Aluminum window frame repair

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 2nd, '07, 07:17

On my '69 FBC, I've started to get ready for this winter's project--windows. I've decided to try to keep the front glass. The curved frames have some almost dime-sized holes in them where stainless screws were driven in for snaps. I need to patch these holes. I do not want to go through the effort and expense of taking the frames out and having them welded up. I've been told to stuff bronze wool in the holes, then fill with marine-tex. I was wondering if beveling the holes and then glass and epoxy (like I'd do for a hole repair in f'glass) would work. Any suggestions? Thanks.

John F.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Oct 2nd, '07, 08:05

John,

Assuming that you'd be painting the frames after the repairs, you need to first thoroughly clean up all exposed aluminum, sand well with 320 grit, grind out all corrosion spots, & acid treat with Alumiprep. Dry the aluminum well, do a good clean up with denatured alcohol & allow the alcohol to evaporate off.

Once this has been accomplished, patch the pits & grind outs with J-B Weld. J-B weld is a 2 part, (1:1), epoxy with metal fillers. Allow the J-B Weld to fill & stand above the finished surface so that it can be sanded back flush after curing. Allow the epoxy to cure for at least a week before sanding back to allow for shrinkage.

Once the epoxy has cured and been sanded flush with 320 grit, again acid treat the frames with Alumiprep, rinse & treat the frames with Alodine. Follow the directions for both materials & allow the frames to dry for about 24 hours.

Wash the frames down again with denatured alcohol, allow the alcohol to evaporate thoroughly, and prime the frames with anti-corrosive, (yellow), 545 Awlgrip epoxy primer. apply 2 coats & sand with 320 grit after it cures for 24 hours. You can now paint with what ever top coat paint you chose.

Your selection of top coat should be made with the consideration that you WILL be touching up & chasing future blisters, usually around the edges, so select a paint that is going to be easy to blend out. Awlgrip wouldn't be my choice... Probably Imron or one of the other maintainable top coats available.

Br,

Patrick

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Oct 2nd, '07, 08:39

John: Lab-metal would be another good choice for the filler. http://www.alvinproducts.com/

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 2nd, '07, 08:44

Wow--that was quick. Thanks Patrick and Rawleigh. I printed out your responses and should be all set. Again, can't thank you enough for this type of advice--its invaluable to a guy like me.

John F.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Oct 2nd, '07, 08:59

John: They also make an aluminum based product which may fit your needs. They also have a high temp version that can be powder coated!!

CMP · Post by **CMP** » Oct 2nd, '07, 12:14

My powder coating guys use a hi temp version of Lab Metal in for repairing otherwise good production parts b4 coating them. One thing, tho, the stuff goes bad pretty fast, so buy the least amount you can. Also, price a few welding shops-you might be surprised at how reasonable such a repair might be...

CMP

John Jackson · Post by **John Jackson** » Oct 2nd, '07, 17:11

Has anyone been able to fix front windows so that they don't leak?

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Oct 2nd, '07, 17:44

Bolt them closed and caulk them.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Oct 2nd, '07, 17:56

Glass them in - works good, and you can still see thru them if you are Superman...... My experience is the only way to keep the front and side windows on a B31 from leaking is to put a fiberglass cap over the front and install solid side windows. Add a genset and big a/c and you are done...dry cabin.

UV

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Oct 2nd, '07, 19:08

Arwleigh, UV
No fun.
There is nothing as nice as being able to open the glass in good weather. There has to be a way to get these beasts to seal when closed and still be able to open them. Come on gang. This is a challenge. Help John and me get fresh air and a clear view.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 2nd, '07, 19:23

I was going to glass in the front, but I troll my B31 for rock/striped bass, and with glass front windows and a hand-held autopilot, I'll be able to troll her single-handed. She steers just fine at 2 knots on one engine with Cap. Pat's rudders. I am going to seal everything closed though--no opening front windows--just glass.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Oct 2nd, '07, 20:16

I think UV is right. The only way is to glass them in. I had my curved windows out, resealed and within two years, leaked again. I bet they leaked the day the boat left the factory. Just a trait of the 31. John Jackson has one of the best set up's I've seen with the Isenglass cover over the windows. You can still see out of them. Tony Meola

John Jackson · Post by **John Jackson** » Oct 2nd, '07, 20:23

I had my canvas guy make a clear plastic cover for the front windshield. Looks great, has velcro along the front flat windows so you can still open them, stays clear, and works real well to keep the rain from leaking in (which is no small thing to me). But, out in the waves, some water does still leak in and it would be great to have a dry cabin. When I redid the boat I actually bought the fiberglass piece to glass over the front but instead "restored" the windows I had as best I could and compromised with the plastic.

