1971 F26 Front Window

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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

Post by The Dog House »

The rubber strips that were on top of the plexiglass broke apart as I pulled them out. Does anyone know where I can purchase replacement rubber strips? The groove that they fit into is 1/8 inch wide.
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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prowlersfish
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

Post by prowlersfish »

Try Beacon ? Or a Glass or hardware store ?
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I was not able to find Lexan XL in grey but I was able to find Makrolon SL polycarbonate in grey. The Makrolon SL is UV protected like the Lexan XL. I ordered a 6 mm (0.236 inch) thickness (4 foot by 8 foot sheet). It's a little thinner than the 0.250 inch plexiglass window that came out but it should be fine. I plan on cutting the Makrolon to shape between Christmas and New Years. I probably won't be able to install it until April when the weather warms up. Maybe if I'm lucky we'll have an early Spring. :D
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I received the Makrolon yesterday. Here's a picture of the new sheet of Makrolon next to the old plexiglass window.

Image

Since the old window had a bit of a curve to it from being in the window frame for over 10 years, I had to weight down the old window before I could trace it.

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I traced the shape of the old window onto the new Makrolon. I put a sheet of 4' x 8' plywood on two saw horses and then put two sheets of Owens Corning Foamular 250 (2 in x 48 in x 8 ft) on top of the plywood. I then clamped the Makrolon on top of the Foamular 250.

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The foam evenly supports the Makrolon and is easy to saw through. I used DeWalt Aluminum/Fiberglass jig saw blades (8 tpi). I cut the side the clamp is on, then moved the clamp to the side I was cutting next. I made sure to cut on the inside of the trace line. This will allow room for thermal expansion. After I finished cutting I sanded the edges and rounded the corners with the sand paper.

Image

The grey is the protective paper that is on the Makrolon. The actual color is about half as dark as the plexiglass I took out, but is fine for what I need. I have curtains on the inside of the boat and will be using a canvas cover on the outside of the boat most of the time. I now need to finish sanding the window frame to prepare for installation. I probably will have to wait until April for the temperature to be warm enough for me to install it. I'll post updates as they become available.
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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prowlersfish
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

Post by prowlersfish »

Thanks for the update
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I scraped the window frame with a razor knife and then sanded it with 80 grit sandpaper. I then used a pick to clean out the grooves. After everything was clean I wiped it down with acetone and then dried it with a clean rag. The window frame is now ready for the new window.

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1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I put the new Makrolon window in the window frame and it fit. :D The Makrolon is very flexible and contoured to the window shape immediately. My plans to permanently install it in April are the following:

1. Remove the protective covering from the Makrolon and scuff from the edges to about 1 inch in on the underside of the window. Put painters tape on the top side of the Makrolon from the edge to about 1 inch in. Place a plastic drop cloth underneath the window frame.

2. Place black Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant on the horizontal part of the window frame and then place the Makrolon window on top of the Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant. Use popsicle sticks on the bottom of the window to hold it off of the frame.

3. Put small bricks in old socks and place them on top of the Makrolon around the edge of the window. Remove the painters tape to remove any sealant that may have oozed up from the bottom of the window. Clean up the inside of the window frame if necessary. Let the sealant cure for a week.

4. Remove the bricks and popsicle sticks. Put painters tape on the top side of the Makrolon from the edge to about 2 inches in. Put Dow Corning 795 sealant in the crack between the window and the frame. Use a plastic putty knife to level the sealant with the top of the window. Remove the painters tape. Let the sealant cure for a week.

5. Put a bead of Dow Corning 795 sealant in the corner where the top of the window meets the vertical part of the frame. Let the sealant cure for a week.

6. Put 2 inch x 1/8 inch rubber gasket in the top frame groove around the window. I found the rubber gasket at Great Lakes Skipper ( https://www.greatlakesskipper.com/track ... sket-10-ft ).

If anyone can see any problems with my plan, please let me know. I initially was concerned with water pooling inside the frame and getting stuck underneath the rubber gaskets, but since I will have canvas over top of the window most of the time I don't think it will be a concern. My old window was so brittle that once I took off the packaging tape it just fell apart. There was no way I could have made it through another season with my old window. That answered the question of whether all of this was really necessary. :lol: Looking forward to any comments or advice.
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

Post by P-Dogg »

As for keeping the cover on to prevent water from pooling, water will pool wherever it can regardless of precautions taken. I would make sure that if water can pool somewhere, that it doing so would not present problems.

