Replacing Windows

Discussions related to the general maintenance of Swifts i.e. GRP repairs, headlings etc
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dewaard
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Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:44 pm
Location: Worksop

Replacing Windows

Post by dewaard » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:05 pm

Anyone had any experience in replacing the acrylic windows on a Swift. Mine are a little 'foggy' now with a few cracks. Any ideas/recomendationms for suppliers for the windows . Do any suppliers 'cut to size' or is it a case of ordering a piece and cutting your own to suit? Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

Terry
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Location: Gwynedd, North Wales

Post by Terry » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:03 am

There are various plastic boat window manufactures advertised in sailing mags. I did make enquiries with Eagle Boat Windows www.eagleboatwindows.co.uk but they required me to send off the old ones as a pattern and so, not wanting the inconvenience, I’ve been putting it off. If you do get any made up I’d be interested how you get on.
Regards Terry

RobCourt
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Location: Cardiff

Replacing windows

Post by RobCourt » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:41 pm

Just replaced mine as part of a major refit of Swiftwind this winter. I got them from Dipec Plastics in Cardiff. (029 20 598393) They needed the old ones as templates and I think it would be very difficult to cut to size and drill holes in all the right places without them. They quoted me £70 (for two) and charged me £40 so I am not complaining even though the new ones are a somewhat lighter shade than the old ones. They fit perfectly. A word of warning - be very careful getting the old ones off - they crack easily, as I found to my cost! I have also replaced all the screws with nuts and bolts through to a backing plate in the cabin. Many of the old screws had lost their grip and were letting water in. It is a fiddly job but well worth it. Good luck. Rob

Rondonay
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Fitting Your Windows

Post by Rondonay » Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:17 pm

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the info on windows. Did you bed them in sikaflex?

Pauline

RobCourt
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Post by RobCourt » Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:29 pm

Hi Pauline. Yes sikaflex was fine. It is a job I have done a couple of times - you need a generous evenly-spread bead of it and it makes a mess as you tighten the window down (inside and out). I find I can usually clean things up with white spirit on absorbent kitchen towels (before it goes off). Be careful how you tighten things up though - this too can crack your nice new windows! If you tighten the screws up too much the sikaflex bed is squashed too thin - better to tighten it so far, let it go off, and then carefully tighten a bit more. I then run another bead around the outside join where the window meets the hull (masking tape helps to reduce the mess here). Then wait for it to rain and see what happens. (Sorry if you know all this already). Rob

Rondonay
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Replacing Windows

Post by Rondonay » Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:14 pm

Hi Rob,Thanks for that, it is what I would do but it helps to check.Best wishes.Pauline

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dewaard
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Location: Worksop

Window replacement

Post by dewaard » Mon May 14, 2007 8:49 pm

I have got the old windows out. They are definitely not the originals and I was wondering what thickness acrylic people have in their windows. I have made some templates based on the holes from the ones removed combined with measurment I took of a swift with original windows. The templates look the buisness and I have checked them against the boat.

The ones I have removed are 4mm thick. I'm sure other Swift windows are thicker, say 6mm+. Any Thoughts. Also what colour/shades do they come in... the ones I have removed are grey. Thanks Jim

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