"plastic" windows

[colinwcolclough]

\"plastic\" windows

I am looking to relace my glass / rubber extrusion sealed windows with a polycarbonate or similar material, cut oversized and bonded to the grp cabin on my boat. Any tips on what is the best sealer/bonder to use? Maybe just black sikaflex? Any tips would be great thanks. Colin

 

[Col]

Re: \"plastic\" windows

Thats how Bayliners did it !

 

[EdEssery]

Re: "plastic" windows

About to do a similar job myself - done the research...

The answer is Sikaflex 295UV - a UV Resistant Marine Adhesive/Sealant compound. Do not use ordinary black Sikaflex - the UV will break it down.

Now sit down, take a deep breath and read on...

Sikaflex 295UV is £35 (yes thirty five pounds) for a 310ml tube and only has a six month shelf life. Because of this you'll need to ask the chandler to get it for you specially.

Mine is on my desk in front of me right now waiting for the weather to warm up - it needs to be applied in an ambient temparature above about 10 degrees C. I have until the end of July before my tube expires so I'm reasonably hopeful!

Ed

MG C27 Skybird

P.S. Twister Ken (et al) - Sorry to be the one to bring your prediction true but the man asked a question and the answer was staring me in the face...

 

[Guest]

Re: \"plastic\" windows

Had the same problems, UV degradation and expansion/contraction of the Perspex in the Sun (boats in the Med) soon brought back the leaks. The one thing that I have found to work (now 4 years without ingress of water) is a 1" wide strip of closed cell foam, sticky on both sides, that was so easy to apply and trimmed arounf the window for a neat finish. Can't remember the product name, but I found it available at several chandlers.

 

[Guest]

Re: \"plastic\" windows

Is the glass and frame OK, if so have you thought about just resealing with ordinary sealant to relace rubber?

Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster

 

[aztec]

Re: \"plastic\" windows

Go to your local car windscreen replacement firm,tell them what you want. thet use a special adhesive on modern bonded screens, they should be able to supply you sufficient to do the job....oh yes and probably cheap too!

 

[paulrossall]

Re: Is polycarbonate best material?

I have one window which you cannot see through because of crazing/scratches and need to replace. Is polycarbonate the best material or should I use perspex, and does it have to be of some special quality? Where can the correct material be purchased?

 

[chippie]

Re: Is polycarbonate best material?

The best product in my opinion is toughened glass.
I replaced a broken window by making a pattern and taking it to a glass company.
It has to be cut and then heat treated to toughen it.
I fitted it to the boat using sikaflex to bed it.

 

[vyv_cox]

Don\'t ever..

use solvent based sealants on polycarbonate. It will fail by stress-corrosion cracking in less than a year. Use marine grade silicone, which is water based. Polyurethane and polysulphides are OK for perspex and glass but not polycarbonate.

 

[Gordonmc]

Re: Is polycarbonate best material?

I have just finished re-windowing my Hillyard using polycarbonate which I got from a local glaziers as off-cuts. I paid £30 for twice as much material as I needed in 5mm as I had been frightened silly with tales of how difficult it was to cut. Using the old windows as templates I cut out the shapes by clamping a jigsaw upside down in a bench vice and selecting the slowest speed and a fairly coarse blade.
Cut no problem with no waste. Drilled easily too, using a bit one size up from size of screws to allow for expansion (windows are frameless). Final fettling done with a surform.
Took advice not to use a solvent based mastic and used a marine grade silicone instead.
I had been quoted £380 for supply of the six windows alone. Did the job over two weekends and have to say it was very satisfying to finally peel away the protective film to reveal clear and very strong windows