Making a new Plexiglass hatch
 

I finally got around to making my new hatch. Total cost $58.
Acrylic cut to my dimensions 20"x26"x3/8"(5 free cuts) and shipped to my door off of ebay $49 and a roll of limo tint from the auto store $9.

Old broken hatch


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968775336.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968774753.jpg
New Acrylic arrived


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968775894.jpg
Practice bends with the extra cut pieces they shipped to me. I needed to see how close I could get with the torch and how much heat I had to use. Notice the corner on the RH side did not get enough heat and is sharp.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968775579.jpg

Set up a jig with saw horses, a 2x4 and some clamps.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968777208.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...3968777424.jpg
A little heat on top and bottom, a bend and a prayer.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4576628985.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4576628362.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4576629384.jpg

A little bit of tint over the sink in the kitchen.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4662860884.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4662860703.jpg
And we're done.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4662861318.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...4662861169.jpg

I am getting the Scarab Panther logo that is etched on the original hatch made up in vinyl soon.

That looks great! I need to do the same for my Formula. The hatch is broken. $58 sounds like a great deal. So is that Acrylic? I called a local glass shop and they told me they couldn't bend Acrylic (or maybe it was lexan) and I had to use plexi. I was quoted $135 plus $10 per hole.

The hatch is Acrylic, Plexiglass is the trade name. Polycarbonate, Lexan is the trade name.
Acrylic is more UV stable than Polycarbonate and when heated and bent Acrylic will not bubble like Polycarb. If I did it over depending on price, I would try to get the smoked acrylic.
Here is where I got the Acrylic from he did not have a large enough piece in smoke when I ordered mine. Also he was giving 5 free cuts
http://stores.ebay.com/popdisplays

You can also just paint the underside instead of tinting if you don't mind not seeing through the top of the hatch.
I was also quoted $128+ for someone to make one for me.

Rookie, that looks great

Just finished drawing up the original Panther Hatch logo now going to get vinyl made.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e/Panther1.jpg

Looks great! Any chance you could email that to me? I'm going to make a new hatch myself and cnc engrave the logo. My email is [email protected] Thanks

No problem what format do you want? just a jpeg, .DWG? I was going to CNC it also but I decided to mirror the image and put it on the backside so it has depth when you look at it. I also did not want the recess image to pool if beer, soda or water was spilled. The original hatch was stenciled and sandblasted in.