Lexan ,, for ports .. where to purchase and get cut
 

On Thu, 01 Mar 2007 01:02:51 GMT, "NE Sailboat"
wrote:

Thinking of replacing the lexan/port on the boat. I'm thinking that
purchasing this stuff and getting it cut is the trick.

Where does one go to find Lexan? Window places? Who carries it? And do
they normally cut it for you?



DAGS for plastic wholesalers. I bought a full sheet and replaced all
the ports and hatch lights on a 29' sailboat about ten years back. I
think mine came from cadillac plastics. Cost less to buy it in a full
sheet from a wholesaler.

It is easy to work with normal woodworking tools. you can saw it on a
table saw and shape the edge with a router.

depending on how it is to be installed, (framed, frameless) pay
careful attention to the potential for differential thermal expansion.
For instances if the border is protected from the sun's heat while the
center is not, you need to make provisions for thermal expansion by
either room in the frame, or some method of allowing movement in you
attachment/sealant method. Otherwise it will move anyway and cause
crazing at the differential point or leaks.

Frank

Lexan ,, for ports .. where to purchase and get cut
 

I replace my companionway hatchboard with Lexan that I bought on eBay.
Did the cutting and machining myself. It was easy to work with. This
is who I bought it from:
http://stores.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Gara...nels_Polycarb_


How thick are your companionway slides? I don't see anything listed over
about 1/3 inch. I'd like to do something similar but my last boat had
1/2 inch and my current boat has 3/4 inch sliders.

Lexan ,, for ports .. where to purchase and get cut
 

wrote
How thick are your companionway slides? I don't see anything listed over
about 1/3 inch. I'd like to do something similar but my last boat had
1/2 inch and my current boat has 3/4 inch sliders.

3/8" (Gloucester 20)

This is what I used:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=330071745689

Lexan ,, for ports .. where to purchase and get cut
 

wrote:
I replace my companionway hatchboard with Lexan that I bought on eBay.

Did the cutting and machining myself. It was easy to work with. This
is who I bought it from:

http://stores.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Gara...nels_Polycarb_



How thick are your companionway slides? I don't see anything listed over
about 1/3 inch. I'd like to do something similar but my last boat had
1/2 inch and my current boat has 3/4 inch sliders.

It's difficult to find good suppliers of
Plexiglass (acrylic sheet) and Lexan
(Polycarbonate sheet) on the internet. Not
impossible, but difficult.

After several fruitless searches on the internet
and Ebay it seemed that I could not find exactly
what I wanted, or it was at what seemed like a
high price and the shipping made it even worse.

I then picked up the local Austin yellow pages,
started calling industrial plastic suppliers, and
found two local suppliers that had what I wanted
in stock. They could also order arylic and
polycarbonate in colors and thicknesses I never
dreamed existed including opaque and solid colors.
The only rub was that special orders required a
minimum of either 4'x4' or 4'x8' depending on the
material. That said, their stock prices were
better than any I found on the internet.

They had clear acylic in stock in thickness
ranging from 1/16" all the way up to 1-1/4".

Based on my experiences, I'd say that if you live
close to a fairly large city, get out the yellow
pages and look under "Plastic".

YMMV,

Don W.

Lexan ,, for ports .. where to purchase and get cut
 

On Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:23:36 -0600, wrote:


I replace my companionway hatchboard with Lexan that I bought on eBay.
Did the cutting and machining myself. It was easy to work with. This
is who I bought it from:
http://stores.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Gara...nels_Polycarb_


How thick are your companionway slides? I don't see anything listed over
about 1/3 inch. I'd like to do something similar but my last boat had
1/2 inch and my current boat has 3/4 inch sliders.

You can always glue strips to the edges of the new boards to build up
the thickness. Using the thin material for the body of the boards
will make them much lighter...


--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
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