Constructing a Curved Windshield (Cont'd)

by Stephen K. Yokubaitis

List of Materials and Sources

Lexan sheet, 4' X 8' X 1/8" or partial sheet if you can purchase it that way (look for a local source).

Hidden Hold-Down Fasteners, 2 packs of 4. (Manufactured by Taylor Made and listed as stock # 1607 in their 2009 on-line catalog under "Hatches and Windshield Accessories;" www.taylormadeproducts.com/catalog/. See illustration below. Sold by various suppliers, online. I can't remember who I bought them from.)

White Twin-Flap Vinyl Deck Channel, 110". (Manufactured by Taylor Made and listed as stock # 826500 in their 2009 on-line catalog under "Hatches and Windshield Accessories;" www.taylormadeproducts.com/catalog/. See illustration below. Sold by various suppliers, online. I can't remember who I bought it from.) The vinyl deck channel and hidden hold-downs are used together to secure the windshield to the deck. The hold-downs are positioned on the aft side of the windshield.

3/4" aluminum gunwale, 8' length. (Purchased from Brunner Enterprises, West Seneca, New York. Listed on their website, www.brunnerent.com, under "Boat and RV Molding" as stock # M461SL). See illustration below. This molding forms the fore side of the top windshield trim.

3/4" X 1/8" Hollow back aluminum rub rail, 8' length. (Purchased from Brunner Enterprises, West Seneca, New York. Listed on their website, www.brunnerent.com, under "Boat and RV Molding" as stock # M282SL). See illustration below. This molding forms the aft side of the top windshield trim. The two pieces of molding, together with the Lexan sandwiched between them, forms a very clean looking oval shaped windshield trim. Brunner Enterprises lists the molding pieces as 12', however, if you only need 8' or less they will cut it to 8' and it can be shipped UPS rather than by motor carrier. I used several inches less than 8'.

# 6/32 X 1/2" stainless machine screws, oval head, quantity 8, with flat washers and cap nuts (local source). These secure the two different molding pieces that form the top trim to the Lexan windshield and to each other.

Short length of automotive vacuum hose, 1/4" o.d. and i.d. to fit snuggly around #6 machine screws (local source). I cut short pieces of this hose to use as grommets around the #6 machine screws where they passed through the Lexan sheet similarly to those grommets provided with the hidden hold-down fasteners for the same purpose.