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Old 03-07-2010, 20:01   #1
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Hatch Lens Bonding

Hi all, I'm just about to replace a couple of hatch lenses on older GOIOT units. I found a couple of interesting articles to help me do it, as it seems pretty straight forward. I have decided to do it using Sikaflex 295-UV (and the primer, etc), HOWEVER none seem to mention clamping the acrylic to the alu. frame while the stuff sets...

Does anybody have comments about this?
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Old 03-07-2010, 20:08   #2
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You don't want to clamp the lens tightly to the frame--the thicker the layer of sealant the better it will resist the stresses caused by differential expansion when the hatch is in the sun.
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Old 04-07-2010, 08:24   #3
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I have been through this drill several times with Goiot Hatch covers on our 1986 Beneteau. I am not familiar with the compound you are planning on using so I shall not comment on that. Hopefully you have done your homework.

It is most important that you thoroughly remove the old caulking compound from the frames, which can be a trial. In our case I cut and scraped out as much as possible and then used a material known as “De-Solve” which seems to do a pretty good job of softening and removing the residual caulk. Then clean the frame with alcohol. The edges of the lens must also be thoroughly cleaned of residual caulk.

In our case, I then added a layer of masking tape around the inside edges of the lens, laid that in place in the frame and marked the outline of the frame on the tape with a Sharpie Marking pen and then scored the tape with an Exacto knife and removed the tape to expose the surface and edges that will bare on the caulk. Re-clean these with alcohol and then roughen the surfaces with some 320 grit sand-paper to provide a “tooth” for the caulk to adhere to. Then apply a layer of tape around the inside of the frame, overlapping the edge a bit, and use the Exactor knife to cut away the portion above the edge. Using the tape will allow you to end up with a clean sharp edge once the caulk sets.

On the outside of the frame, lay the lens in place and secure it with the lock. You can use tooth-picks to set the edge distance between the frame and the edge of the lens. Then cover the entire joint around the top of the frame—lens and hatch frame—with masking tape and use your Sharpie pen to draw alignment marks across the joint on all four sides of the hatch cover. Then, use your Exacto knife to cut away the tape over the joint by running it around the edge of the lens and the edge of the frame. The tape will prevent caulk from adhering to the top of the frame edge or the top of the lens once it cures.

I suggest you use a tube of caulk and a caulking gun to lay down your bead of caulk which must be done quickly and in one continuous motion to avoid the situation of the caulk beginning to skin over near the start of the bead before you have laid the lens in place. If it does, it will not properly adhere to the lens and will eventually leak and require redoing (trust me on this). Once the bead is laid, quickly lay the lens in place, using the lines you scribed with the Sharpie to get the alignment right. Press down until the surface of the lens is about level with the edges of the frame (excess caulk will be squeezed out of the joint.). I used a scrap of 1x2 laid diagonally across each corner to press the lens down level with the edges of the top of the frame but that really isn’t so important. A neighbor re-did his hatch covers without and the fix worked fine anyway. Use a stiff rubber caulking tool to remove the excess caulking compound and shape the top of the bead between the lens and the frame. There are tools for that available at Lowes and Home Depot but a piece of hard rubber will work as well. Dipping that in a bowl with a 50/50 mix of water and liquid dish soap will prevent the caulk from adhering to the tool. Your finger tip, dipped in the bowl, makes a fine tool for a final pass over the joint.

Once the caulk sets up—usually 24 hours, you can remove the tape and have a clean joint. On the inside, use the tip of your Exacto knife to score through the caulk bead at the edges of the frame to remove what has been squeezed out (this is when you will appreciate the brain damage of having taped everything beforehand).

Depending upon how far you pressed the lens into the caulk, you may find you need to loosen the screw that holds your locking handle in place a little to get a snug but not over-tight lock.

Be sure to check the instructions of the caulking you’re using. Some of the GE caulks caution that the compound should not be exposed to water for 24 hours after being applied or it will not cure properly.

This is a really messy job. Be sure to have a roll of paper towels handy and a trash bag to put the used towels in right away or you will be finding patches of caulk everywhere for some time and it can be a pain to extract from non-skid decks (trust me on this also!).

FWIW…
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Old 05-07-2010, 05:22   #4
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Excellent tutorial HyLyte!

FWIW: I’ve found that just a few drops of liquid dish soap, in a pint of water (no where near 50/50) works better for cleaning & lubing my finger, or lubricating a caulk tool. Less is more.
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Old 06-07-2010, 19:31   #5
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Thanks for the input, I did the job today and it went really well. Although the stuff I used will be fully cured in about a week, I still celebrated this small victory!

Cheers!
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Old 07-07-2010, 08:34   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GordMay View Post
Excellent tutorial HyLyte!

FWIW: I’ve found that just a few drops of liquid dish soap, in a pint of water (no where near 50/50) works better for cleaning & lubing my finger, or lubricating a caulk tool. Less is more.
Gordo--

You may be right but I'm refering to a very small amount of water/dish soap-less than a coffee cup full; and, we always pour it back into the soap bottle when we've finished with it.

PJAZZ-

Hopefully the seal will bond well. Good Luck!
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