Rebuilding & rebedding unusual yacht windows - Advice please

[carl170]

Hi Everyone.

I am hoping that you may be able to help me with the windows on my boat. The boat is a Halcyon 23 Circa 1970 and the perspex windows are very badly crazed. They desperately need replacing.

I have undone the aluminium frames around the windows and these appear to be attached with some type of sealant, which I have managed to get through using a thin scraper. The perspex underneath is stuck down to a wooden frame that seems to be bonded to the inside The perspex is sandwiched on one side by the wooden frame and aluminium frame on the front. I haven't seen this type of construction before. Normally the Perspex is mounted in the frame itself.

http://i731.photobucket.com/albums/...obucket.com/albums/ww315/carl170/DSC_2981.jpg

http://i731.photobucket.com/albums/ww315/carl170/DSC_2980.jpg

I had bought some butyl tape to seal the replacement windows I will have made. People have suggested acrylic is the way to go?.

However, I am now unsure what to use when putting the whole lot back together? I don't know whether to try and use the butyl tape, or to just use some type of gloop to stick it all down with.

Any advise gratefully received!

Thanks in advance,

Carl

PS There is a little bit more detail on my blog should anyone be interested.

 

[nickd]

Hi
I used sikaflex 291 sealant on mine, and I had replacement acrylic cut by:
http://www.theplasticman.co.uk/index.php?gclid=CM3F2PG1q8gCFeJl2wodSq0P8Q

Sikalfex is easy enough to use and does the job
and plastic man were great

 

[C08]

I would agree that Acrylic is to be preferred to Polycarbonate for boat windows. Acrylic is more more scratch resistant and 1/4 the price of Polycarbonate which is also less rigid than Acrylic material. Yes the Acrylic may craze in 20 years, also my UV stable polycarbonate wheelhouse front window has a distinctly milky appearance compared to the Acrylic side windows. I used CT1 to bed my windows which is a lot cheaper than Sikka products and is compatible with Acrylic/Poly plastics. I last used Sikka 290 to seal around my D fendering around the boat hull and was very disappointed how poorly adhered it was and how easily it picked off with a finger nail. not at all like the Sikka I used years ago that was tough and tenacious to remove/

 

[Minchsailor]

Make sure you use a sealant that is compatible with the glazing material AND can be removed. You will never be able to remove the window if you seal it with Sikaflex - also not sure about its comparability with Perspex/acrylic.

When I had my windows rebuilt by Eagle they supplied a cartridge of Arbomast GP which is a thick non-setting goo. Cheap as chips from a builder's merchant. I 'think' this is OK with polycarbonate, not so sure about Perspex.

 

[alahol2]

Go with the butyl tape. It will be much easier to apply neatly and consistently; also much easier to clean up afterwards. If you should ever need to take it apart in future you will praise your forethought.