Stiffeners for side impact crash impact attenuation, that are located inside of car doors, are sloped to allow condensation to drain, so that water doesn't collect anywhere on them and speed corrosion. Before i saw that at a Honda factory tour, i never considered the inside if car doors, unlike boat windows, to be exposed to much water.

Not familiar with the coefficient of thermal expansion of makrolon. Will continuous bonding not present differential CTE problems?
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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P-Dogg wrote: Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:25 am
Not familiar with the coefficient of thermal expansion of makrolon. Will continuous bonding not present differential CTE problems?
The coefficient of thermal expansion of Makrolon (polycarbonate) is 0.0000375 In/in/F which is about 5 times that of glass. The coefficient of thermal expansion of plexiglass (acrylic) is about 8 times that of glass, so the Makrolon will be easier to seal. The Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant has a joint movement capability of + 50%, so it should be able to move with the Makrolon as it expands and contracts without breaking its seal. When sealing polycarbonate and acrylic, using a sealant with a high joint movement capability is essential. That's why I'm using the Dow Corning 795.
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I used to work as a plastics fabricator and also built large acrylic fish tanks as a hobby. A couple of tips that may be useful to you:

1) Only remove the protection paper where you have to for the joints. The longer you leave it on, the less of a chance of scratching your window while working on it. I used to peel up the paper on the edge, cut off an inch or so with the knife parallel to the surface of the acrylic and then stick the self adhesive paper back down, leaving an inch with no protective paper.

2) Popsicle sticks will leave a large area to repair. For the aquariums which have solvent welded joints, I would use short pieces of fishing line to hold the pieces apart for a few minutes to let the solvent dissolve the acrylic. Maybe you can find some type of square or round stock that is about 1/16" thick that will leave a smaller area to repair.
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I installed the Makrolon front cabin window today using the Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant. Everything went very well. The polycarbonate conformed to the shape of the window frame much better than the Plexiglas. I have an inch of contact between the polycarbonate and the sealant which is much more than I had with the old Plexiglas window. I'm letting it cure this week. Next weekend I'll take pictures. I'm very optimistic that the combination of polycarbonate and Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant will cure my leaking window problems. Stay tuned. :D
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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After letting the adhesive sealant between the polycarbonate and the frame cure for a week I went back and put adhesive sealant on top of the polycarbonate where the polycarbonate meets the vertical part of the frame.

Image

I let that cure for a week and then went back and installed the trim. There was a 1/8 inch groove in the window frame. I was able to find trim that was 1/8 inch thick by 2 inches wide. The trim fit into the groove well, but it did not bend on a curve very well. Because of this I was not able to put trim all the way around the window. The sides of the window are straight and I was able to put trim completely on both sides. I notched the top and the bottom so it would fit into the groove at the top, side, and bottom. I put adhesive sealant underneath the trim and pressed down. I then put adhesive sealant where the trim met the vertical part of the window frame. Since the leaks I had in the past were always at the bottom corners, I'm confident this approach will "double prevent" any future leaks.

Since I couldn't put trim completely on the top and bottom because of the curve, I put an 8 inch piece of trim at the center of the window at the top and bottom. I installed the trim the same way I installed the trim for the sides. Even though I'm confident the trim was not necessary to secure the window, having the trim pieces at the top center, bottom center, and both sides ensures I won't have a problem. This is the window with the trim installed.

Image

I'm taking the shrink wrap off tomorrow and its supposed to rain all weekend so we'll find out very quickly if all of my hard work was worth it!
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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prowlersfish
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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Hope it is leak free
Boating is good for the soul
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6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat :D
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The Dog House
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

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I checked the boat yesterday and the inside was bone dry after several days of rain. The polycarbonate window and Dow Corning 795 adhesive sealant did the trick! :D
1993 Sea Ray 200 Overnighter OB with 1993 Mercury 150 hp Outboard
1979 Starcraft 14' Rowboat with 2011 Mercury 9.9 hp Outboard
Former boat: 1971 Trojan F26
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Re: 1971 F26 Front Window

Post by prowlersfish »

That's good news !
Boating is good for the soul
77/78 TROJAN F36 Conv.
6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat :D
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