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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: fiberglass cowel/flush windows
Posted By: Capt Patrick McCrary In Response To: fiberglass cowel/flush windows (JP)
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2005, at 1:59 p.m.
JP,
I'm installing the fiberglass cap over the front window frames right now on Dr. Ron's "Kahuna"...
A few of tips:
First, the cap may or may not be a close fit to your windshield. I had to add some fiberglass material to get closer on Ron's job. I'll post some images later...
Second, Trying to man handle the whole cap was going to be a Charlie Foxtrot from my way of thinking, so I cut it into two halves, down the centerline. Since I have to glass in the bottom edge & epoxy fillet the top, what's another seam to be glassed? No big deal.
Third, Think about what you'll be looking at from the inside once the cap is in place. On Ron's boat I replaced the safety glass with 1/4" clear acrylic sheet. On both of them & on the side windows, I'm painting the outside surfaces with Rustoleum Egg Shell White paint for plastic. (Real close match to the Bertram gelcoat color inside Ron's boat.) That way the interior view becomes another clean surface of the correct color. (Ron isn't, at least at this point, going to do any cutrain or fabric cover inside.)
Fourth, You're going to need to build up some gaps between the windows and the cap so that you minimize voids behind the cap.
Fifth, Fit and install the windshield cap before installing the side window moldings. With the cap in place, the forward vertical molding is going to be epoxied down & screwed into the frame just shy of being flush with the cap. That will allow you to glass and fair the molding to the cap.
I'll start posting up some images as I get a bit further along & should be a few steps ahead of you time wise.
Br,
Patrick
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