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

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?

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

"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.

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

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

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

"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

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

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!

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

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.

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

"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

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

Home Depo carries Lexan of various thicknesses and tints. There is
a learning curve to cutting it. Be sure to buy extra. Also, a bevel
looks professional. It is cheaper to practice on wood.

If you use tinted material be sure to install it on a cool cloudy
day. Heat will expand the tinted material more than your glass boat
and may result in cracks.

wankell

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

On Mar 1, 9:18 pm, "wankell" wrote:
Home Depo carries Lexan of various thicknesses and tints. There is
a learning curve to cutting it. Be sure to buy extra. Also, a bevel
looks professional. It is cheaper to practice on wood.

If you use tinted material be sure to install it on a cool cloudy
day. Heat will expand the tinted material more than your glass boat
and may result in cracks.

wankell

Drill the screw holes a bit over size and that stops cracks from
starting at the holes.

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

On 1 Mar 2007 19:18:32 -0800, "capt.bill11"
wrote:

On Mar 1, 9:18 pm, "wankell" wrote:
Home Depo carries Lexan of various thicknesses and tints. There is
a learning curve to cutting it. Be sure to buy extra. Also, a bevel
looks professional. It is cheaper to practice on wood.

If you use tinted material be sure to install it on a cool cloudy
day. Heat will expand the tinted material more than your glass boat
and may result in cracks.

wankell

Drill the screw holes a bit over size and that stops cracks from
starting at the holes.


And a perfectionist weill naturally polish the holes to a mirror
smoothness.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

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
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca