Posted by Mike Woody on March 04, 1999 at 23:47:22:
In Reply to: LEXAN WINDSHIELDS - BEST or CRAP posted by John E. Talley on January 30, 1999 at 15:25:57:
John, have you considered Plexiglas? Not Lexan,
that's DuPonts stuff. The company I work for makes
Plexiglas which is gauranteed not to crack or haze
due to the elements. I use 1/4" Plexiglas on my
Wanderer 30 and the stuff is tough and clear. You
can get it smoked or colored, but the secret is in
the anti-UV stabilizers and the antioxide
preventatives in the 'glas'.
A story goes that the Astrodome was first roofed
with Lexan, and it lasted almost 2 years before
they began to break and fall in and discolor. R&H
bid Plexiglas again, not the lowest cost product,
but that batch is still up there after thirty
years.
Many hardware store and all glass stores carry it.
good luck.
: Hello,
: Currently we are using Lexan for the windshields on our "Tempest". They have been in place for 3 years and have now sucumbed to the elements. We had used Lexan on our "Double-Eagle" and after 9 years we have yet to develope a problem. Granted, the angles at which they are subject to the sun are different , but I do not understand how the Lexan could deteriorate so quickly on one boat and not the other.
: I do not believe that standard glass could withstand the vibrations and structural flexing. Is Lexan the best choice for this semi-flexible application and are there different grades which would be more suitable for this application? If we did use glass, what thickness would be needed and how would we isolate it from the stresses?
: Thanks for your time.
: Regards,
: John E. Talley