Essential Technical Information for Your Project: Finishes, Glazing, Installation, and More
On this page we’ll show you some important technical information about your project with us. Please feel free to jump to the following sections to learn more:
Surface Finishing - Anodising or Powder Coating
Glazing Options
Installation Tips and Tutorial Videos
How to make templates
Information on Sealants/Adhesives
Surface Finishing - Anodising or Powder Coating
What is the difference?
Anodising
Anodising is SeaMac's recommended finishing method for our product.
Anodising is an electro-chemical treatment to the metal, it is not a coating ON the metal, which differentiates it from powder coated or painted surface finishes. This means you still see the metal in it’s natural form, even with black anodising, including our welds.
Anodising hardens the aluminium, after we’ve finishing forming it to your design, and also makes it resistant to corrosion by salt. Anodising will ensure your products last many many years with minimal maintenance required.
We always anodise to marine grade 25 micron, and if your vessel lives on the water we will be insisting on it for your products.
Powder Coating
Powder coating gives a lovely smooth finish to the surface of your product. It will hide any imperfections in the natural metal, and cover up our welds.
We use powder coating on trailerable vessels or on rare occasions when product is too big for the anodising baths.
Whilst powder coating does have a pre-treatment to help protect the soft aluminium underneath, it doesn’t harden it like anodising does. Without proper care, powder coating will have a limited life span.
For this reason, we will only supply powder coated product if your vessel does not live on the water.
Glazing Options
Glass is a fascinating and developing technology these days.
As a base, we offer marine safety glass on all our products - tempered/toughened to whatever standard you need for your project.
However, if you need glass in the hull we would recommend a laminated toughened glass… and if you wanted a curved design in your front windscreen we can supply you with curved glass as well.
Your glass can be clear, grey or green tinted… there are so many options!
Do we offer acrylic? To be honest we prefer not to. Acrylic has a limited life span in the marine environment and is too easy to scratch. In some applications it’s the only option, but where we can we will try and find a way to use glass.
Installing your new windows and doors
We are here to help you when it comes to installing your new windows and doors.
If you click on the image above it will take you to a very old tutorial from our original owner, Big Dave, on how to install a simple window. There are some more videos on that You Tube page you are welcome to browse through. Enjoy the history lesson and pick up some valuable tips.
We’ve come a long way since then, so instructions can be provided for every product you purchase from us.
We can also sell you the adhesives, tapes and packers to ensure the job is done right the first time! Ask your contact for an “Installation Kit” price.
Remember not to change the shape of the window or door to the shape of your vessel when you install it… if it opens or closes, it needs to remain true to its shape out of the factory in order for it to work well. If you wrack it, bend it, twist it, you might have problems and will need to do it again.
Ask us, we are here to help!
Templates - are they required?
Templates aren’t used as much as they used to be, but there is still a place for them.
If your project has some angles or radii that are, well, different, then a template might be the most accurate way to show us exactly what you need.
However, for the most part we work off CAD these days and can manufacture directly from your CAD design.
If you do need to supply us with templates, please make sure you mark them carefully with your name, contact number, outside face, port/starboard, and any other important information like where the template is taken from, does it have clearance deducted already or not?
Please speak to us before sending in templates so we can run through this with you.
Adhesives & Sealants
Adhesives/sealants have come a very long way from the days of silicones and polyurethanes… in fact we neither use or recommend either of those these days, when it comes to glazing a vessel.
We almost exclusively use Silyl Modified Polymers, or SMP’s, in our factory and recommend them for installations due to their fantastic technology. They are UV stable, paintable, elastic allowing for expansion and contraction, durable, abrasion resistant, and cost effective.
There are many different types of SMP’s, with varying levels of adhesive vs sealing properties. There is even an SMP with the texture of silicone, which is awesome for a final cove, without all the painful qualities of silicone. Win, win!
We can supply you with the correct sealant required to install your windows or doors, just ask us for a quote for an install kit for your project.
