how to make a custom windscreen for my 272 baja?

272bajadriver · 02-27-2010, 04:53 PM

Anybody know how to make a custom windscreen for my 1996 272 baja. I have a windschield which is what they all came with but I like the look of the windscreen such as on the outlaws, wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to make one and a mold off fiberglass and how hard would it be, ive done a little bit of fiberglass work so im relatively familiar with it?

joe27baja · 02-28-2010, 07:53 PM

Hi, I am in the middle of doing mine as we speak, I have a 92 272 Baja that came with the lexan glass and I have ask the same questions and the best answer I have ever got was that people have see it done but they didnt know how was it done. Im using the lexan as a template and im laying fiberglass over it and I'm about 75% done with mine right now and its been a lot of labor

the last pics are just for fun...............

regalman4925 · 03-23-2010, 08:18 AM

has anyone built one from scratch? i have a 89 sport 250 that is identical to the boat shown above but i have no winshield at all and need to figure how to make one. any ideas would be a huge help. so far i thought about making one out of thin plywood and glassing over it. using a wooden frame and stretching fleece over it and soaking that in resin then glassing it. also use a styrofoam mold and then lay glass over that (something in between so it doesnt melt)

glassdave · 03-23-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by regalman4925

has anyone built one from scratch? i have a 89 sport 250 that is identical to the boat shown above but i have no winshield at all and need to figure how to make one. any ideas would be a huge help. so far i thought about making one out of thin plywood and glassing over it. using a wooden frame and stretching fleece over it and soaking that in resin then glassing it. also use a styrofoam mold and then lay glass over that (something in between so it doesnt melt)

it really isnt to difficult to do a one-off quickie mold. I would try and stay away from laminating over thin plywood and the fleece trick. The fleece trick is best left for speaker boxes as it really has no strength characteristics to speak of although you could use it as just a finish layer. You could loft a foam plug out of a medium density poly foam and do a quick an dirty mold out of a few layers 1808 and coremat. The plug will need to be gel coated and buffed to get a good mold off it but hour for hour it will produce a better part then trying to produce a wet layup moldless part over a plywood frame. Its possible to do a moldless part but the techniques to do so are a bit more advanced to get a lasting part. Feel free to call if you have any direct questions tech lines open all the time

419*461*4114

regalman4925 · 03-23-2010, 01:01 PM

dave i like the stryrofoam idea, it was actually one of my original thoughts on this. doinf the foam also make it so i can add some stuff like moving the location of the radio up and maybe add a glove box.... so can i just go get some good old like 4" styrofoam like they sell at home depot and create the mold? i am not familure with the coremat? and i am guessing ther 1808 is the glassmat or cloth? heck i still have some glassmat here from the transom that may help. i am a few weeks away from being ready for the windscreen build

glassdave · 03-23-2010, 06:12 PM

Not Styrofoam . . . . you need a medium density poly foam. Its not available at any big box stores. You cannot use any of that white, blue or pink stuff used for wall isolation. Well you can but its a pain. Polyester resin turns it to mush instantly. If you can put a barrier on it like PVA it sometimes works. I have played with some industrial insulations that work well but are tough to find. The fleece trick works good for one off plugs to.

272bajadriver · 03-23-2010, 07:43 PM

Hey glassdave im just curious what exactly is the fleece trick?

glassdave · 03-23-2010, 10:30 PM

polyester fleece can be used as a finish layer. You use it just like you would a final layer of fiberglass, saturate it with resin and it is highly conformable. Its how those car stereo guys make those wild boxes but it isnt very durable. I never really use the technique but it is a handy trick for the hobbiest to loft a plug if need be.

mtocrs1 · 03-25-2010, 12:54 PM

I am wanting to do the same thing to my old beast. Dave, is it possible to get some picks of making the mold from the styrofoam? Sorry completely new to fiberglass. I was planning to glass over a wood frame until seeing this.

mtocrs1 · 03-25-2010, 01:18 PM

Why can i not post a pic!