Emotionally, I can’t take this anymore. (Windows)

[Chotu]

Here’s what I came out to today.

It appears the garbage polycarbonate I was sold locally doesn’t behave like the stuff I built the boat from originally.

I’m losing it, to be honest.

This would me my 7th F^CKING time doing these windows. And I can’t progress on the boat until it’s watertight.

Help!!!

Do I just start driving screws through the stuff into the cabin top?

This is breaking me, emotionally.

[rslifkin]

What's the new stuff doing differently?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

What's the new stuff doing differently?

It’s bending in this Fn heat.

The old stuff is right next to it in the pics. It expands and contracts like crazy but doesn’t bend in half.

[rslifkin]

Hmm... What about running to the hardware store for some aluminum Z channel? Smear some sealant on the window and the channel, apply channel to the un-secured edge and screw it to the boat to hold everything in place?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Hmm... What about running to the hardware store for some aluminum Z channel? Smear some sealant on the window and the channel, apply channel to the un-secured edge and screw it to the boat to hold everything in place?

It’s bowing like that for the full length.

I put some VHB tape down each upright member it rests on and it tore off the VHB tape and is bowed like crazy in the middle for the whole length of it.

Here it is as of yesterday before it was in the hot sun. The entire length is bowed out now that the sun hit it.

Essentially, it’s collapsing under its own weight

Right next to it, the old window you see here aft of the new one is fine. It’s tearing away the Dow 795 but it’s not bending at all an never has.

[atoll]

if it is a glue failure i would suspect a poor bond letting go due to high humidity when it was glued

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by atoll

if it is a glue failure i would suspect a poor bond letting go due to high humidity when it was glued

It’s not. It’s a sheet of polycarbonate sitting in an upper and lower aluminum track I just spent 2 days on.

There was significant VHB tape on the uprights to keep it snug against the boat, it tore off the VHB tape and is collapsing under its own weight.

No sealant or adhesive applied yet. But this should have sat in the tracks, not collapsed under its own weight in the heat. The original Sabic polycarbonate is sitting right next to it ripping the Dow795 and VHB tape off slowly but surely through standard thermal expansion but isn’t collapsing under its own weight.


What next? I can’t do this anymore. I’m losing my mind. 7th time now, I believe.

[Singularity]

Change of heart and glasswork required, but go to smaller ports and be done quickly, no wheel re-invention. I must assume that we see few boats with what you're trying to do because it just isn't easy to to or won't work without big problems (or requiring fundamentally different construction techniques).

FWIW, a few pictures below of a style of cabin-type perhaps similar to yours (i.e. angular) to visualize smaller yet large windows.

[Woodland Hills]

This is why you do not see plastic windows on production boats. The expansion is too great for effective sealing. You need to bite the bullet and pony up for high strength glass.

[wolfgal]

no clue as to a solution,
just sending you a wave of positive "fix-it" energy, chotu

hang in there



wolfie

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Singularity

Change of heart and glasswork required, but go to smaller ports and be done quickly, no wheel re-invention. I must assume that we see few boats with what you're trying to do because it just isn't easy to to or won't work without big problems (or requiring fundamentally different construction techniques).

FWIW, a few pictures below of a style of cabin-type perhaps similar to yours (i.e. angular) to visualize smaller yet large windows.

I’m dying here. Definitely at the “rethink” it stage after all the old polycarbonate was destroyed by mold anyway. $4000 of the stuff. Florida mold grew on it and etched it.

I think this could be done with glass, but the weight would be horrendous. About 400lbs for the two sides. However, it would stay in place, not have thermal expansion issues and would be more easily able to take tint films.

The front windows are not a problem. Maybe I could go with glass on those later?

Soooo heavy though.

I hate to change the whole thing.

Basically, I need some “curtains” of something to hang on the side that will look nice. Polycarbonate isn’t it. **** sucks if I’m allowed to show my frustration. Lol

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

This is why you do not see plastic windows on production boats. The expansion is too great for effective sealing. You need to bite the bullet and pony up for high strength glass.

That’s where I’m at.

I hate to give up the weight penalty, but at this point, I will never finish if I don’t

It’s a 200lb weight hit to do just the sides out of glass.

Maybe worth it.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by wolfgal

no clue as to a solution,
just sending you a wave of positive "fix-it" energy, chotu

hang in there



wolfie

Thank you for the good vibes. 😊

[Don C L]

Funny, I just came upon a thread on this yesterday, but now where is it... looking...
OK found from another forum that you should look into using GE Ultraglaze Glazing Sealant (GE SSG4000) You may have to order it from GE directly. It is used by Bomar for their windows and is used for windows on skyscrapers. Supposedly it is good for plastic too, but good to double check.
Still looking for the other thread about plastics for windows..

[sailormed]

I think it is to tight in its aluminium track.
Take the sheets out of the track and see if you can shave 1/8 or less of the panels.
It can be the same vertical dimension as the old ones but maybe not have the same thermal expansion factor.
Hope you get it sorted. Chears!