At last it's finished. what do you think

[fragged8]

hiya

It took me forever and I used the Hood canvas ( new school )method of construction
for the curtains. Although I have one of his binders I had to buy another one slightly
wider as UK zips are about 44mm and US zips are 1/2" so the Hood binding
doesn't quite cover the UK zips.

heres the before shot,


and After it got the Snuggtopz treatment. Notice the panel zips are hidden from the inside and the outside..



If anyone wants to buy the Hood binder I have get in touch as i don't need it anymore.

[bobbin]

Rich, that looks terrific!  Gone are the "baggies", the new enclosure is nice and snug.  Very nice work!

[regalman190]

Looks fantastic. Great job Rich!

[Grebo]

Very nice Rich, you should be well pleased with that.  :D

Suzi

[JuneC]

What they said.....  Looks great!

June

[Mike8560]

Look vrwt (great) rich how do you hide your zips I can't see te detail with the dark  canvas on my screen ?

[fragged8]

Thanks a lot guys, getting good feedback from the pro's
really means a lot, especially when it's been hard work
and nearly driven me mad hehe

Mike, I took some pics last week in case someone asked that question  ;D

it's a material sandwich, a strip on the inside then the zip
and a strip on the outside. That way the zipper is totally hidden.



and the two BIG binders, the one fitted to the machine works on my UK zips, it double folds
4 1/4" strips down to 1 3/4"

the US one that I don't really need now  turns 4 1/4" strips down to 1 1/2"

[regalman190]

Hey Mike.

It's basically creating a flap, like we do on the center window of an enclosure to cover the zippers. But, it's over every zipper. I used to do it that way, but I'm finding that most of my customers prefer no overlapping flap, except on the front window.

[JuneC]

I've been doing my enclosures like that for several years now and it has multiple positive benefits, beyond hiding the zips from view.  Besides keeping them out of the sun (and bright reflective glare from a white deck which is almost as bad), it make a really waterproof seam - at least as waterproof as you can get with a standard #10 zipper. 

In addition to the the vertical zips, I do the top zips along the bimini or hardtop this way.  With the zip on the outside of the window panel, after it's zipped to the top, if the panel is sized right, you can tuck the top edge in between the tube and top and avoid having to use velcro along the flap.  It gives a VERY air tight/water tight fitting when you run the glass to the edge of the panel.  It can make it more confusing when installing though.  Most people are used to zips being only on the inside and this method puts some halves on the inside, others on the outside.  You just have to make sure when fabricating to overlap the panels so water sheets back toward the stern, otherwise you'd have a nice water catchment feature.

June

[Mike8560]

Ya I'll do a flap covering g the joint on an express to keep it watertight   Sometime on the sides if it's asked for.   On an expensive boat / job I'll make a Stip like yours rich to hide the zips from the inside  yours don't really overlap do they ? Like on the outside of my front window Ill make a flap  like 2". Over the zipper joint
It's can be confusing that way June
not too many wantto pay extra for hidden on the inside zippers
Mostly high end
last one was this big boat

[fragged8]

hiya

this is the way i made it,
http://marinefabricatormag.com/articles/0110_st1_fabricating.html

[scottymc]

Thanks a lot guys, getting good feedback from the pro's
really means a lot, especially when it's been hard work
and nearly driven me mad hehe

Hey Rich ,good job. I think you could call yourself a pro, people are paying you to do it and it's good enough that there coming back.

[Mike8560]

Deffinatly a pro!
Say Eichmann he mentioned in that article that the $300 dollar folder allows hi
to install a bimini top and 10'piece e closure in about an hour
I was wondering how it did that.? It always take ne more then an gour after I hang the windows to install the fastners at the bottom   
Actualy I have a hard time following all  the written instrutions   Id rather watch a video and watch it be do e and see

[Can-Vas]

Hi Rich;
Don't know if you got my PM, as the site's acting wierd - says my last post was less than 60 secs ago, so I don't know if it's sending...

[JuneC]

This from the article is where I differ in my construction...

"If you removed the vertical binding, the two edges of the raw glass would butt each other."

In my enclosures, the glass doesn't butt - it overlaps with the zips in between - except in the very rare case where the panel is so large and oddly shaped that the glass is simply not wide enough.  I've done the odd panel here and there where I stitched together two pieces of Strataglass along the line where you'd put fabric as a guard against tubing heat damage - then cover with fabric, of course. 

I'm with you, Mike, on installation time.  I take a good hour or four to install fasteners on the bottom of an enclosure after the panels are up.  Longer if there's a mix of LTD's or common sense turnbuckles along with the snaps.  Last thing I want to do is ruin a nice enclosure with poorly placed fasteners.

June