Quote:
Originally Posted by jaj63207
Three years ago you had a post on replcing your fixed ports. Could you give us an update on what you did and how well it is holding up. My boat has heavily crazed plexiglass and plastic frames. Gotta do something! How did you fare?
Thanks,
Jimmy Jenkins
Port St Lucie, FL
I replaced my fixed port lights (windows) with 6mm (~1/4 inch) tinted acrylic. The exact material brand is EVONIK ACRYLITE – FF 6mm colour # 7C049. The acrylic window is basically oversize and glued and bolted through the deck side on the outside.
First I removed the trim from the inside and the frames with the crazed un-tinted acrylic from the outside. The plastic windows frames were cracked and leaking, and could not be reused. The openings were cleaned up with a putty knife (extremely useful tool), sandpaper and acetone. I took the old frames to use as a pattern and had a local plastics shop order and cut the new acrylic port lights with eased sanded edges such that it was about one inch larger than the opening on each edge. I also had them drill ¼ inch diameter holes with chamfers ½ inch in from the edges at all around at about 4 inch centres. This created a one-inch overlap with oversize screw holes located ½ inch in from the window edge and ½ inch out from the deck opening. The CAL 2-25 cabin top, in the port light area, is built with an outer 3/16 inch fibreglass deck shell, a ¼ inch air gap and an inner fibreglass headliner about 1/8 inch thick. There is thick balsa filler between the deck and the headliner in other areas. The gap was filled using strips of ¼ inch thick by ¾ inch wide wood moulding. Friction was enough to hold the wood strip in the gap. The wood only acts as a spacer so the screw cannot compress the gap between the two fibreglass shells. The new fixed lights where used as a drill pattern to drill ¼ inch diameters holes through the side of the deck ½ inch outside of the opening all around. Very carefully apply Silkaflex 295UV black sealant to both sides of the overlap area. The fasteners used are 10-24 x 1¼ SS (Allan key hex) button socket cap screws with 5/8 inch diameter fender washers mounted from the outside with butyl rubber (see Maine Sail’s description) under the washers. Lock washers and castle nuts are on the inside. Be very careful, as it is easy to make a mess and/or crack the acrylic. A couple of long ¼ inch screws were used (finger tightened only) make a dry fit and to check the position. These were replaced with the proper 10-24 screws and the sealants. DO NOT over tighten the screws. A bead of the black Silkaflex was added to make a fillet between the acrylic and the deckhouse. Later the deck, gap (with wood filler) and the headliner edges were covered with a thin light coloured plastic veneer glued using a heat glue gun.
Later I replaced my small fixed port lights, in the head area, with Beckson #512 tinted opening ports.
Sounds simple but it is a lot of work. It is not like the original, but they look good from both the outside and the inside, and they work. I did it myself during the summer over a couple of weeks but it would be best to have a buddy and plenty of beer.
Originally Posted by jaj63207
Three years ago you had a post on replcing your fixed ports. Could you give us an update on what you did and how well it is holding up. My boat has heavily crazed plexiglass and plastic frames. Gotta do something! How did you fare?
Thanks,
Jimmy Jenkins
Port St Lucie, FL
I replaced my fixed port lights (windows) with 6mm (~1/4 inch) tinted acrylic. The exact material brand is EVONIK ACRYLITE – FF 6mm colour # 7C049. The acrylic window is basically oversize and glued and bolted through the deck side on the outside.
First I removed the trim from the inside and the frames with the crazed un-tinted acrylic from the outside. The plastic windows frames were cracked and leaking, and could not be reused. The openings were cleaned up with a putty knife (extremely useful tool), sandpaper and acetone. I took the old frames to use as a pattern and had a local plastics shop order and cut the new acrylic port lights with eased sanded edges such that it was about one inch larger than the opening on each edge. I also had them drill ¼ inch diameter holes with chamfers ½ inch in from the edges at all around at about 4 inch centres. This created a one-inch overlap with oversize screw holes located ½ inch in from the window edge and ½ inch out from the deck opening. The CAL 2-25 cabin top, in the port light area, is built with an outer 3/16 inch fibreglass deck shell, a ¼ inch air gap and an inner fibreglass headliner about 1/8 inch thick. There is thick balsa filler between the deck and the headliner in other areas. The gap was filled using strips of ¼ inch thick by ¾ inch wide wood moulding. Friction was enough to hold the wood strip in the gap. The wood only acts as a spacer so the screw cannot compress the gap between the two fibreglass shells. The new fixed lights where used as a drill pattern to drill ¼ inch diameters holes through the side of the deck ½ inch outside of the opening all around. Very carefully apply Silkaflex 295UV black sealant to both sides of the overlap area. The fasteners used are 10-24 x 1¼ SS (Allan key hex) button socket cap screws with 5/8 inch diameter fender washers mounted from the outside with butyl rubber (see Maine Sail’s description) under the washers. Lock washers and castle nuts are on the inside. Be very careful, as it is easy to make a mess and/or crack the acrylic. A couple of long ¼ inch screws were used (finger tightened only) make a dry fit and to check the position. These were replaced with the proper 10-24 screws and the sealants. DO NOT over tighten the screws. A bead of the black Silkaflex was added to make a fillet between the acrylic and the deckhouse. Later the deck, gap (with wood filler) and the headliner edges were covered with a thin light coloured plastic veneer glued using a heat glue gun.
Later I replaced my small fixed port lights, in the head area, with Beckson #512 tinted opening ports.
Sounds simple but it is a lot of work. It is not like the original, but they look good from both the outside and the inside, and they work. I did it myself during the summer over a couple of weeks but it would be best to have a buddy and plenty of beer.