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Perspex boat windows

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=137661
Printed Date: 28 Jul 2026 at 4:29pm


Topic: Perspex boat windows
Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Subject: Perspex boat windows
Date Posted: 27 May 2023 at 7:20pm
Hi all. After trying two types of glues which were recommended from the experts at local shop with shyte results from both (expensive fails), was wondering if anyone here could recommend an adhesive to fix perspex to timber ??. Thanks



Replies:
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 27 May 2023 at 8:35pm
What did they recommend


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 28 May 2023 at 6:32am
I'll see if I can find the old tubes. It was some time ago now.


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 28 May 2023 at 9:32am
The first product I can not find tube. It was silver caulking tube with not a word of English on it. Was around $80. Second product sikaflex 295 UV. Both stuck to wood well but failed to stick to perspex for long.


Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 28 May 2023 at 11:09am
Originally posted by lawabidingpoacher lawabidingpoacher wrote:

The first product I can not find tube. It was silver caulking tube with not a word of English on it. Was around $80. Second product sikaflex 295 UV. Both stuck to wood well but failed to stick to perspex for long.
I’m in the plastic roofing game and to be honest there’s not a lot that will stick to Perspex. It’s the expansion and contraction that causes the sealer to tear off the Perspex then the water gets in behind the Perspex and it’s all over. You might need to look at screwing it on. There is a sealer called seal once which might work but again I don’t know how long it will stick for. It is a bit messy to use.

https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/epoxy-resin-and-boat-repair/seal-once-sealant-cartridge" rel="nofollow - https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/epoxy-resin-and-boat-repair/seal-once-sealant-cartridge


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 28 May 2023 at 6:39pm
Thanks guys , will look into these!.


Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 29 May 2023 at 11:08am
no more nails is good stuff  , just doesn't come in useful colours ,  and Selleys  All clear seal is mega sticky **** , poxy to clean up too  so it must be good Thumbs Up.  I have it sealing Laserlite plastic roof stuff ,dont think its perspex tho  but its still there after 7 years 


Posted By: e.m.p!
Date Posted: 30 May 2023 at 7:03pm
Weldon acrylic glue will bond perspex (acrylic) by fusing it. Works really well, however, I never tried it on wood. Just another option if others fail


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 5:56am
I contacted glue guru and they said there ms35 would be ok for the job. Now I'm wondering if a small amount of the Weldon first to adhere to the perspex then the glue? Might give more to bite on.


Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 31 May 2023 at 10:01am
Originally posted by lawabidingpoacher lawabidingpoacher wrote:

I contacted glue guru and they said there ms35 would be ok for the job. Now I'm wondering if a small amount of the Weldon first to adhere to the perspex then the glue? Might give more to bite on.

Funny that , just as I was reading your above post I was thinkin that maybe a layer of that weldon before the ms35 might be a good idea 😁


Posted By: OneWayTraffic
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2023 at 3:00pm
Boatworks today recommend VHB tape. That's what I'm trying, though I might put some mechanical fasteners in as well.


Posted By: keenasmustard
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2023 at 8:42pm
When installing perspex windows on any boat the issue is expansion/ contraction. As previous post mentions The perspex expands and contracts with temp change more than the surface you are sticking it to so over time the bond to the perspex breaks.
The only product i would use to bond perspex or glass windows is 'dow corning 795' silicone. It has a 50% expansion modulus. In comparison sika 295 and others only has an expansion modulus of 25%. 
In real life application you need a thick silicone layer in excess of 6mm to handle the expansion/contraction of the 2 surfaces using products such as sika 295.
With dow corning 795 you still need min of 2-3mm thickness of silicone to stop the bond failing over time. Also the more surface area you have to glue the 2 surfaces together helps. Min of 25mm wide strip.

Also dow corning is uv stable where as sika 295 and others aren't and so they break down and lose elasticity as uv gets through the perspex.

Using fasteners every now and then around the window can help make install easier but every screw/fastener could have the potential to develop a leak so the least amount of fasteners the better. with fasteners you also use a 3mm thick single sided foam tape which gives you a uniform thickness of silicone right round the window.

You can install with no fasteners but it is a little trickier and you use a 3mm thick double sided foam glazing tape approx 6-8mm wide. you need to be pretty exact as once the window touches the boat it is stuck and if in the wrong place you will have to cut it off and start again.

The whole process can be a bit daunting but as soon as you know how it all seems to work out ok. I've installed dozens of glass and acrylic/perspex  windows and have never had one fall out.

If you want to know the whole process you can pm me or reply and I can go into more detail on a new post. 

cheers





Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2023 at 4:31pm
Thanks for the info. Haven't had time to do anything yet. Hopefully in a couple of weeks i can do something.


Posted By: BTHEC
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2024 at 8:48pm
Id like to know more as mine are falling out perspex on wooden frame


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2024 at 8:11pm
Ok. Finally got to put windows back in. I used dow coning 795 and also screws. Also used 40 grit sand paper and scuffed up perspex to help with sticking . Used heaps of 795 to get good cover all round ( 1 tube per window) and will trim off excess on inside once dry. This time I hope 😃


Posted By: rowboat bob
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2024 at 10:21pm
That Dow corning stuff is the go  as has the highest flex in the UV resistant sealers, better than any of the Sika or M3 products. You wouldn't have even needed screws


Posted By: lawabidingpoacher
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2024 at 5:51am
I probably didn't need screws , but I wasn't keen on doing a forth time


Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2024 at 9:19am
I saw something tother day , not on a boat but a tractor. Guy had  painted the cab and  used a length of what looked like surgical tubing sandwiched between glass and the cab  , and stainless bracket  clip things to hold the glass in place . Certainly looked like it could handle a bit of flexing. Unfortunately the owner/builder wasnt about  so I couldnt find out anything 

-------------
I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time


Posted By: brmbrm
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2024 at 6:42am
I'd screw it using appropriate cap washers (is that what they are called in NZ?) and slightly oversized holes.  Then seal the joints with silicone if you need it watertight



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