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Main Message Board / Fixed portlight install—foam tape spacers?
« on: April 29, 2019, 02:34:22 PM »
I took the leap this weekend and removed my fixed portlights. They were crazed, but not leaking but, couldn’t help myself—the crazing just offended me—so I opted to replace them. New ones are being made at a local plastics shop, using old ones as a pattern. I have screws in mine which were easily removed and I will reuse them for install. The two forward windows came out in one piece. But not the aft ones. Due to a solid coating of sealant under them at the aft pillars (by the head) the aft ones snapped into multiply pieces. The first one rear one I removed resulted a big piece falling in the drink and the pillar section chiseled into small chucks. The second one I removed more carefully, resulting in four intact pieces that I seamlessly pieced back together to use a suitable pattern. Both sides are symmetrical including the hole pattern fro the screws.
Now my question:
I have studied the Catalina instructions that call for 3/8-1/2 x 1/8 thick foam spacer every 6-8 inches to hold the window slightly off the fiberglass to prevent the 795 sealant from completely squeeze out when the window is pressed into place. BUT, doesn’t that act as a barrier and eliminate any sealant from contacting/bonding the acrylic to the fiberglass where each foam spacer is located? Am I missing something here? When I removed the old windows, interestingly, despite what the Catalina shop drawing shows, there were no visible spacers underneath that I could see? Debating whether to use spacers or not? Thoughts please?
Now my question:
I have studied the Catalina instructions that call for 3/8-1/2 x 1/8 thick foam spacer every 6-8 inches to hold the window slightly off the fiberglass to prevent the 795 sealant from completely squeeze out when the window is pressed into place. BUT, doesn’t that act as a barrier and eliminate any sealant from contacting/bonding the acrylic to the fiberglass where each foam spacer is located? Am I missing something here? When I removed the old windows, interestingly, despite what the Catalina shop drawing shows, there were no visible spacers underneath that I could see? Debating whether to use spacers or not? Thoughts please?
