Haven't posted in a while, been too busy with work but have managed to work a couple of hours on the boat during the weekends. I just finished glassing in the new windshield for my b28. Everything was going great until I reached the corners or edges where the sides meet with the front. I'm trying to figure out how to do these edges and achieve a uniform radius on both sides. Any ideas?
Was thinking of cutting a piece of pvc tube with a suitable radius for the corner and using it as a mold then glass in the new piece.
Here are some pics:
Dry fitting
Glassed in from the inside
Glassing in the front
filling, shaping and glassing the gap between two front pieces
Sides glassed in
If you're wondering why there's a gap between the two sides and the two front pieces, its because the guy who made the windshield screwed up with the measurements and we had to cut it in four pieces to make it fit.
George, I would do a nice radius on those front corners, looks like you have some foam board cut 3/4 to 1" strips then back cut an angle on the inside of each strip till you get the radius you like. When I made my top I looked all over my shop to find anything I could use to make a radius jig, buckets, barrels etc. Cut both front and side windows back to make the curve look right top to bottom. Then glass over both inside and out. Squared corners look like a phone booth, don't belong on a Bertram..keep at it you will get it...BH
1966 31 Bahia Mar #316-512....8 years later..Resolute is now a reality..Builder to Boater..285 hours on the clocks..enjoying every minute..how many days till spring?
If you have the time, I would suggest looking for an old discarded fly bridge and cut that up. You might even be able to skin your complete windshield - save a ton of fairing. If I remember correctly, it is only about 1/8" thick and pretty easy to work with. At the very least you would have the same radius - windshield to fly bridge.
Nice, I think your idea of PVC tubing is a good one,I think after u get it ripped to the profile that's ok, I would epoxy it from the inside. Leave enough gap in the corner so the radius just starts to blend in on the outside ,use some thicken epoxy to start to shape it fair, layer of 1708 on the outside and do a similar process on the inside, don't know what appearance u want on the inside, it could also be faired out, I would experiment with 3" and work down if necessary, a nice radius would fit the b31 , keep us posted
Bob: I was thinking the same thing, a nice radius to make it look right. I will try the strip method to see how it works out.
Cliff: Having the same radius on the flybridge and windshield would be great. I'll check the boatyards to see if there are any flybridges lying around that I could use. It'll save me a lot of time.
Marlin: Yesterday I made a radius using a 1-1/2" plastic radius used in clean-rooms on pharmaceutical companies as a mold (I work in construction). Waxed, pva, one layer of 1708 and it came out pretty good. This weekend i'll check to see if it works and try to glass it in using your method. Will post pics as I go along.
Didn't notice your location, I was in PR several weeks ago to sea trial a boat,landed my plane on the east end at an old military base, boat was 5minutes away, will be back soon to take delivery,loved San Juan, been 30 years since I was there, very chic and international, people were extremely courteous,if u see a 67' F & S, called Aye Carumba, take a look, , 43 knots in moderate seas ,in all directions.
I think the old military base you are talking about is called Roosevelt Roads. It's in a town called Ceiba which is right next to Fajardo where most of the east end marinas are. I saw the Ay Caramba while I was fishing in last year's San Juan IBT. Very nice boat and fishing machine! Very fast too...gave quite a show at the shootout.
Glad you liked San Juan! If you come by again, let me know and i'll show you my never ending B28 project. LOL
A very easy way to match the fly bridge corners it to do a "quick mold" as I call them. Tape off the flybridge with the good 3M smooth blue tape spray the area with PVA( you can get it at any boating supply house) lay a couple layers of glass on about 6-8 inches in both directions. once cured (over night) pull the glass and now you have a mold. Wash the mold and apply any wax to the inside, about 4 coats. Spray the inside with PVA. once dry, do your lay up to the thickness you desire. I would say two layers of 1.5oz mat, since your going to be glassing over it anyway. Pull the part, trim to fit and epoxy it on. At this point it's in the rough and you'll be glassing over it once you start glassing the front of the windshield area. You can notch your foam so the part lays even before you start your first layer of glass.
4 1/2 years to build, Slashed Sept 16, 2016. 212 hours already and counting.
Thanks for the idea of using the flybridge radius as a mold, never thought of it. The interesting part is when you say to notch the foam so everything is even. The whole windshield has already been glassed prior to installation... 2 layers of 1708 on the inside and 1 on the outside..i think. Can I grind the outside glass down to the foam, epoxy the part (radius) and then glass over everything? This would save me sometime of fairing since everything will be pretty much on the same level but don't know if it will be structurally ok to do this.
Or use the grid cut foam of the same thickness as the windshield for the flybridge radius and cut the windshield foam back to the inner fiberglass layer for about 2". Epoxy the radius to the "flange" made by the inner glass layer on the windshield and glass over the exterior and interior.
Made the fiberglass piece (one layer 1708) using a pvc mold and dry fitted. Grinded the outer layer of FG till I reached the foam to create the "notch", as Joe stated. This week I will epoxy in place and glass over with two layers of 1708.
Rawleigh: I was thinking about doing it that way with some left over foam but then I found a good mold to use for making the fiberglass radius. Basically doing what you stated but with a fiberglass skin.
Thanks.
Got both radius's epoxied in place! I gotta say it doesn't look half bad for my first time LOL. All is left is to glass in with a layer of 1708 and the best part: fairing the whole windshield.
Thanks to all for the great ideas and tips. It made the process a whole lot easier.
Looks real nice..subtle changes make it custom..glass it up and fair it out. BH
1966 31 Bahia Mar #316-512....8 years later..Resolute is now a reality..Builder to Boater..285 hours on the clocks..enjoying every minute..how many days till spring?
42knots, 120 gph, 1925 hp cats,hopefully leaving Puerto Rico next week heading back to palm beach,kinda a bucket list wish to make that trip, going to have a Margaritavitch for sale by the ft Lauderdale show,,deal has been difficult, too many lawyers,foreign registry ,many complications,just want to go fishin
Nice numbers Marlin. I have made the trip two times... you wont regret it.
Be sure to go out at least a day before you leave. I hear the sails are coming out earlier this year. Lots of mahi's too.
