Makers of custom curved glass?

[prv]

EDIT: I was looking for advice on a replacement windscreen - no longer needed as we're buying a spare part from the original supplier.

Thanks for all the suggestions, no more needed.

Pete

 

[Rafiki]

why glass and not acrylic? I have a curved windscreen and had a replacement made by a Project Plastics in Colchester using the simple drape forming technique.

 

[stephen_h]

Try these:-

https://www.kiteglass.co.uk/

 

[Freebee]

I had exactly this problem and could not come up with anybody to make me a glass screen as a one off, if I had needed a production run it may have been different............ so I set about making my own curved screen from perspex, it was complicated because it was curved but was also racked back and the finished article needed to fit the screen frame. I made an mdf buck, heated up a blank and curved it myself over the buck using ratchet straps to hold it until cool, after watching various companies do the same on youtube.

 

[dom]

Pete, that was an unfortunate incident indeed. To give you the best chance of efficiently sourcing something I'd be inclined to cross post on the Mobo forum for the simple reason that curvy windscreens are much more popular over there.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Anyone able to recommend a company that can make a custom curved windscreen in toughened, preferably laminated, glass?

C&J International Windows are closed now, but when I asked they were quite happy to get a custom curved glass window for me. I would ask a good general glass supplier (Viewforth Glazing in Edinburgh, in my case) and take it from there. I think getting both laminated and toughened can be a bit of a pain - given an either/or choice I'd usually go for toughened.

 

[solent clown]

speaking from bitter experience in the low volume car production world, there is nothing more expensive than a one of glass screen. Of course, if there might be a market for the screens, and if you have the money to invest on a very slow return, and somewhere to store a run of them....

 

[MoodySabre]

Houdini Marine might be another source. They did my toughened glass flat windows but they do lots of glazing for all sorts.

 

[Momac]

I heard Trend marine made a replacement glass windscreen for a boat where they were the original glass suppliers . The report was it took months and more than one go at it and cost £10k. so don't use them !

 

[davidej]

Not being privy to the incident referred to, I don't know what the glass is for.

However is it possible that the glass is actually a screen from some obsolete car? Almost all small- volume car makers choose a screen from a volume car and adapt their design to fit. Do boat manufactures (I assume it was a boat) do the same?

 

[forelle541]

I would go for Perspex from Project Plastics in Colchester, but I do have curved glass panels made by Kent Blaxil also in Colchester.

 

[prv]

Not being privy to the incident referred to, I don't know what the glass is for.

Sorry, my post probably made things sound more dramatic than they actually were.

Ariam is a Scandinavian yacht with the typical aluminium framed windscreen. On the Scuttlebutt Substitute rally to the Isle of Wight, while we were partaking of the excellent hospitality on board Angele, the windscreen on Ariam spontaneously shattered. There’s no evidence of any flying missile, swinging shackle, or sign of impact on the glass (one of my crew actually works with glass for artistic purposes and knew what she was looking for while sifting through the pieces the next morning). It just seems to have broken from some latent stress from the toughening process - several people I’ve since chatted to related stories of this happening in shower screens and the like.

Thanks for the various suggestions, which I will follow up. Good idea from Dom to ask the motorboatalists too.

Pete

 

[jamiepyoung]

That'll be nickel sulphide inclusion..... The double d is the give away in the remnants...

 

[Freebee]

www.seaclear.co.uk is worth a try

 

[Aja]

Sorry, my post probably made things sound more dramatic than they actually were.

Ariam is a Scandinavian yacht with the typical aluminium framed windscreen. On the Scuttlebutt Substitute rally to the Isle of Wight, while we were partaking of the excellent hospitality on board Angele, the windscreen on Ariam spontaneously shattered. There’s no evidence of any flying missile, swinging shackle, or sign of impact on the glass (one of my crew actually works with glass for artistic purposes and knew what she was looking for while sifting through the pieces the next morning). It just seems to have broken from some latent stress from the toughening process - several people I’ve since chatted to related stories of this happening in shower screens and the like.

Thanks for the various suggestions, which I will follow up. Good idea from Dom to ask the motorboatalists too.

Pete

Glad you weren't aboard at the time. Our shower screen at home did this - almost every tile in the bathroom was either scored or gouged. Insurance assessor didn't bat an eyelid.

Donald

 

[vyv_cox]

Vehicle Glass Company in the Midlands made me two custom screens. They had holes in them for windscreen wipers but were flat. Could be worth asking, as I found them very helpful and reasonably priced.
https://www.thevehicleglasscompany.co.uk/

 

[chrishscorp]

Had to pick up some laminated glass for a client today so asked the question at the glaziers

Pilkingtons dont make curved glass anymore however there is a company based in the solent region that do curved glass to clients requirements. They said they had just had an estimate come back for another client from said firm for a curved piece 0.5M X 1.1M and that was over £600. They did say you ought to try and find the original spec from the manufacturers for the glass.

Personally i would want laminated, with tempered glass if that had happened whilst you were at sea you are then at risk of downflooding.

 

[Daydream believer]

Contact the glass & glazing federation & they will give you a list a yard long. Be aware that there are tolerances to glass bending. When I used to buy large sheets of curved glass for shop fronts etc they could regularly be up to 18mm out of shape. This sometimes meant some major alterations to the framework to hide the discrepancy............... This is because it is difficult to bend to an exact dimension & the code of practice allows for considerable variation. This means that when the glass is supplied one might complain but the supplier will just quote the CoP. So before placing the order have it confirmed what dimensional tolerances the supplier will be working to. ................ It may be worth supplying the frame & ordering the glass fitted in the frame.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Be aware that there are tolerances to glass bending. When I used to buy large sheets of curved glass for shop fronts etc they could regularly be up to 18mm out of shape.

For some reason the system won't let me quote that post properly.

When the Citroën DS was introduced, the windscreen was the largest piece of curved glass ever put into mass production. It proved impossible to get them made to better than about +/- 5mm in the middle, so right to the end of production in 1975 they were held in place by a clip system (rather than rubbers) to allow for this, and sealed along the bottom with putty pushed in by hand.

 

[Concerto]

Pete

It may be worth contacting the current builders of Maxis as they may be able to help. It still might work out cheaper than having a one off made. At least Maxi will have all the original dimensions and manufacturer details. If not, is there a Maxi owners association you can contact. Someone must know where the screens were made and I doubt your screen is the first one to break.