Love the way the boat looks with the original windows, but they look real good with the front glassed over too!

The guys who have glassed in the front say that it makes the boat more solid, and I know a guy who blew his front windows out in a storm and nearly sunk.

Every now and then you see a picture of someone with windows that look factory fresh. I saw the pictures of the job that Capt. Patrick did where he took the whole thing out and glassed over the aluminum part and then painted it and it looked magnificent.

Richard Kidd told me about a year ago that he was working on a replacement for the front windshield that he would sell.

I would love to figure out a way to get a windshield that does not leak, but the evidence is really mounting that the way to go is with a solid front.

The hard part is my boat has a Sportfish config and the clear windows and open bulkhead seem to go hand in hand.

Who has the line that indecision may or may not be his biggest problem or something like that?

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 2nd, '07, 20:54

John-

I think that Andre's line, but I know how you feel. I was all set to glass the windshield in, but I'm not using my boat enough, and hope that if I set her up for the Bay, I'll use her more. If she was going to go offshore on a regular basis, I'd get the Holmsey insert. We'll see...

John F.

RussP · Post by **RussP** » Oct 2nd, '07, 23:28

John, you could save some money and do it yourself.

RussP

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 3rd, '07, 05:04

Russ-

Not fair. Yours came out great. I couldn't pull that off, or if I could, it'd take me years.

John

randall · Post by **randall** » Oct 3rd, '07, 07:57

ok..ill probably jinx myself here....but...my windows dont leak....you can stand on the bow with a hose and spray it at any angle including up and they just dont leak........i open them all the time on hot sunny days to cool the cabin and with a lower helm i obviously need em.....maybe there is a design difference between 25s and 31s...maybe its the square corner

Ironman · Post by **Ironman** » Oct 3rd, '07, 09:52

My 25 didnt leak either.. My 31 does in bad weather.. Thinkin of glassen in too...
John: When youre trollin at 2 knots.. on auto pilot.you got a kill switch?How do you get it out of gear when you hook up down below?
Im thinkin of a set of single levers on the hatch.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Oct 3rd, '07, 10:25

The autopilot is the other winter project. I've trolled my B31 single-handed a few times w/o autopilot--alot of work. We pretty much keep the boat moving when we have fish on anyway, so I'm not worried about a kill switch. I just want to be able to stand in the cockpit, look out the front windows while I set my lines out, steer with the a/p if I have to, and be able to fight a fish and be able to steer if I have to. The stripers/rock we get on the Bay are pretty small. They rarely get bigger than 20 lbs--sometimes you get a 30, but that's really rare.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Oct 3rd, '07, 10:34

There used to be a 31 Bertram in Montauk called "Twilight" that had single lever controls and a vertically set up steering wheel on a teak post that was on the port side, mid cockpit, flush to the gunnels. The owner and his Captain used to do a lot of offshore fishing together and allowed the captain to stay in the cockpit while the owner was fighting a fish from the chair. He could steer, back up, turn the chair etc. without moving his feet. Never saw another setup as efficient and neatly done. Walter

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Oct 3rd, '07, 10:44

For cockpit controls, I like wat JK did on SEANILE, its got the throttle/shifter in a hdden box on the outboard side of the stb motor box.

John,

I think you're on the right track with keeping the windows. While off shore is a different story, anywhere else it makes the cabin feel less like a cave. Even though I've got a lower helm in my B35, it's too far from the cockpit to be of much use when fishing with a short crew. Since everything's already ripped apart for my repower, I pulled the old AP stuff and will be putting in new in a year or two. By then my girls will be big enough to stear and I may just use them as an ap...

br,
JohnD

bertram31.com

Aluminum window frame repair

Aluminum window frame repair

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