What is my windshield made of?

[dfalk]

I need to replace my windshield on my '76 Aristrocraft, it is so scratched up and hazy you cant even see through it. I took it off and its about 1/4" inch plastic thats very flexible. What material is it, it might be plexiglass but I dont think plexi is this flexible. Heres a bad pic if it helps any

 

[zach103]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Plexi

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Acrylic.

 

[Bondo]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

it is so scratched up and hazy you cant even see through it.

Ayuh,... Bad news 1st,...
I doubt you'll Ever find a replacement,+ a Custom built replacement will probably cost the value of the boat...

Good news is,... Your's is Repairable...
It starts with sanding/ polishing with 2000grt wet sanding...
Followed by "Flame Polishing"....
Google it,... I don't knows my single digit explanation will be Good enough...

 

[bananaboater]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

There is a brand name product, UVEX. I have used it in sculptural work and it is tough and extremely flexible. You may have seen the goggles the skiers used in the Olympics with UVEX logo. I have used 1/8 thickness but I assume is it available thicker.

Here is info from a google search.

GENERIC MATERIAL NAME: Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
BRAND NAMES: Tenite?, Uvex?
APPLICATIONS & USES: Printing visual aids, page protection & Animation cells.
MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS: Easily diecut, Good for transperancies, Abrasion resistant.
MAXIMUM WORKING TEMPERATURE (?F/?C): Melting point 300-400?F / 149-204?C
CHEMICAL RESISTANT TO: Grease & Oils, Water
SOLVENTS: Strong acids, Alkalies, Organic solvents
MILITARY SPEC: MIL-P-21094A
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 1.19-1.23
THIS ITEM IS ALSO ABAILABLE IN: Sheet & Rolls
CUTTING/MACHINING TIPS: Die cutting & By hand!

It should bend to your frames with no problem.

Albert

 

[dfalk]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Ayuh,... Bad news 1st,...
I doubt you'll Ever find a replacement,+ a Custom built replacement will probably cost the value of the boat...

Good news is,... Your's is Repairable...
It starts with sanding/ polishing with 2000grt wet sanding...
Followed by "Flame Polishing"....
Google it,... I don't knows my single digit explanation will be Good enough...

Ill look into repairing mine but wouldnt it be easier to just make a new one? I Took the 2 sheets of plastic out and they lay flat on the ground. I was just gonna trace that pattern onto the new material, cut, and re-install. So if this was plexi/lexan it would be real easy.

bananaboater
Thanks, Ill look into this UVEX stuff.

 

[Aqualift]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Yea, just pick up some new Lexan and trace, cut and replace. (since your pieces were able to lie flat)

 

[Bondo]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

I was just gonna trace that pattern onto the new material, cut, and re-install. So if this was plexi/lexan it would be real easy.

Ayuh,... The picture I'm seeing is of a Curved windshield...
Bending 1/4" plastic ain't That easy to get Right...

 

[dfalk]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Ayuh,... The picture I'm seeing is of a Curved windshield...
Bending 1/4" plastic ain't That easy to get Right...

1/4" Was only a guess, its very thin and flexible. I could probably roll it up into a cylinder shape if I wanted to.

 

[ziggy]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

mine is #2111 coke bottle green Plexiglas. (from memory i'm pretty sure that's the number. though i could go back through my receipts and find out absolutely if you need me to) yours looks like a clear windshield. i don't know what the number is if that's the case.
i just measured the center panel. it was 3/32". don't know if the windshield panels are the same thickness or not. the center panel i measured was the original one that came off my boat. i had to replace it.

also. http://www.aristocraftboats.com/AristoCraftNineteenPartsList.pdf

call aristocraft and see if they got one for ya, that link to me implies they do. they did have my center panel a year or 2 ago whenever i replaced mine. the link is from today. so might still be available from the oem...

not bad, 34 year old boat and might be able to get a 'new' windshield for it....

edit, also i was able to get the #2111 coke bottle green Plexiglas from my local glass company. reason i had to do that was because ups broke 2 panels, back to back, in transit from aristocraft. aristocraft got tired of sending me good panels and i was tired of getting broke ones in the ups mail... ups was to blame. their fault.

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Ayuh,... Bad news 1st,...
I doubt you'll Ever find a replacement,+ a Custom built replacement will probably cost the value of the boat...

Good news is,... Your's is Repairable...
It starts with sanding/ polishing with 2000grt wet sanding...
Followed by "Flame Polishing"....
Google it,... I don't knows my single digit explanation will be Good enough...

Exactly! To make a new one means making a mold to do it right. If you haven't done this before and wish to try you may wish you hadn't.

 

[saildan]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

What material is it, it might be plexiglass but I dont think plexi is this flexible.

Might be Plexiglas (acrylic) if it's really cheap. Then it would have looked that way after about one season of use. It's most likely Polycarbonate, the stuff most all other windscreens are made of.

The original was cut from a cast sheet and heat curved over a form. If you get a custom replacement, that's just how they'll make it too - only it'll be a bit more trial and fit until it's right.

If it's not all crazed (full of little cracks) You could try buffing it out. there are hundreds of products for the job from the compound the airlines use to do their windscreens to the automotive products for headlamp covers.

​

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

I need to replace my windshield on my '76 Aristrocraft, it is so scratched up and hazy you cant even see through it. I took it off and its about 1/4" inch plastic thats very flexible. What material is it, it might be plexiglass but I dont think plexi is this flexible. Heres a bad pic if it helps any

Have you tried polishing your, before you trash it? Auto supply houses have polish to clear up your car headlights. The same stuff can work on your windshield. What have you got to loose?

 

[osborn159]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

we used to repair aircraft plexi windscreens with a product called micro mesh esentially its like a fine sand paper used to remove scratches and nicks if its just milky id try to repair first, if its crazed replace.
D

 

[dfalk]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

The original was cut from a cast sheet and heat curved over a form. If you get a custom replacement, that's just how they'll make it too - only it'll be a bit more trial and fit until it's right.

If it's not all crazed (full of little cracks) You could try buffing it out. there are hundreds of products for the job from the compound the airlines use to do their windscreens to the automotive products for headlamp covers.

I dont think the original was heat cured over a form. When the took the plastic pieces out they lay flat on the ground. I will try buffing them with one of the products but I dont have much faith in that, there pretty bad.

 

[osborn159]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

i think youll be surprised

 

[TitanTea]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

Dude if you can roll your windshield into a cylinder I doubt its a 1/4 inch thick.

 

[saildan]

Re: What is my windshield made of?

I dont think the original was heat cured over a form. When the took the plastic pieces out they lay flat on the ground. I will try buffing them with one of the products but I dont have much faith in that, there pretty bad.

Um, I guess with that information, my thoughts don't fit what you have. This sounds like some sort of roll-stock material - maybe plexi, maybe vinyl.

Have you asked these guys?

LINK: http://www.aristocraftboats.com/index.html

Or checked with someone like this?

LINK: http://getaboatwindshield.com/home​

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