Initially I thought I would have a single piece of perspex screwed through and bedded on mastic but I liked windows with frames. I then got a quote from the same company who supply windows to Contessa and after picking myself up off the floor I politely declined their quote. I then got thinking, I had some 3mm stainless steel sheet from a previous project and I set about finding someone who woudl cut it to a pattern. I made cardboard templates and then searched Google and it was whilst watching Orange County Choppers that I saw a flow jet maching in action cutting steel and other metals with a very high pressure water jet. It cuts very cleanly and does not distort the metal as there is no heat. I searched for that type of company and found one not far from me. The issue was they worked from computer drawings and had to digitise my templates which added to the overall cost but in the end I had four identical framed cut with holes for bolts all exactly aligned. If anybody wants some frames cut they now have the ability to reproduce the frames very quickly. The company was a bit of a pain to deal with taking an age to get the job done but in the end for £160 I got some good frames and I think they will look great. Most of that cost was the digitising of the templates.
I intend to bolt through the fibreglass and sandwich the perspex between or I might even go for 5mm toughened or laminated glass if I can get it with a tint.
Anyway, here are the frames and one clamped to the boat to see how it looks and I will post more pics when they are fitted. I need to finish painting the topsides first, another job still to finish.
This next pic shows the overlap there will be and with an identical frame on the insode of the boat it will look quite neat I think. I am going to use bolts and dome nuts as interscrews are quite expensive give I need 70! Hopefully I will have no leaks.
No comments:
Post a Comment