Replacing port glass

[csoule13]

Now that the winter cover is on, it's time to get this cracked glass replaced on the opening ports. What's everyone favorite way of getting the opening frame off the hinges? What catastrophic mistake have other learned the hard way that I should avoid(I assume I'll come up with my own unique way of messing this up).

[bgephart]

I just purchased a pin punch the size of the hinge pins (?) and tapped them out with a hammer. I took the windows to a local Rick’s Glass shop and they replaced with same type glass. Easy installation with the same pin punch and hinge pins. Not expensive or difficult.

[csoule13]

I just purchased a pin punch the size of the hinge pins (?) and tapped them out with a hammer. I took the windows to a local Rick’s Glass shop and they replaced with same type glass. Easy installation with the same pin punch and hinge pins. Not expensive or difficult.

That's what I was hoping. The local glass place here did some work on my Dad's Ericson last year. odd, non-standard shape. Just rolled in with the empty frame and said "Help". Bonus, they let my pup in the shop to hang out and make friends.

[Jim Walsh]

I didn't notice it specifically mentioned so I'll just add that's it's important that only tempered glass be used for the replacement.

[Capt Hook]

I just purchased a pin punch the size of the hinge pins (?) and tapped them out with a hammer. I took the windows to a local Rick’s Glass shop and they replaced with same type glass. Easy installation with the same pin punch and hinge pins. Not expensive or difficult.

I didn't think there was anything on a boat that easy.

[csoule13]

Updating for those who stumble over this in future searches.

Punching the hinges out was easy enough, but getting an angle on some of them was a challenge. Local auto glass store priced them at ~$60/per for glass and install on the frames.

Follow up question - the nice lady at the front desk was a little unsure how they were going to remove the existing glass from the frame. In case the tech calls back scratching their head, any one have a particular success story in this regard?

[csoule13]

One more update for those who may stumble on this thread down the road.

Having now tried two glass places, I have been told:
1) It's tempered glass with some type of glaze
2) No, it's regular glass, no glazing or safety glass or anything special.

We'll see what the third glass shop has to say. If the peanut gallery has any definitive answer, it would be appreciated.

[tjr818]

Well, one way to tell is to break the glass. Tempered glass will break into sharp shards, safety glass will break in to little pebbles, or the pieces will stay "glued" together with the safety film. It is rare, but not unheard of, for safety glass to be unlabeled. Regular glass will break more easily and should stay in fairly large pieces. Be advised that a piece of glass that small can be hard to break. I am surprised that a glass place cannot tell you what it is.

[csoule13]

The answer to your glass woes - Go some place that works with boat owners! Found a glass place in Annapolis(that just happens to be down the street from Bacon Sails), and they are putting in what I believe they refered to as a safety glass. As the nice lady said "We don't have to match what was used in 1978 if we can do better."

The last question on this little project is how in the world do you clean the bronze frame? Mine are mostly black with some green patina.

For anyone looking to tackle this in a CD27, the two ports up in the v berth were a PITA to get an angle to punch out the hinges. Re-installing these will I'm sure be a joy. But they'll look spiffy, and I'm replacing the gasket material while I'm at it, so the final product will be a win.

[Jim Walsh]

The answer to your glass woes - Go some place that works with boat owners! Found a glass place in Annapolis(that just happens to be down the street from Bacon Sails), and they are putting in what I believe they refered to as a safety glass. As the nice lady said "We don't have to match what was used in 1978 if we can do better."

The last question on this little project is how in the world do you clean the bronze frame? Mine are mostly black with some green patina.

For anyone looking to tackle this in a CD27, the two ports up in the v berth were a PITA to get an angle to punch out the hinges. Re-installing these will I'm sure be a joy. But they'll look spiffy, and I'm replacing the gasket material while I'm at it, so the final product will be a win.

"Safety glass" is non-specific. You would expect a professional to be specific. Spartan chose to use tempered glass (AKA toughened glass) in this application and they still do.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_glass