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Pigeon Box Portholes


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I'm fitting portholes to a pigeon box. The recess in the brass porthole is 7mm, the glass only 3mm thick so leaving a 4mm gap to fill. What is the normal way to fix and seal the glass? it seems a wide gap to completely fill with sealant. My intention was to use Sikaflex to seal the glass and then use it again on the brass porthole frame to the steel pigeon box but I am now thinking it might be better to make a gasket to fill in the gap.

 

 

20200513_220944_LI.jpg

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1 hour ago, WotEver said:

Have you looked on the Seals Direct website?  I bet they have something that would sit on that lip that's about 3mm thick.

 

Or send them that picture and ask :)

Thanks for suggestion. I did have a look but the problem with the pigeon box porthole is that they are only 82mm dia so difficult to bend a edge seal around - needs to be a formed seal to glass diameter. It did get me thinking and just purchased from Ebay some 4mm cross section 82mm o/d o rings which will hold the glass in place on one side along with some Sikaflex on the other side to seal it - unless someone comes up with a better suggestion!

 

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12 hours ago, BrandyMark said:

I'm fitting portholes to a pigeon box. The recess in the brass porthole is 7mm, the glass only 3mm thick so leaving a 4mm gap to fill. What is the normal way to fix and seal the glass? it seems a wide gap to completely fill with sealant. My intention was to use Sikaflex to seal the glass and then use it again on the brass porthole frame to the steel pigeon box but I am now thinking it might be better to make a gasket to fill in the gap.

 

 

20200513_220944_LI.jpg

What about glazing tape. Clean off excess if it is too wide trim to fit the rebate on both sides.

Edited by Jon57
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I also like the idea of O rings, O rings are wonderful things.

In my case the holes in the pigeon boxes were cut too big so do not support the glass from below. The original sealant (looked like a marineflex type stuff) eventually failed and the glass came loose. I stuck them back in with Araldite and so far so good. Messy stuff so much care was needed to get 100% sealing without excess mess.

 

...............Dave

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2 hours ago, dmr said:

I also like the idea of O rings, O rings are wonderful things.

In my case the holes in the pigeon boxes were cut too big so do not support the glass from below. The original sealant (looked like a marineflex type stuff) eventually failed and the glass came loose. I stuck them back in with Araldite and so far so good. Messy stuff so much care was needed to get 100% sealing without excess mess.

 

...............Dave

Thanks for all the suggestions, will try with o rings and sealant.

 

The holes in my pigeon box were badly cut, looks like they were cut freehand with gas which looked terrible from below so I cut them out completely with a jigsaw and made a plate to fit over with holes cut using a hole saw. Fitted the plate with coach bolts to look like rivets (lots of "rivets" on my boat) also drilled some square holes to mount the pigeon box with "rivets".

 

 

20200508_191843.jpg

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6 minutes ago, BrandyMark said:

Thanks for all the suggestions, will try with o rings and sealant.

 

The holes in my pigeon box were badly cut, looks like they were cut freehand with gas which looked terrible from below so I cut them out completely with a jigsaw and made a plate to fit over with holes cut using a hole saw. Fitted the plate with coach bolts to look like rivets (lots of "rivets" on my boat) also drilled some square holes to mount the pigeon box with "rivets".

 

 

20200508_191843.jpg

Sorry can’t resist. You drilled square holes? Send me that drill!

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8 minutes ago, BrandyMark said:

Thanks for all the suggestions, will try with o rings and sealant.

 

The holes in my pigeon box were badly cut, looks like they were cut freehand with gas which looked terrible from below so I cut them out completely with a jigsaw and made a plate to fit over with holes cut using a hole saw. Fitted the plate with coach bolts to look like rivets (lots of "rivets" on my boat) also drilled some square holes to mount the pigeon box with "rivets".

 

 

20200508_191843.jpg

I want one too!

TD'

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1 minute ago, roland elsdon said:

Sorry can’t resist. You drilled square holes? Send me that drill!

Taken me years to find a square hole drill so I'm sorry, but not going to let it go lol

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3 hours ago, BrandyMark said:

Thanks for all the suggestions, will try with o rings and sealant.

 

The holes in my pigeon box were badly cut, looks like they were cut freehand with gas which looked terrible from below so I cut them out completely with a jigsaw and made a plate to fit over with holes cut using a hole saw. Fitted the plate with coach bolts to look like rivets (lots of "rivets" on my boat) also drilled some square holes to mount the pigeon box with "rivets".

 

 

20200508_191843.jpg

I cut mine out and fitted rectangular glass to let more light in

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3 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Sorry can’t resist. You drilled square holes? Send me that drill!

I thought about doing something similar but its a job some way down the todo list, but should you not have put that very neat plate on the inside? With your plate where it is you will still see the untidy holes on the inside?

 

................Dave

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42 minutes ago, dmr said:

I thought about doing something similar but its a job some way down the todo list, but should you not have put that very neat plate on the inside? With your plate where it is you will still see the untidy holes on the inside?

 

................Dave

I jig sawed the holes out completely. The nuts on the back will show but my interior is very industrial so will blend in.

20200514_174538.jpg

Edited by BrandyMark
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6 minutes ago, BrandyMark said:

I jig sawed the holes out completely. The nuts on the back will show but my interior is very industrial so will blend in.

20200514_174538.jpg

OK thats pretty tidy jig saw work, and industrial type interiors are a good thing, a floating workshop trumps a floating cottage every time  ?  but if I ever do mine I will put the plate on the inside (though new pidgin box tops would probably make more sense). I had thought about a plate in something other than steel to add a bit of insulation, we have three pidgin boxes and they do make a fair bit of condensation in the winter.

 

..................Dave

 

.....................Dave

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20 minutes ago, dmr said:

OK thats pretty tidy jig saw work, and industrial type interiors are a good thing, a floating workshop trumps a floating cottage every time  ?  but if I ever do mine I will put the plate on the inside (though new pidgin box tops would probably make more sense). I had thought about a plate in something other than steel to add a bit of insulation, we have three pidgin boxes and they do make a fair bit of condensation in the winter.

 

..................Dave

 

.....................Dave

A number of ways to do it.

 

Hadn't thought about condensation, it will not seal air tight when closed so there will still be some air flow but I have seen some with brass ventilation grids on the ends - will just have to wait and see. The reason I'm fitting it is to provide more light over the galley (small portholes on my superstructure) and to let the cooking fumes out. I have a second pigeon box already fitted over the engine room but that doesn't have port holes (another one of those jobs on the list!) and is always open so condensation is not a problem.

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