Tricabin windshield

[Bajan's Gal]

Can anyone in Trojan land give me a source for the rubber moulding around the windshield windows and the two plastic windows on the sides. Mine is a 73 Tricabin but I believe they are all the same. The old rubber has shrunk and I would also like to replace the plastic sides next spring so I am doing my research early.
Thanks in advance.
Chris

[aaronbocknek]

hi chris, ahhh yes, the ever present tri cabin windshield leaks. this was a constant source of frustration for my dad on our 72 tri cabin. he even had trojan, on several occasions, come to capitol yacht club to reseal it. taylor made manufactured the frames and the gasket materials. it's a an "H" shape that mounts around the windows, then when they are lowered into the frame, being slightly larger than the frame opening they press into place and form a 'watertight' seal. until they begin to shrink. i would love to have my windshield rebedded, but, i have yet to find a place here in baltimore that is willing to take on the task. those window panels are heavy. each large one weighs in at around 40 pounds.

as for the plexiglass side windows, if i remember correctly, ours were kept in place with an outer sealing gasket, again, taylor made component. as an aside,(and a part of trojan tri cabin history) those plexiglass side windows were a result of my dad's calling the plant manager in ontario and our visit in march of 1972 (the day we watched her hull pulled from the mold). he did not want the standard isinglass/canvas set up with 3 small children. when bubala 3 was sold in 2008 the plexiglass was still clear and shiny like day she was delivered to taylor yacht sales in edgewater, maryland.

hope this helps.
aaron

[Bajan's Gal]

Thanks aaron for the expertise. I was thinking of cutting out the moulding flush with the glass and then putting new 1/4 round rubber moulding embedded in some good black sealer. What would you think of that, as it would save removing the glass and it would seal it and it should look good. Actually I could even use mahogany 1/4 round and paint it to match the windshield.
Comments?
Chris

[Oxblood]

I have now done the three lower panes in my Tri Cabin, and will do the three larger, upper panes in the spring.

A friend of mine got an automotive glazier's knife and we cut out the original rubber bead and all the silicon that previous owners had applied, and then lifted the panes out. I then used a putty knife and acetone to clean up the old, now very dry butyl tape that was the original bedding. Cleaned the glass thoroughly with shop towels and acetone. We then lay down Sikaflex 291 Black as the bedding, and pressed the panes in place. To seal the outer my buddy applied Life Seal. We did two layers so far. In the spring I will sand lightly and apply two more layers, tooling the last application with a caulking wedge. So far it looks good, and the glass is bedded solidly.

[Bajan's Gal]

Sounds great. I think I will do like you and do the 3 lower panes first, but I will try using 1/4 round rubber or mahogany bedded in the Life Seal or even a layer of Sikaflex to cut down on the quantity of caulking material. However it will have to wait until spring as I am scheduled for shrink wrapping this coming week.
Thanks for the help.
Chris

[aaronbocknek]

I have now done the three lower panes in my Tri Cabin, and will do the three larger, upper panes in the spring.

A friend of mine got an automotive glazier's knife and we cut out the original rubber bead and all the silicon that previous owners had applied, and then lifted the panes out. I then used a putty knife and acetone to clean up the old, now very dry butyl tape that was the original bedding. Cleaned the glass thoroughly with shop towels and acetone. We then lay down Sikaflex 291 Black as the bedding, and pressed the panes in place. To seal the outer my buddy applied Life Seal. We did two layers so far. In the spring I will sand lightly and apply two more layers, tooling the last application with a caulking wedge. So far it looks good, and the glass is bedded solidly.

wow. sounds great. would you mind posting some pics of this? did you document the before, during and after? that would be a huge help. i've tried window glazers here in baltimore and no one wants to touch this project. of course, there are a few yacht yards in the area that would kill to get the job. one, weavers marine service, said that they could do it, but, the entire windshield would have to be removed and actually dismantled in order to accomplish it. they said that they could strip the frame and powder coat it to make the whole thing look new. what sort of gasket has been used on the center opening unit? i want to replace mine, but i'm unsure where it goes. on the non opening frame or on the window that opens or both. i wish i could fabricate something to 'dog it down' tight.
now, having said all that, will black automotive windshield caulk work? say for example, remove the window from frame.
clean frame, apply the auto caulk onto the frame and press window into caulk/frame. (what did you do with the over flow?)
now, for the outer caulk, how did you 'frame the line' so that it looked even all around the window?
i'm just really curious as i'd like to tackle this and correct it once and for all.
aaron

[aaronbocknek]

Sounds great. I think I will do like you and do the 3 lower panes first, but I will try using 1/4 round rubber or mahogany bedded in the Life Seal or even a layer of Sikaflex to cut down on the quantity of caulking material. However it will have to wait until spring as I am scheduled for shrink wrapping this coming week.
Thanks for the help.
Chris

hi chris, i'd advise against using any wood around the window. it would require upkeep, and what would the wood 'bond' to? if it's just the caulk, i would reconsider that option especially if you sell her down the line. perhaps, use a few layers of life seal then finish off with one sided window glaze butyl tape.
just a thought.
aaron

here is a cut and past from sailnet.com that any and all might be interested in. though it talks about 'portlights', perhaps the same materials may be used for this project.
heck, we can all get on the 'reglazing' band wagon.
aaron

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Re: Replacing windows by adhesive & Butyl tape?
a) Use VHB tape but check what it is compatible with. Another option is structural glazing tape. (Tremco SGT or equal)
b) Install it approximately 1/4" in from the edge of the glazing. Be VERY careful because once it contacts it's over (for the most part anyway).
c) Once applied to the cabin, roll HARD around the entire edge until you get tired, then do it again.
d) Mask with blue painters tape 2" around the perimeter.
e) Stuff a pencil thru something round and rubber that will position the point 1/4-5/16 from the perimeter of the rubber. A small tire from a toy car works well. Roll this around the perimeter of your glazing, making a perfect offset.
f) Carefully cut on this mark with a sharp razor and remove the tape nearest the glazing.
g) Tape the edge of the glazing overhanging the tape slightly then trim excess off with the razor.
h) Inject structural silicone into the crack under the glazing and apply a liberal bead all around the perimeter.
i) TOOL the silicone, a plastic spoon works well. Don't listen to those that claim they're so good, they never tool their sealant. I'm a glazing designer. Sealant isn't waterproof or warrantied unless it's tooled properly.
j) Remove the tape almost immediately, being careful not to goop anything up. When cured your portlight will be virtually immovable. This is the same basic joint that keeps the windows in many modern high-rise buildings.

If you're careful, the bead will be as consistent and attractive as a rubber gasket and you may be able to get a color match to your cabin or plain ol' black.

This installation is the bomb for a recreational cruiser. It'll keep you safe and dry for years. If you're crossing an ocean . . . let a professional fix it.

here is a modern marvels short video about VHB tape. perhaps for the frame to window bond? it will never come out that is certain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OtrDvDvF5I