Monday, April 05, 2010

Lewmar Porthole Plastic Trim

For most of us with older boats with Lewmar portholes, the interior plastic trim has become yellowed and quite brittle. This trim is just velcroed on and when you try to remove them, they'll crack for sure. Replace this trim? No way. Lewmar doesn't make these anymore, of course. They want you to replace the whole porthole.

Solution:

Bill ordered a plastic vacuum forming machine with plastic sheets. After painstakingly creating a wood mold that matched the plastic trim, he made his own plastic trim for 11 portholes that match perfectly!!! Of course, this method took place in my kitchen. And he used our vacuum cleaner to create the vacuum. What an awesome job he did. If you can't find the right product, make it yourself.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Do you have any tips on where to buy the Vacuum Table, proceedures,

temperature, thickness of plastic?
I have only one to do as I trimmed it wrong. I have a 27" X 27" Lewmar

Sail Sewer Hatch. I just installed them 2 seasons ago. Still using my

old Bomar Hatch Trim Ring. Mine are the Medium Profile Hatches. Any

Info Appreciated. captjim@crystalbaymarine.com