CENTER HATCH WINDOW SCREEN MKI
 

For its first 17 seasons, ”APACHE” had a simple snap on fabric edged center hatch window screen. When that screen wore out and needed replacing, I decided on a teak framed screen. The MKI has a large teak frame on the inside overhead around the center hatch, so it was easy to match.

I measured the existing frame and cut teak strips to that same size. After building one side, I epoxied it together. I stretched and mounted (stapling) a piece of bronze window screen precut to size. Another set of teak 1” strips finished off the outside piece. Both sides are held together with epoxy and bronze brads.

I found an old teak handle and mounted it for opening and closing. Previous experience told me that the screen should be removable. On the V-berth end I mounted “snap apart” hinges. After pricing the bronze and stainless snap apart hinges at many $$, I decided to use the plastic hinges, which needed to be modified anyway. Most of the snap apart hinges had the holes staggered in depth, but I needed a narrow width to be no wider than the thickness of the teak trim on the overhead plus the thickness of the screen. The plastic hinges cut to size easily on a band saw and then redrilled with recessed holes for flat head screws.

To secure the aft portion of the frame I used a single “canvas” snap. I drilled a pilot hole and mounted the male screw stud on the fixed overhead teak frame. Then I took the female snap button socket with its center hole and mounted it with a small flat head screw on the inside of the framed screen to align with the screw stud in the fixed overhead.

To get the distance between the screw stud and the snap button to match the distance between the two snap apart hinges, I had to add a small washer between the snap button socket and the fixed frame. The distance all the way around between the screen and the fixed frame was then slightly less than ¼”.

At Home Depot I found the perfect weather stripping to seal that ¼” gap. Frost King makes an “X-Treme Rubber Weatherseal.” It is brown in color, self stick back tape and 3/8”Wx1/4”Tx17’L. Using it in double strip (3/4” wide), is the perfect width. The weather stripping was a simple matter to cut to length, make 45-degree corners, peel off the protective top and stick it in place. Be sure you clean the teak surface for the sticky tape with lacquer thinner first.

It is a simple matter to pop open the screen to adjust the hatch or completely remove the screen for cleaning or what ever. Word of caution: if you use bronze screen and are in a salt water environment, clean the screen and spray with a light coat of WD40. If the unprotected bronze screen comes in contact with salt water, you will be the owner of a “green” screen. Been there, done that!

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Ron Hill APACHE #788