Hatch Refurbishing

[john bunker]

hello from the 1000 islands... with a darn cool north wind blowing today !!... Would any reader happen to know if five sixteenth thick lexan would be too thick to use as a replacement in the standard Cape Dory hatch ... I rather suspect that a quarter inch was originally used .... but without actually taking out the old, it's a bit difficult to find out. Iam a long way from my cd 33 and thought perhaps someone who had done a replacement job would know if the extra thickness might seat in the frame without protruding above the lip... best wishes to all and thank you ... john bunker ...http://www.koolpinescottages.com



littleredsquirrel@hotmail.com

[JimL]

John, I don't really know much about your hatch setup....never seen one....but here's a tip. Years ago I had to replace some safety glass, in the side of a motorhome, with Lexan. The 1/4" stuff was too flexible and throbbed in the wind. I got some 3/8" and cut it to shape, then beveled the edges with a router (you have to clamp the lexan over wood, or the router bit guide melts into the Lexan.....darn, should have used a formica bit). I had to hand file the corners, as well. The bottom line is....the material fit just fine, and was much stiffer and stronger than 1/4". Might be a stronger plan for your hatch, also.....especially considering how Lexan deteriorates in UV.

Regards, JimL



leinfam@earthlink.net

[Boyd]

Hi Jim...

Its 88 here in FT. Laud. sorry ... just had to do that.

I assume you mean the deck hatches?

I dont know which thickness to use but I have discussed with the plastic suppliers a lot about the merits of Acrylic vs Lexan. Seems that Acrylic stands up to the sun much better than Lexan and the difference in impact strenght is not that great since the size of the panel is so small. They claim that the Lexan will go murky and crack in just a couple of years. Havent made the decision for myself yet but will probably use acrylic.

If you got a replacement that is thicker than the origional I would think putting a bevel on the top edge and using it to fillet the caulk would work. After all we are talking about a 1/16". I think on my hatches the plastic is higher than the frame by a little.

Boyd
s/v Tern
CD 30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

hello from the 1000 islands... with a darn cool north wind blowing today !!... Would any reader happen to know if five sixteenth thick lexan would be too thick to use as a replacement in the standard Cape Dory hatch ... I rather suspect that a quarter inch was originally used .... but without actually taking out the old, it's a bit difficult to find out. Iam a long way from my cd 33 and thought perhaps someone who had done a replacement job would know if the extra thickness might seat in the frame without protruding above the lip... best wishes to all and thank you ... john bunker ...http://www.koolpinescottages.com

Boyd@wbta.cc

[Mike Oldenburg]

I work with alot of plastic products. I'm not sure what they used back in 78 when my boat was put together but the plastics have come along way. In the production of signs plastics are used commonly and the better they are the more they cost. I have enough scrap laying aroun my shop to do dozens.... and who wants a small sign like that.? " GO TO A SIGN GUY IN YOUR AREA"..... ! We know more about the different plastics than anybody else.... We have watched over the years as different plastics have aged in the brutel sun. Plus If we have what you want the price is almost nothing or free. For sailers only of course... just kidding. But there are more than just two types of plastics. The one your leaning to is the better of the two.....

hello from the 1000 islands... with a darn cool north wind blowing today !!... Would any reader happen to know if five sixteenth thick lexan would be too thick to use as a replacement in the standard Cape Dory hatch ... I rather suspect that a quarter inch was originally used .... but without actually taking out the old, it's a bit difficult to find out. Iam a long way from my cd 33 and thought perhaps someone who had done a replacement job would know if the extra thickness might seat in the frame without protruding above the lip... best wishes to all and thank you ... john bunker ...http://www.koolpinescottages.com

www.windowgrafx@attbi.com

[Glenn Lysogorski]

hi from nc.i have a 1980 cd 33 and the hatches are bomar offshore not shure what the plastic is but they can be cleaned and polished. polish can be found at auto parts.if the plastic must be replaced maby a call to bomar will help CD 33 #22 Summer wind



lyso@coastalnet.com