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New Windows |
The next time I hear on the news about some poor godforsaken country in the middle of a drought I'm just gonna' ship my original windows to them,... they've always brought me lots of water! Besides the annual ritual of spring leak chasing, the frames just looked like crap after thirty-four years of dings, dents and weather. My plan is to cut new 3/8" thick smoked acrylic windows, slightly larger than the originals with aluminum frames anodized silver to match the new Lewmar portlights. This should help preserve the somewhat traditional look of the C-30. If I'm successful it shouldn't be too obvious to the casual observer that the windows have been replaced. |
These are the test pieces I cut from 1/4" clear acrylic. I'll use these to determine screw hole placement, finished size and spacing. Removing the originals wasn't a lot of fun with buckets of silicone to cut through. Some of the original openings looked like they were cut by a drunk using a butterknife! |
Here's the first of the new windows. This one happens to be the middle window for the starboard side. |
All the windows will be cut from 3/8" acrylic (plexiglass) and feature a 45 degree chamfered edge to assist in water runoff. |
The overall size of the windows has only been increased by one inch. That and the addition of the aluminum frames should prevent the spaceship look that you get with some aftermarket windows. |
Cutting the rest of the windows on the CNC table. |
Finally got around to machining the rest of the window frames today. Now I just have to send them out for anodizing and they'll be ready for installation. |
I machined a 1/32" deep band along the centerline of the frames to mimic the appearance of the original frames and counterbored the holes so the machine screws would sit virtually flush with the surface. They look so good all buffed up it's kind of a shame they will be anodized matte silver. |
Well... Here's the first test fit of the near finished windows and I'm very happy with the fit. They won't be permanently installed for a while yet as the cabintop is still waiting for paint. |
Here any rot has been repaired and the very rough window openings have been faired with a fiber and epoxy mix. This will give me more surface area to bond the new windows with the butyl tape and it will also provide for a smooth finished look to the window interiors, filling the void between the inner aluminum frame and the acrylic window. Finish sanding is yet to be done. |
Trust me it'll all make sense when you see the finished product! |
All filling done and a fresh coat of Interlux Brightsides polyurethane. |
Window test fit # 37 Bolted all the window components into place today and everything works! The plexi to cabin fit appears very tight all around, the aluminum flanges do a nice job of distributing the pressure from the bolts evenly! |
The anodizing on the flanges didn't turn out to be a dead match to the Lewmar portlights but I can live with it. |
Now that I'm sure that this concept will work I'll get the inside frames powdercoated at work tomorrow and then permanently install the windows. |
When I started this project I had envisioned a retrofit that wouldn't be at all obvious. In that regard I think I failed, but overall I think they they fit with the look of the boat. |
The view inside looking out. The only thing left to do on the install is to cut off the extra length on the bolts and to replace the nuts with nylocks |
"I just spent six months in a leaky boat" |
- Split Enz |
These are the new windows fully installed, details below |
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ! |
The new windows remained bone dry all year until now. I've found a couple of annoying, albeit minor leaks on two of the windows on the starboard side. My guess is that the cooler weather is a contributing factor, with all materials contracting a bit with the lower temperatures. This only occurs in a really driving rain. What appears to be happening is some water is making it's way between the outer aluminum flange and the plexiglas and entering the cabin via the screwholes. Although a wrap of butyl tape was originally put around each bolt, it should also be applied on the backside of the outer aluminum flange around each hole and along the upper edges of the aluminum (as shown at left) This should cure the problem and give any water that might find it's way behind the flange an escape route. |