Window Tint for Portlights
- Thread starter BigEasy
- Start date
Not portlights, but replaced the window tint on my boat's 3 very large front windows and companion way door. This article provides a procedure to do it Do It Yourself Boat Window Tinting | DoItYourself.com.
Removing window tint........carefully with a softening agent like Amazon.com: GILA FR200 Window Film Removal Tool Kit- 8 fl. oz. , White : Automotive or as described in this article How to Remove Old Window Tint or Window Film From Glass - FAB Glass and Mirror.
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The article refers to "glass" so no real idea as to whether this is acrylic on a sailboat or silica based glass on a powerboat.
Given that plastics are often affected by organic adhesives to the point of permanent adhesion and given that the tinted film is likely to see pretty aggressive temperatures over its life expectancy, I'd be reluctant to try it.
Once had the opportunity to help remove some dark coloured film from the rear window of an old car. It was a bugger to remove with razor blades as each piece was no larger than a half inch square. Acrylic, maybe even worse ?
At present, I'm having white Sunbrella covers made for all of my port and hatch lights to both protect the acrylic and keep the internal boat temperature down to a reasonable level. Better late than never.
Guess I'm just overly cautious.
Given that plastics are often affected by organic adhesives to the point of permanent adhesion and given that the tinted film is likely to see pretty aggressive temperatures over its life expectancy, I'd be reluctant to try it.
Once had the opportunity to help remove some dark coloured film from the rear window of an old car. It was a bugger to remove with razor blades as each piece was no larger than a half inch square. Acrylic, maybe even worse ?
At present, I'm having white Sunbrella covers made for all of my port and hatch lights to both protect the acrylic and keep the internal boat temperature down to a reasonable level. Better late than never.
Guess I'm just overly cautious.
Ralph Johnstone.........glad you caught that!! Whatever softening agent you use make sure it does not damage acrylic. I would consult with TAP Plastics Window Film Remover: TAP Film-Off : TAP Plastics.
A very recent Practical Sailor article reported pretty good results from using "Vvivid" headlight tint film. It is formulated/designed to be used on plastic headlight covers so i'd imagine it would be fine .. seems like a good thing since it goes on the outside and decrease the plexi UV exposure.
VViViD+ Dark Smoke Air-tint® Headlight Tint Vinyl Film | The VViViD Shop
VViViD+ Dark Smoke Air-tint® Headlight Tint Vinyl Film | The VViViD Shop
Probably best to avoid the tint film. Considering the time, effort, and cost to replace the old deck lens, I do not want to have to go through that ordeal again in the near future! Agree that it is a better option to place sunbrella covers. I should have used a tinted acrylic at the time of replacement; however, I didn't locate a source for tinted acrylic until after I had purchased clear acrylic.
A PO of my boat put some sort of film on the 2 hatches. While I like the fact that they are tinted, the film is a bit wrinkled where the latch rotates. Looks like the lens is cracked, but it is just the film.
No degradation to the lens as far as I can tell, but I don't know what sort of film was used.
Greg
No degradation to the lens as far as I can tell, but I don't know what sort of film was used.
Greg