Wind screen replacement

[Mika Harju]

Now I have finished this task as discussed before at old forum. It was quite a easy task, but really messy. The project took totally about 15 hours, and it took about 10 hours to remove the old sealant/adhesive mass from the profile.

I used these:
-1-New screen from Arlaplast, type Makrolife Polycarbonate Extra UV-protected. You need a sheet sized 1800 x 850 x 4mm
( http://www.arlaplast.se/filer/macrolife ... 08_low.pdf )
Price about 95 eros
-2-New seal from Item , type Lip Seal 8. This is perfect for the upper profile and good enought for the lower one. ( http://catalog.item-international.com/O ... /index.jsp ), use product type 0.0.436.85 to search it.
Price about 20 euros
-3-Glue/adhesive from Sikaflex, product 295 direct glazing adhesive ( http://www.sika.fi/ind_te_eng_sikaflex_295uv.pdf )
Price about 20 euros

Some tips:
-Be sure to buy a sheet without scratches
-Use old screens as your template to cut the new one
-Use only plastic with extra UV-protection. It should last clear for 10 years
-Do not remove all the protection plastic from the screen before you have installed the windscreen back to your DF. Just remove it from near the edges.
-You need an extra pair of hands when installing new screens to aluminium profiles
-Be sure you are prepared to install both screens within one hour because of the sealant adhesive

Now my windscreen is clear and scratchless. I am with it now.

[Double Horizon]

Mika -
Please describe the procedure you used, and any special technique for putting it back together.

The last time I did this (for my DF-1000) I removed the whole frame and brought it to an auto glass shop, along with the new polycarbonate (already cut).

Now I need to do this for my 1200. I spoke with a local company who has done wind screens on other boats, and they suggested the following:
1) Leave the base aluminum channel attached to the boat.
2) Have at least two people involved to manipulate the new sheet into the channels.
3) Use a suction-cup holder to grip the sheet.

Also -- the original material thickness to use for the 1200 is 4mm. In the US that is very difficult to find so I have ordered 3/16" material, which is a bit thicker (4.5 millimeters). I will use a power-sander to chamfer a small diagonal profile and smooth the edges before attempting assembly.

[Mika Harju]

Mika -
Please describe the procedure you used, and any special technique for putting it back together.

The last time I did this (for my DF-1000) I removed the whole frame and brought it to an auto glass shop, along with the new polycarbonate (already cut).

Now I need to do this for my 1200. I spoke with a local company who has done wind screens on other boats, and they suggested the following:
1) Leave the base aluminum channel attached to the boat.
2) Have at least two people involved to manipulate the new sheet into the channels.
3) Use a suction-cup holder to grip the sheet.

Also -- Does anyone know the proper material thickness to use for the 1200? (I would like to buy the material in-advance of removing the old).

Hi Larry
I think I made it like this:
You need:
1- One or two pairs of helpful hands
2- New plastic sheet for windows
3- Adhesive
4- Rubber seal profile
5- A piece of robust plywood, thickness about 12mm
6- Small pieces of wood
7- Screws
8- Tools
9- Several small load ratchet lashings

Instructions step by step:
1- Remove the entire wind screen in one piece without breaking it
2- Install it on a platform made by plywood. Make wooden pieces of rigth heigth under each screw hole.
3- Tighten the screws trough the wooden pieces to the plywood platform to hold the windscreen in right shape. Now there should be a gap between the aluminum. This is needed to tighten the assembly.
4- Remove the upper aluminium profile. Mine was quite easy to pull out.
5- Remove the old windows. Do not break those.
6- Remove the old seal and adhesive. This is the difficult and not so fun part of this project. I did use different knives and screwdrivers to get all old adhesive off.
7- Use the old screens as a template to make new ones. At this stage do not remove the protection plastic layer at all.
8- Make new rubber seals ready
9- Try to install the new rubber seals and screens into the aluminum frames without using adhesive. By using this you are able to see do they fit and you'll also find out how to install those.
10- Remove screens from profiles
11- Beginning from this point you need to be quick, because you do have about one hour before the adhesive starts to get hard.
12- Remove the protect layer only from areas witch are going to be installed into the aluminium profile
13- Spread adhesive to aluminium profiles. Too much adhesive means a lot of cleaning, but too little adhesive means you need to do this twice because the screen is too weak.
14- Install seals into aluminium profiles
15- Spread more adhesive to the seals
16- Install the new screens to the lower aluminium profile
17- Install the short aluminium profile between the two windows
18- Install the upper aluminium profile
19- Tighten the whole assembly by using several ratchet lashings
20- Finish the adhesive surfaces by using soap water and your finger. Remove the extra adhesive.
20- Wait until the adhesive is hard
21- Install the new clear wind screen into your boat
22- After everything else has been made ready, remove the protection plastic layer
23- SAIL