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?

"NE Sailboat" wrote in message
news:%CpFh.15994$sv6.10364@trndny08...
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?


It cuts fine with a saw (I've used circular saws, jigsaws, sabresaws,
handsaws) -- cut it too fast and it melts; cut it just fast enough and it
softens ever-so-slightly without clogging up the saw teeth. I suppose you
might also be able to score and break it, but I've never tried. Plastics
shops have it for certain, some hardware stores. Even places like Home Depot
may have it. For a boat, you want the "MarGard" variety. UV and scratch
resistant.

In article %CpFh.15994$sv6.10364@trndny08,
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?

I believe the difficult/tricky part is making sure it's sealed
properly. The stuff can really flex, so the seal needs to be done
correctly.




--
Capt. JG @@
www.sailnow.com

"NE Sailboat" wrote

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


I just called up Champion Glass, on of the local auto glass places. The did
some research and came up with the MR 10 Lexan which has a UV and scratch
resistant layer. It came cut to my specifications for half the price the
skylight company wanted for plain Acrylic.

The only hitch was that the supplier who cut it for them didn't have the
jigs on hand for the 1 3/8 in corner radius I wanted. Rather than pay extra
and wait for them to get the right jigs, I just had them sent with 1 1/4
inch radius and will sand or grind to the right radius myself.

The data sheet that came with the pieces sounds great. Scratch resistance
much closer to glass than acrylic, guaranteed against yellowing for 10 years
in building applications which should translate into a lot for a boat that
is covered 3/4 of the year. About 10 times the strength of Acrylic.

The only thing I've heard negative against this stuff is that the scratch
resistant layer may separate if the stuff is bent. Shouldn't be a problem
for skylights but I will continue to scream at people who start to step on
them. I wouldn't try it for wrap around windows on cabin sides until I knew
more about this issue.

--
Roger Long

On Feb 28, 5:02 pm, "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?

Hi:

Did that project two years ago: six 7"x15" through bolted "deadlights"
3/8" polycarbonate = Lexan. Do shop around. I found prices vary
wildly. THe cheepest place I found was a small glass shop that also
had a contract with the local correctional insitution. Bad guyes =
Lexan. The price diffrence was somthing on the order of $2.50 compared
to $14.00 a square foot. Duhhh. I love Lexan. It takes a curve well
without cracking like acrylic, easy to cut/drill, cheep if you find
the right place. It even stops bullets! But need to use a silicon
based adhesive/selant. There is some stuff called "structural"
silicone that is totally HD. Dow Corning and others make it. Hve fun,
I did!

On Feb 28, 9:02 pm, "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?

Look in your phone book under acrylic supplies. The people who sell it
usually can/do cut it.

"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?

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...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

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.

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

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.