Any Experiences of Making Stainless Window Frames?

[savageseadog]

Has anyone made or had made for them stainless steel window frames (or should I say portlights)
I was looking at CNC cut stainless sheet or strip welded together.

What does anyone think?

 

[30boat]

I made the 5 opening portlights that replace the original fixed ones on my Fulmar.Saloon and heads.Never had a leak and the difference in ventilation is enormous.I used 5mm 316 steel bar welded together and ground to the same shape as the Westerly ports.I can email you pictures and a sketch if you want.

 

[savageseadog]

I made the 5 opening portlights that replace the original fixed ones on my Fulmar.Saloon and heads.Never had a leak and the difference in ventilation is enormous.I used 5mm 316 steel bar welded together and ground to the same shape as the Westerly ports.I can email you pictures and a sketch if you want.

Thanks for the reply. Your type won't do for me, I have long angular windows which need better support for the fixings. I need something like 25mm strip fixed over the GRP/window join.
Did you weld your own?

 

[KellysEye]

A number of American boats have stainless hatches and coach roof windows. Thus somebody must be fabricating them. Shannon is one brand. It might be worth doing a search or callng Shannon.

 

[RobinBirch]

I had 8 portlights made to replace wooden ones that would open up as soon as they'd been painted! Nicely polished they look the DB's. They were laser cut from 6mm stainless by a firm up in Leeds. PM me if you'd like further info.

 

[30boat]

Thanks for the reply. Your type won't do for me, I have long angular windows which need better support for the fixings. I need something like 25mm strip fixed over the GRP/window join.
Did you weld your own?

Yes I Tig welded them.Distortion can be a problem but it can be done.As Steve Birch says you can have the frames lazer cut which is better.One thing I think should be avoid is sandwiching the glazing between the coachroof and frame.If at all possible the perspex should be attached to the frame only and a rubber gasket used.This allows the window to move as it expands and contracts .

 

[rogerthebodger]

I made 7 inside framed from stainless for my fixed wheel house windows, in the pic below, all different. The biggest was 1200mm x 750mm made from 50 and 70 wide strip 6 mm thick. I stick welded the strips together as it would be too costly to have then laser cut.

The biggest problem was polishing the after welding, it was just hard work.

 

[Stork_III]

Hood do custom ports in stainless. Used on a Tartan 3700 I was considering buying. Looked supurb. Here http://www.hoodyachtsystems.com/custom.htm

Likely to be expensive though.