Acrylic panes incorporated in canvas

[(Nobody You Know)]

I am beginning to hear about a procedure that incorporates acrylic window panes in with canvas, particularly the forward windows of a fly bridge. One source suggests that hot glue from a glue gun is utilized and can make a long term bond.
Has anyone had any experience with this???
Thanks!

 

[bobk]

Both acrylic and polycarbonate are used. The processes are different. With acrylic (EZ2CY) the pane is glued in with an acrylic cement which EZ2CY has patented. The polycarbonate panels are thinner and are sewn in like vinyls. I'm told it takes a special surface treatment to give the polycarbonate UV resistance.

Bob

 

[GJH]

EZ2CY is great stuff with outstanding visual clarity. It does not roll or fold, but can be lifted and attached to the ceiling. You see this on the flying bridge of many of the new Hatts. We have this arrangement on our aft deck and it has been terrific.

 

[DeeRow]

Look here for another HOFer's experience making their own enclosure.
http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5019

 

[eze2bme]

OK ... I did make my own panels using acrylic and using a hot glue gun to "weld" the acrylic to the vinyl. As it turned out the hot glue started turning loose in places when the summer arrived with our 90-100 degree days. I ended up using a glue similar to the glue we all used to use as kids when putting together model cars and planes ... basically a glue for plastics ... it did work but was messy and very time consuming as you had to wait for one section to dry before starting on another. I finally decided to bite the bullet and have a hard enclosure (glass and wood) made with EZ2CY panels made for the transom.

 

[OBXTucker]

OK ... I did make my own panels using acrylic and using a hot glue gun to "weld" the acrylic to the vinyl. As it turned out the hot glue started turning loose in places when the summer arrived with our 90-100 degree days. I ended up using a glue similar to the glue we all used to use as kids when putting together model cars and planes ... basically a glue for plastics ... it did work but was messy and very time consuming as you had to wait for one section to dry before starting on another. I finally decided to bite the bullet and have a hard enclosure (glass and wood) made with EZ2CY panels made for the transom.

That's disappointing to hear. I just spent a few minutes admiring your work in the "Technical Images" section. How long have you had the glass/wood design in place? Still removable/hinged?

 

[Beckytek]

I made acryic sheet windows for my bridge 5 years ago and they are as clear as the day they were installed. I bought the glue (solvent) to bond the acryic to the sunbrella. It bonds almost instantly and is clear like water. The acrylic is 1/16" thick and comes in 4 X 8 sheets. Ron

 

[Carver370]

I went the polycarbonate / sewn route. My canvas guy was able to cut out smiles in the windows so you can leave them attached at the bottom and unzip and flip up just the smile to the hardtop.

Not a Hatteras, but it has a similar aft deck configuration.

 

[eze2bme]

Jeff ... I did the glass/wood hard enclosure in 2008 ... made wood templates and had a cabinet shop make the frames out of mahogany and then had Solex installed. I made wing doors, side panels then a 20 inch wide panel at the corners of the transom and used EZ2CY across the transom. The mahogany was painted with Imron so everything matches. I also replaced the old weather boards with new ones which are caulked to the underside of the teak handrails and the top of the gunnels. New weatherboard gates were also installed. All in all I'm very happy with the outcome ... low maintenance and no more zipping and unzipping of the old soft enclosure to gain access to the aft deck.

 

[rhprop]

I made acryic sheet windows for my bridge 5 years ago and they are as clear as the day they were installed. I bought the glue (solvent) to bond the acryic to the sunbrella. It bonds almost instantly and is clear like water. The acrylic is 1/16" thick and comes in 4 X 8 sheets. Ron

Do you have a generic or brand name of the adhesive?

 

[bobk]

I also replaced the old weather boards with new ones which are caulked to the underside of the teak handrails and the top of the gunnels. New weatherboard gates were also installed. .

What did you use to make the new weatherboards? I'm contemplating that job for this winter. Pictures?

Bob
Chateau de Mer
1981 48MY

 

[eze2bme]

I used extruded PVC board for the new weatherboards. It's available from most outdoor advertising material suppliers. Painter prepped it and sprayed with Imron. Send me a PM with your email and I'll send some pics.

 

[bobby]

I went the polycarbonate / sewn route. My canvas guy was able to cut out smiles in the windows so you can leave them attached at the bottom and unzip and flip up just the smile to the hardtop.

Not a Hatteras, but it has a similar aft deck configuration.

nice setup

 

[Beckytek]

Do you have a generic or brand name of the adhesive?

IPS Corporation (Weld-on 3) clear, water thin, very fast curing solvent cement, for joining arylic. Taken right from the label. Ron

 

[rhprop]

Anyone used MAKROLON polycarbonate? This stuff seems super, at least on the Beyer website and pricing is in line with Lexan.

Also anyone used the pin-less hinge from TAP Plastics. Looks like this will glue directly to acrylic/polycarbonate with testing to millions of cycles.

 

[eze2bme]

I used the pinless TAP Plastics hinges ... work well ...

 

[Carver370]

Anyone used MAKROLON polycarbonate? This stuff seems super, at least on the Beyer website and pricing is in line with Lexan.

Also anyone used the pin-less hinge from TAP Plastics. Looks like this will glue directly to acrylic/polycarbonate with testing to millions of cycles.

The pictures I poster are Makrolon. Its sewn.

 

[labrador]

Polycarbonate is polycarbonate, we use it on the greenhouses we mfg. It usually comes with uv protection on one side only either extrued in or coated after extruded. I say it's the same as we went to one mfgs plant and saw them mfg anothers product right in front of us. If not uv protected, or installed backwards, it will yellow within 3 weeks. When we do an open roof greenhouse we specify UV2 which is protected on both sides as when the roof opens the non protected side will be exposed.If it gets scratched, be prepared to see it yellow there. We do acrylic also but harder to work with however in over 25yrs I've never seen any yellowing. It is much more brittle however and does not have the shatter resistance of polycarbonate.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Anyone used MAKROLON polycarbonate? This stuff seems super, at least on the Beyer website and pricing is in line with Lexan.

Funny you should mention this. I just spoke this morning with a canvas maker in Stuart who will be showing me several boats with windows made from Makrolon next week. The guy says his oldest project is 3-4 years old and is holding up fine.
Also, I will be visiting another canvas guy who claims to be having considerable success with Lexan. At this time everyone seems to concur that EX2CY is more expensive and prone to shatter over the years.

 

[Daybreak]

Daybreak needs a new enclosure, badly. I have marine vinyl not canvas and the isenglas wraps around corners so I don't think a hard sheet material would work well. I do have a front window and two sides that would accept stiff sheet material but the rest of it needs to roll up or be flexible. I'm not convinced that a hot glue gun will hold it all together properly and do have access to a industrial sewing machine. I'd like advice on rebuilding this enclosure based on your experiences with materials outside of sunbrella and fastening methods, ie sewn, glued.