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Post by aircooledadams on Oct 5, 2008 7:53:41 GMT
The seals on the perspex windows of my little 14' boat are leaking. Is it quite easy to get hold of replacement seals?
Otherwise, I was thinking of buying new perspex, cutting them oversize and riveting them to the cabin, with some sort of sealant behind them. Any had any experience of this?
Thanks in advance.
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Post by sixrods on Oct 5, 2008 9:48:09 GMT
If you look at the new raiders their windows are glued to the hull, so it is not uncommon to see new boats like this. My windows are bolted through with plastic bolts with the windows on the outside. A sealing strip between the window and the cabin makes them watertight. I prefer this method because you know that they will not fall off. The only problem I can see with rivets is they are hollow so you have to fill them, other than that the windows will be easier easier to fit than with seals. Hope the above helps.
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Post by BrianR on Oct 5, 2008 13:40:06 GMT
The rubber is easy to replace. You can get it Here or Here amongst others.
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Post by squidlips on Oct 5, 2008 13:51:21 GMT
this company made my windows oversized and they were bonded to the cabin by a windscreen fitter for a drink i had them made 1" oversize and they were stuck to the cabin as i have had windows poped out when they were fitted using rubber www.talkingplastics.com/
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Post by aircooledadams on Oct 9, 2008 14:04:50 GMT
Well, it would appear that perspex is expensive stuff! With a new baby due next month, i've decided to go with the cheaper option of replacing the rubbers. I hope they are not too much of a hassle to fit.
Thanks again to all who replied.
Look forward to meeting you soon Karl.
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Post by Lavy on Oct 9, 2008 18:52:14 GMT
If you are going to replace the rubbers it is really easy if you use one of these www.wilks.co.uk/Product.aspx?Product=174&Section=38 and plenty of washing up liquid. The picture gives you the general idea of what the tool should look like . the loop has to be just big enough to thread the sealing strip through. We made ours out of a file handle and some stiff wire. Rich.
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Post by aircooledadams on Oct 17, 2008 6:22:01 GMT
New rubber seals arrived £80 with the postage. Out with the side windows first, treated myself to some window tinting film £30, and so set about tinting the perspex before refitting it with the new rubbers. Went really well, quite easy when you're working flat on a table. I noticed that the new rubbers are exactly the same as what VW use on some of the Beetle and Campervan windows. So saved myself a few quid by borrwing a proper tool to glaze them, from the local VW specialist. (Much better than the one you can buy from the rubber companies who sell the seals). Then things start to go wrong Turns out whilst I managed to get the correct size rebates in the rubber for the perspex and fibre glass cabin, I negleted to match the the distance between the two! The new rubbers are slightly thinner, not by much, but enough to effectively make the perspex a few millimetres smaller all the way round. First window glazed ok, but will probably pop out with a little movement out at sea, and will definitely leak. Then just to make matters worse, disaster, I broke the glazing tool putting the second window back. (I am not going to be popular at the VW garage this week). So now after £110 I am worse off than when I started, and I'll have to buy new perspex as well now, as well as replacing the glazing tool. There really isn't a "cheaper option" is there?
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Post by sixrods on Nov 3, 2008 21:28:06 GMT
Get the wife to answer the phone and if the Vaulkswagon garage calls get her to tell them you have emigrated ;D ;D ;D
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