So I broke the screen on my Fyran 530 a week ago. Too much green water.
After hunting around I managed to find a supplier who must have an original mould. The boat is about 12 yrs old and the manufacturer no longer exists. The only problem was the screen was going to cost $2k (and add in some freight).
So I decided to take another track as a punt and buy a sheet of 4.5mm perspex and have a crack. The sheet cost $250.
I originally posted my supplier /manufacturer enquiries on another forum and was then asked to post the process here. So here goes.
First I marked the centers on both top and bottom rails and the corresponding points on the broken screen.
The screen was cracked thru in two pieces and a bit more. I taped these together while still in the frames - both sides.
Having marked and taped the screen I removed the top frame then pulled the screen clear of the bottom rail. A few screws to remove here but they came easily.
Now I laid the broken screen on top of my sheet. Transferred the screen center marks to the sheet. leave the protective paper on the sheet. I scribed around the front/flat part of the midsection. Now the tricky bit. You need to get this really accurate to go smoothly. I rolled one corner of the screen partly down on the sheet. I think I actually walked it down. Go part way, scibe, bit more, scribe. I got to a point where standing on the curve I could pull the bottom sheet up fat enough to meet the screen. Scribe. Carefully roll back and check the center marks are still good. Repeat other side.
Cutting. You need to support the sheet close to cutting line. I used two thin planks and a skill saw - fine blade. Cheapo 40T $20 M10.
Set saw just a bit deeper than perspex - ie 5-6mm cut. Easier to follow curves. I could get around them all - the tightest took 2-3 bites. Don't try to follow the curve if saw doesn't want to. Cut thru and come back on another angle. I cut to the inside line of the scribe mark - which was about the blade thickness. So the blade just cut out the scribe line.
Now I had the profile cut I had enough sheet for two screens. So trusting my profile I scribed a 2nd template - for next time.
Now for forming. Remove the paper. Don't forget to transfer center marks to the perspex - don't loose them..
The proper way is to heat the template in an oven and lay on a mould. I don't have an oven or a mould. So I used a heat gun.
This is a bit tricky because you can only heat a small section - need to get to about 100 deg. Use gloves. Hot.
I clamped the sheet over top of the old screen (use the ref marks) and started with the gun. Slow job. Took about 2 hrs. Waiting for the sheet to want to drop down on to the screen A little bit of help is OK but if you force it , it will want to yield in the wrong places.
You need to watch the angles and lines that are holding you up getting the shape and work those. Not too much heat in one spot - it will collapse and be hard to salvage. gentle gentle. Repeat. I got an approx contour first time round and went back a 2nd time and then tidied up a 3rd time. Don't drop sweat on the hot screen. Marks it. Sweat off- screen.
I didn't try to get it perfect - just close. Then I fitted it to the top rail - out of the boat. There is some flex in both screen and rail. Use the ref marks. Once in place I ran the heat gun around the corners to relax the screen in place - ie follow the rail rather than rail follow screen.
Then I tried fitting to lower rail - in the boat - without top rail. Same process. Before doing this - de burr the cut edges. I persuaded it in close but not perfect spots by tapping a wooden block on top of the screen. Once in place - relax with gun again.
Once happy, fitted top rail again - knowing it will fit. Tap down in place. I put some silicon sealer in top and bottom channel prior to final fit. Mine had a rubber sealing strip along top outside edge. I fitted it after fitting the whole setup. Pushed/tapped in place.
Next time.
It is not perfect - it is a compound curve - 2 directions at once . hard to do with a small heat gun. Next time I may try the BBQ for the corner heatings - on a couple of strips of wood - do one and remove and massage in to form over the old corner and repeat other end.
Took me about 4 hrs solo. About 2 hrs marking/removing/refitting. 2 hrs on heat gun.
Good luck.