... well, deadlights actually.
My boat has 7 deadlights that are candidates for replacement. They are actually in OK condition, but I have a mind to rebed them as a preventative measure. I suspect a leak around one or two of them, though I can't seem to prove it. So, I mean to just rebed them all. Then, I know they are good for the next 50 years.
The other thing, though, is that they are kind of ugly. The boat has a nice traditional look, overall. But, the deadlights are rather plain aluminum and were probably the cheapest that could be purchased when the boat was built (1975). They have been painted and most of that paint has worn off, and they are generally banged up. I could restore them, but they would still be cheap aluminum deadlights and not doing the boat's appearance any favors. Even the tempered glass is getting hazy around the edges in a way that seems to resist efforts to clear up.
Looking around, deadlights and portholes are expensive. Modern-looking ones can be had for not too much money, but to get anything that matches the boat's traditional look - it is just about cost-prohibitive. If I had an unlimited budget, I would get all new bronze from Port Townsend Foundry. But, that is not the case.
On the other hand, I am pretty handy and not afraid of taking on new skills. It seems that I should be able to make my own.
I "could" cast my own out of bronze. That is not completely outside my resources/experiences/bravery/foolishness. But, to make 7 of them in 2 different sizes ... that might be too much to bite off.
The current frames appear to just be stamped aluminum. So, I am wondering about working with bronze sheets. Not sure that is any less work than casting, though.
I am comfortable with 3D CAD and CAM. So, I could design these on the computer and have them CNC routed. (I don't have a router capable of this job.) I'm betting that it wouldn't be any cheaper than just having PT Foundry make them.
I've also considered wood. But, I haven't seen wooden deadlights, and I think there are good reasons for that. Definitely couldn't use glass.
Anyone done this or seen it done?
My boat has 7 deadlights that are candidates for replacement. They are actually in OK condition, but I have a mind to rebed them as a preventative measure. I suspect a leak around one or two of them, though I can't seem to prove it. So, I mean to just rebed them all. Then, I know they are good for the next 50 years.
The other thing, though, is that they are kind of ugly. The boat has a nice traditional look, overall. But, the deadlights are rather plain aluminum and were probably the cheapest that could be purchased when the boat was built (1975). They have been painted and most of that paint has worn off, and they are generally banged up. I could restore them, but they would still be cheap aluminum deadlights and not doing the boat's appearance any favors. Even the tempered glass is getting hazy around the edges in a way that seems to resist efforts to clear up.
Looking around, deadlights and portholes are expensive. Modern-looking ones can be had for not too much money, but to get anything that matches the boat's traditional look - it is just about cost-prohibitive. If I had an unlimited budget, I would get all new bronze from Port Townsend Foundry. But, that is not the case.
On the other hand, I am pretty handy and not afraid of taking on new skills. It seems that I should be able to make my own.
I "could" cast my own out of bronze. That is not completely outside my resources/experiences/bravery/foolishness. But, to make 7 of them in 2 different sizes ... that might be too much to bite off.
The current frames appear to just be stamped aluminum. So, I am wondering about working with bronze sheets. Not sure that is any less work than casting, though.
I am comfortable with 3D CAD and CAM. So, I could design these on the computer and have them CNC routed. (I don't have a router capable of this job.) I'm betting that it wouldn't be any cheaper than just having PT Foundry make them.
I've also considered wood. But, I haven't seen wooden deadlights, and I think there are good reasons for that. Definitely couldn't use glass.
Anyone done this or seen it done?