lexan windscreens

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody

Just wondering if anyone has tried to make their own windscreen from lexan?
I'm going to try on Friday, because I can't buy the kind I need.

Thanks

Jari

[argonsagas]

lexan 'shield

I have not done it, but have been thinking of it as the plexiglass on my Vetter unit came with a couple of deep and wide scratches that cannot be removed. Most of the time I look over the shield but riding at night creates sparkles that can be annoying.

I haven't done it because of concern about how to bend the sheet to suit the fairing, without creating undue stress. I read somewhere you can apply heat, but it did not say how to do that on a big surface without causing distortion.

I will follow this thread and if you do it, please tell everyone how you did it, and how well it works.

[Anonymous]

bending lexan

Check with a local sign shop for some advice. I used to work at one, and we worked with lexan. I'm trying to remember, we used chemicals for bending, molding, and gluing lexan togather, but i can't rememebr which was which. I remember Methyl Chloride (nasty shtuff) but i think that was for joining the lexan. anywho, check with them, if they don't know they may know where you can find out. doing it without distortion may be the most problem, unless you have a vaccuum molding setup. (soften the material, then remove the air under it and pull it into the desired shape with the lowered atmospheric pressure) anywho. if i think of somthing i'll let you know, i'll also check with the sign shops here and see what i can find out.

Byron.

[brs127s]

I had a fairing on my 77 550 from a comany called Twelth Dimension in Colorado. The windshield was busted, so I got a sheep of 1/8 inch Lexan with the sun treatment on one side. I cut it to the shape I wanted and bolted it up. The 1/8 is thin enough it will flex enough to basically fit the fairing. The only problem with this is that the windshield would flex on windy days at 70+ mph.

[Anonymous]

Re: lexan 'shield

argonsagas said: I have not done it, but have been thinking of it as the plexiglass on my Vetter unit came with a couple of deep and wide scratches that cannot be removed. Most of the time I look over the shield but riding at night creates sparkles that can be annoying....

Hey if you want, you can buy new windshields for the Vetter fairing at both JC Whitney and at Dennis Kirk websites. Yea, I know, I don't have a URL to show for them, but add www. to the front and see what happens
GY

[Anonymous]

New windscreen

I am in need of a new windscreen myself. I was thinking of doing the same thing basically with plexiglass. Was told by a glass shop that i could probably us an 1/8" plexiglass, use a heat gun to bend to the desired form and that may do it. I think i will use my old one as a form and pattern. Does anyone have any suggestions on cutting? Coping saw, scroll saw or dremel with a disc on it. Maybe i could find one of the infomercials pedaling the magic zipsaw or whatever it is. I will let everyone know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

I found some ideas on the web. If you go to google and punch in "make your windshield" you'll see two pictures with a description of how they did it. I think they used an oven to heat it up to about 200 f and then placed it on a mold that was made before hand.
The only problem that I can think of right now is that my oven is not big enough. So tomorrow I'm going to my dads to measure his, if his isn't big enough then I'M going to try heating it up with boiling water, this should work as boiling water is 212 f.

Updates as they come.

Jari

[argonsagas]

Re: lexan 'shield

Hey if you want, you can buy new windshields for the Vetter fairing at both JC Whitney and at Dennis Kirk websites. Yea, I know, I don't have a URL to show for them, but add www. to the front and see what happens
GY

Gerry...Thanks for that.
I looked on both websites, and tried keyword search for Vetter and got a blank. Both list only retail windshields, including mounts, with no mention of Vetter, so I sent e-mails.

JC Whitney had an interesting item...side pieces for flat windshields, suggested for Goldwings. Never saw that before.

[argonsagas]

Re: New windscreen

I am in need of a new windscreen myself. I was thinking of doing the same thing basically with plexiglass. Was told by a glass shop that i could probably us an 1/8" plexiglass, use a heat gun to bend to the desired form and that may do it. I think i will use my old one as a form and pattern. Does anyone have any suggestions on cutting? Coping saw, scroll saw or dremel with a disc on it. Maybe i could find one of the infomercials pedaling the magic zipsaw or whatever it is. I will let everyone know how it goes.

One strong recommendation: Don't accept any plexiglass that does not have a peel-off sheet in place and don't take the sheet off until ALL cutting and trimming is completed.

You must make a template.

Plexi or lexan can be cut with any saw that has a fine-tooth blade. I haven't used a zipsaw/cut-off tool, so no comment offered.


Take your time and be prepared to clean the blade frequently as the plastic sticks to the teeth.

Make sure you get an extra bit of material, so you can make practice cuts.
You may have to cut a bit oversize and grind the edge to fit, depending on how good a cut you get. Practice your grinding as well, as too much pressure, or a rough and/or uneven stone, will grab and cause splitting.

[Anonymous]

Re: lexan 'shield

Gerry...Thanks for that.
I looked on both websites, and tried keyword search for Vetter and got a blank. Both list only retail windshields, including mounts, with no mention of Vetter, so I sent e-mails.

JC Whitney had an interesting item...side pieces for flat windshields, suggested for Goldwings. Never saw that before.[/quote]
=============
hmmm. sorry if it was a wild goose chase. I have both printed catalogues and they have the windshields pictured in the book. if you like I can look up the order number and price this weekend.
GY

[Anonymous]

JC Whitney catalog number 103J-1-05.

Page G4.

Height Clear Each Smoke Each
Stock (21")
w/o vents AAD028766W $35.99 AAD028767U $40.49
with vents AAD028768B $52.19 *******************

2" higher than stock
w/o vents AAD028770Y $40.49 AAD028771W $44.99
with vents AAD028772U $53.99 *******************


Hope this helps, Description reads as follows:

Acrylic windshields use original mounting hardware except Quicksilver and Windjammer, which includ hardware plus clips, to mount radio and speakers. Choice of clear or light-smoke tint. Please note: Stock heights listed are from bottom to top measured at center of windshield. Sizes are approximate.

[Anonymous]

I see that my spacing didn't stick with the message as I orginally typed the information. Note that the Height Each Smoke Each are column headings. Use your imagination to visulize them above the part numbers and prices list below.