Laminated safety hardened glass for windows

[Vaidotas]

Hi,

I bought old 77's steel sailboat. It is great boat, cheap, heavy and easy to modify. I learned how to do +- ok welding, and fabricated few things.

Windows are old and scratched, I am thinking what would be better:

10-12mm acrylic glass or 8-11mm laminated hardened glass for windows. Since I can make frames I don't need holes to fasten them.

What is your opinion?

[Jammer]

Laminated glass isn't used much on sailboats. Usually tempered glass is used instead. That's what my boat has.


Acrylic will be cheaper and will probably last for the realistic remaining life of the boat.

[Vaidotas]

500$ or 300$ is not much difference. But how is scratch proof and wave resistant?

What do you think is realistic remaining life of the boat?

[Sos]

Toughened glass can have spontaneous breakage due to inclusions of nickel sulphide. You can get it heat soaked which should remove them.
The advantage of laminated and toughened glass is that if one layer does break it will stay intact.
If you use an interlayer like SentryGlas it will be very strong!

[BobFord]

I would prefer glass -my experience, have used glass for flat windows, tough and scratch resistant. Used polycarbonate for curved windows,tough but shows fine scratches in sunlight at low altitude, otherwise good. I looked at curved glass but price was prohibitive.Have used 10mm "bullet proof ?? " glass in flat, hull, picture windows.So far so good ! And they had a real beating in the Southern Ocean !!

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Vaidotas

500$ or 300$ is not much difference. But how is scratch proof and wave resistant?

10mm acrylic is more than twice as thick as what most boats in that size range would use. Unless your portlights are unusually large it won't fail from waves. The frames would fail first.


You can polish the scratches out of acrylic. It can get crazing from being flexed and can get chips from, say, gravel coming up from the road if the boat is trailered.

What do you think is realistic remaining life of the boat?

I'm not sure but I would expect to get around 25 years out of acrylic glazing.

[Vaidotas]

Originally Posted by Jammer

10mm acrylic is more than twice as thick as what most boats in that size range would use. Unless your portlights are unusually large it won't fail from waves. The frames would fail first.


You can polish the scratches out of acrylic. It can get crazing from being flexed and can get chips from, say, gravel coming up from the road if the boat is trailered.





I'm not sure but I would expect to get around 25 years out of acrylic glazing.

Current windows are about 12mm, Its a bit different boat. Its heavy steel boat who likes to sail high seas where every 5mm window boat would not go to open ocean. I feel very comfortable in 30knot winds with 1 reef. It has maybe 50suare meters of sail on its short mast, boat is designed for heavy seas (Atlas MK2), so 5mm is no no. That was point of the post, if glass (more clear than acryl) is good enough for such sailing.

[Benz]

I have 3/8" tempered glass on my skylight, and thinner glass in all my portholes. Heavy, but glorious in the light it admits and in its durability.
I would only use acrylic if there was no other choice--too much danger of scratches/crazing/hazing/clouding, and it's ugly.