn’t have to be fully removed: just cut a full depth line around the perimeter.
Next, the “trick”

Attach 2 glazier’s double suction cups to the windshield close to one end.
Then attach the suction cups to the spin halyard.
Crank up some tension, until it is fairly taught. Think of a violin string.
Be sure to attract a safety line to the shackle so you don't masthead it.

Now go below. Take some putty knives, and drive them into the window to deck joint. As you get 1 fully in, then leapfrog the next putty knife over it.


If you are working directly below the suction cups, you will start to feel a slight lifting of the window where you are breaking the seal.
Once this happens, slack the halyard, and move the suction cups along the window perimeter. Crank up the tension again
Keep tapping in the paint scrapers, and the window will continue to lift along where you are working.
Once you have one edge, work your way fully around. There is no need to lift the window more than ¼” as you work it. You will notice that as more of the sealant is removed, the faster the window will break free. As you are always working under the suction cups, it will be very obvious when you are successful with that section, as it will lift.
In about 30 -45 minutes, the window will literally pop out. Its almost funny when this happens, because its just so easy to do something that you would have thought next to impossible.




Good idea to then tape plastic sheeting inside, so that you don’t get boat full of sealant when you clean off old sealant. Leave the plastic on when you put on fresh sealant so it doesn’t drip on the floor.

Did you use any screws to hold the window down or just the DOW? The current front and side windows have screws.

 

[Sailgunner]

I used steel putty knives. Works pretty well. I have one I have hammerd on that no plastic handle left. It works the best!
No need for the suction cups and halyard....
No screws needed.
Make sure the Dow 795 covers all the area not in the window. Then the whole area behind the window will be black.

 

[SV Eutierria]

Thanks for the response! I am wondering if you could send a link to your archived thread about the steps for the removal? I have searched and searched but can't seem to find it. I am a forum noob so I'm taking the blame of inexperience

Did you need to have the new front window heated up and molded?

 

[artboas]

I used steel putty knives. Works pretty well. I have one I have hammerd on that no plastic handle left. It works the best!
No need for the suction cups and halyard....
No screws needed.
Make sure the Dow 795 covers all the area not in the window. Then the whole area behind the window will be black.

Respectfully, the whole reason for the suction cups & halyard is to spread out the lifting force, and have a constant tension pulling the window upwards. In several discussions with Hunter and other owners, it was found that trying to insert wedges cracked the windows.
Yes, I agree that pushing in a putty knife behind the window is vital, but you still need to lift it as you are advancing the putty knife. This is why Hunter originally reccomended tapping in small wedges.
Perhaps your window wasn’t sealed as well as others. I can tell you that there was no way that mine would have come out by just running a putty knife behind it. It was firmly bonded on