"Franko" wrote in message
. com...


My Bimini needs to install on the metal railing that holds my windshield.

When you say "metal railing", are you talking about the windshield frame?

My question is- How do I get the hardware to screw tightly to the rail
without going so deep as to hit the edge of the glass?

Some windshields are built with this in mind. They typically have enough
material at the top so that you can sink a sheet metal screw and not bother
anything (i.e., not hit the glass). They may also be strong enough so that
the upward forces generated when the wind catches the bimini won't pull the
windshield apart.

Other windshields were NOT made this way. They may not have any room for
screw, and attempting to put one in may end up cracking the glass/plastic
panels. They may also not have any structural strength to keep them from
being pulled apart.

If it is at all possible, I would recommend fastening the bimini to the deck
rather than the windshield. The forces on the bimini while it is sitting on
the trailer in the driveway are minimal. When you are running at 40 MPH
into a 20 MPH wind with gusts to 30 MPH the forces are much higher. If you
catch a big spray of water across the bimini it can have tremendous loads on
it. People will use the bimini poles as handles. Some one will eventually
tie a fender or a dock line to the bimini poles.

It is one thing to have your bimini ripped off and destroyed. That can be
replaced fairly easily. It is another thing to have your windshield
destroyed. Having replaced a couple of them, I can tell you that they can
be rather expensive just for the parts and involve a LOT of labor!

Rod McInnis