WHAT TINT FOR FIXED PORTS
- Thread starter Castrilper55
- Start date
Couple of notes, When I talked to the 3M folks, they pretty much insisted that I use their primer (#94) for the VHB tape.. the cabin side was their main concern since the gel coat is kinda tough to get stuff to stick to.. any trace of any old silicone must be removed and the surface where the bond will be, must be sanded and meticulously cleaned.
The edges of the new glass can be easily flame polished but I'd recommend some practice on scrap plexi before attempting the windows.
very much quicker than sanding.
How to Flame Polish Acrylic (Plexiglass) - YouTube
Good luck with the project.. You'll really like the new glass!
The edges of the new glass can be easily flame polished but I'd recommend some practice on scrap plexi before attempting the windows.
very much quicker than sanding.
How to Flame Polish Acrylic (Plexiglass) - YouTube
Good luck with the project.. You'll really like the new glass!
I replaced mine this spring and did a writeup on the process. One of the best tips is to create tape hinges to get the lens in the exact because you only get one chance. If it isn't perfectly positioned , you are stuck with it.
Did you read my post on making the tape hinges to help placing the lens onto the VHB tape. You only get one chance and any error is permanent. I used the white 3m preservation tape to hold the location of one edge in the correct location and then hinged it back over that side to pull the backing off the tape. then it was a simple matter to fold it back into place. Make sure that you put some tension on the tape to keep it properly aligned.
When I did mine, I used a benchtop band saw to rough cut but a jigsaw or scroll saw would have also worked. I then used a top-bearing laminate trimming bit with the old lens as a jig to do the final cut.
What are you using for the interior trim? This is one of the main things that's stopped me from going to plexi/lexan
I am just putting the original trim back in. it is in good shape. this picture is what you see when the trim is removed. if my trim pieces were broken or unsightly, I would fashion some out of wood and either paint or varnish them and reinstall. - Chris Castrilper
The trim on my O'Day 25 is screwed to the window frame. How did you fasten yours without the frame?
Remove screws on the inside. The window is now held in by the sealant. Apply consistent, light to medium pressure to the frame. It will slowly come out. Don't try to rush it. Use acetone and a plastic scraper to remove the old sealant. If that doesn't work, I've found that these work well. The gray bristle discs leave virtually no marks in the fiberglass but I don't have as much experience using them so they may not be as effective
You mean you PUSHED the window out from the inside? I never imagined doing it that way. I already have the trim off one window and figured I'd use a painter's tool on the outside to get the window detached.
I bought the acrylic from a guy who was going to fix up his O'Day 23 but parted it out instead. The corners are sharp. I'm good with carpentry but haven't worked acrylic before so I may take this to a glazier to get the corners rounded. Husband would love teak trim on those windows. I would too, but I'd also love to spend more time sailing.
I bought the acrylic from a guy who was going to fix up his O'Day 23 but parted it out instead. The corners are sharp. I'm good with carpentry but haven't worked acrylic before so I may take this to a glazier to get the corners rounded. Husband would love teak trim on those windows. I would too, but I'd also love to spend more time sailing.
Yep, I pushed from the inside. I think I started on one side and slowly worked my way to the other. It probably took about a minute if it has the factory sealant. The outside edge of the frame is very brittle after many years in the sun so I didn't try to pry. I've had to epoxy mine back together a few times.You mean you PUSHED the window out from the inside? I never imagined doing it that way. I already have the trim off one window and figured I'd use a painter's tool on the outside to get the window detached.
I bought the acrylic from a guy who was going to fix up his O'Day 23 but parted it out instead. The corners are sharp. I'm good with carpentry but haven't worked acrylic before so I may take this to a glazier to get the corners rounded. Husband would love teak trim on those windows. I would too, but I'd also love to spend more time sailing.
Fine toothed circular saw blades work well, especially if you go slow. Putting tape over the area to be cut seems to help a little bit with chipping. Routers work nicely. I've also heard of people installing a circular saw blade backwards in a table saw so it "melts" its way through. I've never tried this. You can also sand the edges smooth after cutting
Wood trim sounds like a ton of work with all those curves. You must be far more skilled at carpentry than myself. I was actually just looking up flexible trim. Something like this might work
Exactly! I told him the original trim would look better than any aftermarket flexible trim. I don't think my 40-year-old boat needs $500 of teak window trim. (Those inside corners are pricey.)
If you replace the window and frame with plexi then there's nothing for the interior trim to fasten to. I don't think it'd be too hard to adhere or wedge some wood/plastic tabs in between the two layers of fiberglass but there would be a gap between the trim and new plexi.
I initially thought the most challenging part of using flexible trim was to account for the different depths. There's about a 1/2" gap between the fiberglass at the top but almost none at the bottom. Then It dawned on me that if the trim was installed with the window out of the boat, you could run a razor blade around the cutout for the window from the outside of the boat. Your blade would lay flat to the outside and cut the excess trim away. Voila! You have the exact depth you need all around ...at least in theory. A oscillating tool might also work if the material is too tough to cut through with a knife
I initially thought the most challenging part of using flexible trim was to account for the different depths. There's about a 1/2" gap between the fiberglass at the top but almost none at the bottom. Then It dawned on me that if the trim was installed with the window out of the boat, you could run a razor blade around the cutout for the window from the outside of the boat. Your blade would lay flat to the outside and cut the excess trim away. Voila! You have the exact depth you need all around ...at least in theory. A oscillating tool might also work if the material is too tough to cut through with a knife
Ahh, so it's not possible to remove and reuse that piece that is adhered to the inside of the original window? The gap changing from the top to the bottom is something to think about. I like your idea of putting the trim in first and then cutting the excess.
On my 1988 Hunter 33.5, the interior trim pieces were plastic and adhered to the interior surface with Velcro. Over time, the plastic became somewhat yellowed from sun exposure & age. I cleaned as well as possible, primed, & painted with spray paint. Looked good as new.
You would need to use adhesive or install something for the trim screws to screw into. Your best bet reuse it with externally mounted plexi is to cut up the frame. If you take a close look at the inside you can see where the frame/trim start and end. If your curious, you can remove the trim without any harm. I advise against power tools to put the screws back in. The plastic is a bit fragile
When painting the outside of the window frame, the most time consuming part is masking off the plexi. It's difficult to do a perfect job because of the rounded edge. You kind of have to cut a little bit extra to tuck under the lip of the frame
Last edited: