TOPIC: Windshield edge trim

I need to locate or fabricate edging for the top of a 1/4 inch thick curved Taylor Made windsheild. I have attempted to anneal and bend an aluminum u channel to fit the windshield. I failed. The legs of the u channel buckled. The second issue was a reluctance to pound the channel on the windshield to form the channel to the windshield for fear of damaging the windshield. I was not able to exactly match the shape of the windshield with a wood pattern. A 1/4 inch u channel on a 1/4 inch windshield leaves no margin for error.

Any sources or tips?

Thank you,

Randy

Try www.brandsport.com

They sell several different colors & styles of plastic car door edge trim, it's been used on another boat forum by several members.

Might try to find a metal fab shop & have them fab the U channel to fit your windshield.

Hey Randy, have you read Andrew's (Angott) article on windshield fabrication? He addresses annealing the aluminum trim in the first part of the article, may be worth a read?;
www.fiberglassics.com/restoration/making-a-new-plexiglass-windshield

I tried and failed. I think some of the issue was that he was using 1/8 inch material for the windshield and I have 1/4 material. The only channel I could locate 1/4 inch.

Thank you for the reply.

Randy

I used the automotive door trim on my boat, and its held up perfectly.
Easy to apply, and inexpensive.
The windshield is laminated glass.

Here's a picture of the windshield with the chrome-like plastic car trim, that I tried to send with the original post.

Sorry, But I seem to be having problems getting pics to upload?

The only auto trim I can find is for the edge of a door. It will not fit over the 1/4 inch windshield.

Thank you,

Randy

Randy,
The trim I used was NOT the U-shaped door trim, but rather something trim that might be used to high-light a horizontal line, or maybe around a wheel-well?
It is D-shaped, and sits on top of the flat edge of the glass.
I'll try again to post a picture,
Bill.

Pic?

The pic is 2.93 Mb, but is being regected as too large.
I must not be selecting it from its file correctly?

Found a smaller pic.....Trying again.

Randy,

I and many of my fellow boat junk hoarders constantly are on the lookout for old boat parts to salvage. Any time I can get my hands on any aluminum channel or trim, I grab it. You can often find an old boat windshield frame that can be modified, shortened, or coaxed to fit another boat windshield. The original parts can be found on abandoned boats, boat junk yards, other boat collector stashes, etc. While new extrusions can be purchased, most don't com close to the profile that you would want to see on a classic boat. So go out and dig around a bit. Sometimes you can find a free boat on Craigslist that has parts you can salvage. Then try to give the boat away AGAIN, or haul it off to the dump. That is how i get most of the used boat parts I have stored away.