Looking to make fiberglass top

[peconicwaters]

I have decided that it is time to replace my p.o.s top on my Grady with a new one.The old was an atlantic towers t-top,the aluminum is in great shape but the top is flimsy and a lil ugly IMO. I work with fiberglass pretty often just never used any coring material.I was thinking Nidacore but it sounds a little complicated to work with and to make rounded edges.Does anyone have any suggestions or any feedback on using this product or any other?

[peconicwaters]

I have decided that it is time to replace my p.o.s top on my Grady with a new one.The old was an atlantic towers t-top,the aluminum is in great shape but the top is flimsy and a lil ugly IMO. I work with fiberglass pretty often just never used any coring material.I was thinking Nidacore but it sounds a little complicated to work with and to make rounded edges.Does anyone have any suggestions or any feedback on using this product or any other?

Anyone?

[rchanner]

I've seen some tops that looked like they were a sheet of Starboard with nice edges and rounded corners instead of glass and they looked nice.

The only disadvantages I can really see with going that way is that I would think you would want a solid top (either no seam or a perfect seam) and turned down edges wouldn't be an option, assuming that matters to you.

Other than that, it would be a very solid top with little to no susceptibility to damage (sun or otherwise) and a whole lot less work. I think sheet size on starboard5'x8'.

Just a thought.

[jawz]

I have decided that it is time to replace my p.o.s top on my Grady with a new one.The old was an atlantic towers t-top,the aluminum is in great shape but the top is flimsy and a lil ugly IMO. I work with fiberglass pretty often just never used any coring material.I was thinking Nidacore but it sounds a little complicated to work with and to make rounded edges.Does anyone have any suggestions or any feedback on using this product or any other?

trust me on this one...you don't want to add a fiberglass skin to that frame...the frame you have is a "hoop",it's for lacing a canvas top to.the tops that utilize a fiberglass skin have a different edge,it uses a "j" moulding to hold the fiberglass skin to the top.if you put a fiberglass skin on that frame it's gonna look terrible.the atlantic towers tops allready look bad enough,it's gonna look worse.smart move is to pull what you've got and get a whole new one made...this time with a fiberglass skin top,not canvas

[welder]

Have you thought of having a Alloy skin added ?

[Chisox]

Peconic,

One question on your top fab. Does it need to be cored? If you have an upper station, than obviously, yes. If not, than you really don't need coring. A good thick laminate schedule, but no coring. The real issue facing you would be the fabrication of a mold that mimics your top radii and dimensions, as well as a turned down flange. The glasswork isn't really the issue here, it's the fab of a mold for the top.

If you do it, the proper install is t/bolting around the "halo", as well as the crossmembers. 3M two-sided foam tape on top of the frame before install not only helps adhere the top to the frame, but will stop any vibration noise, even after it's bolted down.

Good luck with the mold/endeavour...

[peconicwaters]

Thanks for the feedback guys,

Osprey, My thoughts exactly

Jawz, My t topis not the factory type I believe you are refering to, never had canvas laced to it.This entire set up was built by atlantic towers.

Welder, I have been holding back on breaking out the TIG just yet but is looking like one of my best options.

I am not putting a tower on it,the only weight up there will be a radar,gps antenna and a vhf antenna.The whole problem with the fiberglass is the mold,seems like alot of work that pretty much gets thrown away. Still not sure really which direction to go in,what ever I do I am sure it will turn into a huge project...just my luck.

[rchanner]

Is your old top too far gone to repair/reinforce/rehab or to use it for a mold to make a mold from?

[jawz]

Thanks for the feedback guys,

Osprey, My thoughts exactly

Jawz, My t topis not the factory type I believe you are refering to, never had canvas laced to it.This entire set up was built by atlantic towers.

Welder, I have been holding back on breaking out the TIG just yet but is looking like one of my best options.

I am not putting a tower on it,the only weight up there will be a radar,gps antenna and a vhf antenna.The whole problem with the fiberglass is the mold,seems like alot of work that pretty much gets thrown away. Still not sure really which direction to go in,what ever I do I am sure it will turn into a huge project...just my luck.

this changes things...

you won't need a mold for a skin top-"skin" being fiberglass...shouldn't need any kind of core either,does the top have antenna plates ??

to make a skin,you're gonna need a 4'x8' piece of gloss formica...atach this to a suitible underneath,you just made a "lay up table"...wax the formica,then,wax it again...coat the formica out in gel coat-be sure to use laminating gel,let it kick,then coat it out again.after it kicks,coat it out in resin and lay the matting on it-for skins like this i use 3 layers of 1.5oz chop strand matt...let it all kick overnite,and peel it up the next day,cut it to fit...if you want,you can roll some awlgrip on the underside,this will briten it up...i make skins like this for a few top guys...

i'm really not sure what kind of top you have,"kind" being,i never really seen an atlantic towers top with a fiberglass skin on top,all the tops i seen were canvas...

[sidetracked]

I've made 3 tops so far - 2 for my boat; hardtop with nidacore that you can stand on with molded electronics box and a "skin" for my tower buggy top - I also made a replacement fiberglass skin for my father in laws contender to replace some old canvas. The trick to the skin to replace the canvas for us was we just drilled and tapped the existing tubing and scrwed it to the frame. It was just a skin with no coring - I used flex trim to trim my buggy top and glassed up the edge of the nidacore top. My father in law shaped and glassed his for his contender. Not hard, but time consuming.... The skins will flex and can conform to the shape of your t-top frame - for my hardtop with the nidacore it was laid up on a table with some bow on it (the hardtop frame was made to match the bow of this top).