carole olufsen
New Member
where can I get tempered glass for my fixed port light on my E30+ ?
repair port light
- Thread starter carole olufsen
- Start date
Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Hello Carolle
As one 30+ owner to another, hello
MJS
As one 30+ owner to another, hello
MJS
Mort Fligelman
Member III
Tempered Glass
Carrolle:
Any Glass shop that does commercial work has and can cut Tempered glass......Some will even install it in your frame for you.....
A very good idea since I have been told Tempered Glass is a bit finickey and easily shattered......letting them (Whoever they might be) do the breaking BEFORE you pay is always a good idea...
Good Luck
Carrolle:
Any Glass shop that does commercial work has and can cut Tempered glass......Some will even install it in your frame for you.....
A very good idea since I have been told Tempered Glass is a bit finickey and easily shattered......letting them (Whoever they might be) do the breaking BEFORE you pay is always a good idea...
Good Luck
Grizz
Grizz
Bang! (goes the tempered glass)
Ummmmm, there's an important sequence issue in effect here: once tempered, tempered glass CAN'T be cut. The heat treatment captures the energy via compression/tension forces, and once released "pow!", you have millions of small cullet to sweep and vacuum.
The overall dimensions of a typical fixed port lite on these sailboats presents other challenges to the tempering company: relatively thin, with w x l dimensions that may fall outside their tolerances. Mounting holes, if required, are probably located too close to the edge for tempering (see captured energy above).
OEM tempered fixed portlites were part of product runs with thousands procured from a manufacturer now likely to be out o business.
Not to imply this can't happen, it'll just take a lot of research and effort to make it happen. You'll probably have to buy 3 annealed lites cut to size to make 2, with at least 1 breaking during the tempering process (time you'll also pay for).
Hope this makes sense!
Ummmmm, there's an important sequence issue in effect here: once tempered, tempered glass CAN'T be cut. The heat treatment captures the energy via compression/tension forces, and once released "pow!", you have millions of small cullet to sweep and vacuum.
The overall dimensions of a typical fixed port lite on these sailboats presents other challenges to the tempering company: relatively thin, with w x l dimensions that may fall outside their tolerances. Mounting holes, if required, are probably located too close to the edge for tempering (see captured energy above).
OEM tempered fixed portlites were part of product runs with thousands procured from a manufacturer now likely to be out o business.
Not to imply this can't happen, it'll just take a lot of research and effort to make it happen. You'll probably have to buy 3 annealed lites cut to size to make 2, with at least 1 breaking during the tempering process (time you'll also pay for).
Hope this makes sense!
Plan B ?
Like too many of my posts... I'm not too sure how useful this bit of trivia might be...
But there's a company in my fair city that makes framed glass windows (i.e. fixed ports) for boats, RV's, and etc. They use an aluminum frame and tinted safety glass. Friend of ours with a 1970's era 36 foot sailboat replaced his old plastic ports. No relevance to the framing on the old Lewmar ports on the Ericson's, unless you want to replace the whole port assembly.
Anyhoooooo -- his ports have been in place for at least five years and are beautiful and you can see thru them.
AFAIK they cut and shape that type of glass with no tempering problems, but I am actually not sure just how that works. I do recall that he had to slightly change the cabin side cut-out because their alum. framing bending machine had some limits in how tight the corner radius could be.
Using a new lens with an existing port would seem to depend on the thickness of the old lens and of course the condition of the old frame.
I just Googled and found what I am pretty sure is the company that built those windows. http://www.boatwindows.com/products/standard-duty-fixed-window-series-1150/
One important caveat: the whole length of the install area (probably 22 to 28 inches long) has to be FLAT. If you hold a straightedge along the top or bottom of your fixed ports it is likely to show a half inch of curvature from one end to the other, or even a bit more. You can force a plastic lens port to follow this curve, but Not... a glass lens.
You can still have the glass, but would have to use some frp filler to fair the whole flange on the outside and then paint/gel coat it all to match the cabin.
Cheers,
Loren
Like too many of my posts... I'm not too sure how useful this bit of trivia might be...
But there's a company in my fair city that makes framed glass windows (i.e. fixed ports) for boats, RV's, and etc. They use an aluminum frame and tinted safety glass. Friend of ours with a 1970's era 36 foot sailboat replaced his old plastic ports. No relevance to the framing on the old Lewmar ports on the Ericson's, unless you want to replace the whole port assembly.
Anyhoooooo -- his ports have been in place for at least five years and are beautiful and you can see thru them.
AFAIK they cut and shape that type of glass with no tempering problems, but I am actually not sure just how that works. I do recall that he had to slightly change the cabin side cut-out because their alum. framing bending machine had some limits in how tight the corner radius could be.
Using a new lens with an existing port would seem to depend on the thickness of the old lens and of course the condition of the old frame.
I just Googled and found what I am pretty sure is the company that built those windows. http://www.boatwindows.com/products/standard-duty-fixed-window-series-1150/
One important caveat: the whole length of the install area (probably 22 to 28 inches long) has to be FLAT. If you hold a straightedge along the top or bottom of your fixed ports it is likely to show a half inch of curvature from one end to the other, or even a bit more. You can force a plastic lens port to follow this curve, but Not... a glass lens.
You can still have the glass, but would have to use some frp filler to fair the whole flange on the outside and then paint/gel coat it all to match the cabin.
Cheers,
Loren
Last edited:
Grizz
Grizz
Safety Glass, defined
Safety glass is the big umbrella, tempered and laminated glass are types of safety glazing hiding beneath. Laminated glass can be cut to size and shape, as needed, especially if there's a frame encapsulating to perimeter. Laminated glass can't be tempered*, as it'll melt the vinyl interlayer. Tempered has to be cut to size/shape in the annealed state...and then tempered.
*although there are numerous examples of tempered laminated glass, requiring the 2 lites to be cut to size and then run through an autoclave to fuse the outboard lites to the vinyl interlayer. Not a typical sailing product...
Safety glass is the big umbrella, tempered and laminated glass are types of safety glazing hiding beneath. Laminated glass can be cut to size and shape, as needed, especially if there's a frame encapsulating to perimeter. Laminated glass can't be tempered*, as it'll melt the vinyl interlayer. Tempered has to be cut to size/shape in the annealed state...and then tempered.
*although there are numerous examples of tempered laminated glass, requiring the 2 lites to be cut to size and then run through an autoclave to fuse the outboard lites to the vinyl interlayer. Not a typical sailing product...