Windshields

[ColinthePilot]

So my full fairing doesn't have a windshield. Its black so I wanted a dark low windshield. I bought a big sheet of smoked plexi-glass and I'm planning on making it myself. Im going to make a cardboard pattern and trace it on the plexi then cut it out with a Dremel and a cutting bit.
I'm also not sure if I want to bolt it on or rivet it on. I think the rivets would look cool but there may be drawbacks that I don't know about.
Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated since i've never worked with plexi before

[dj]

If I were you I'd stick with the bolts/screws for the fasteners.  This makes it easier to take the windshield off if you need to.  After awhile dust and stuff will settle down in between the plexi and the rest of the fairing and it is a pain to get at unless you take the windshield off and then it just wipes out.

Just my $.02

[Brian Moffet]

The originals always had the plastic bolts on them.  The idea was that they would sheer off (or pop off) if you go over the front of the bike.  This would happen, hopefully, before any damage was done to your body by the windscreen.

Just FYI,
Brian

[inanecathode]

It'll turn into a fixed guiloteen blade if you use steel fasteners.

Sides that, is it going to be a flat straight piece with no bends? Making curves in plexiglass is really easy, specially with a broad thin sheet like you have.

[kiwibum]

Can buy Shield screw sets at bike shops, ones I got recently are ali with little nuts in rubber inserts. If there is enough force on the screen the rubber stretches and pop out of the holes allowing the screen to leave the fairing with out damage to yourself or the bike.

I'm confused, how are you using a flat peice of plexiglass? Not sure about plexiglass but I have tried shapping a peice of polycarbonate with some success in the oven. Need a bigger oven for it to work properly. Also need to be aware that polycarbonate takes in mosture, so need to carefully/slowly dry it at 100c. If you heat too quickly the bubbles you see forming in the sheet is created by the steam of the water molicles expanding too quickly to evaporate.

[Coil Coyle]

So my full fairing doesn't have a windshield. Its black so I wanted a dark low windshield. I bought a big sheet of smoked plexi-glass and I'm planning on making it myself. Im going to make a cardboard pattern and trace it on the plexi then cut it out with a Dremel and a cutting bit.
I'm also not sure if I want to bolt it on or rivet it on. I think the rivets would look cool but there may be drawbacks that I don't know about.
Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated since i've never worked with plexi before

Colin,
        I like McMaster-Carr for small hardware, rubber, etc. http://www.mcmaster.com/ search "nylon bolts", they also have washers and nuts white or black. The black gives the material UV protection. They mail the next day. Their O-rings section is an education on it's own.

Try them, you'll like them.

Also search "plastic about" there. I can't rave enough about their site, it's a gearheads dream site.

Plexiglass is Acrylic, Lexan is polycarbonate.

$0.02
;)
Coil

[QBS]

Seems to me that about 2-3 years ago there was an excellent thread regarding shaping and cutting windshield plastic.  Do some searching.  It was a really good instructional piece.  Vnary Reckon may also be helpfull in these matters.

[ColinthePilot]

My plan was to create a pattern from the fairing (which i did) trace it on the plexi and cut it with a dremel and a soft cutting bit, then use a heat gun to slowly shape it and bolt it down as i move across. Bolt the left side, heat, bend it till the next hole lines up and bolt, repeat until all the way across the windshield.

[inanecathode]

I'd try to get the piece over a mold and heat the whole thing at once, i'm afraid if you go bit by bit it wont bend evenly and you'll end up with wavyness. If you go fast enough and heat the entire strip length of the piece you want to bend then quickly go to the next i can see how it would work

[kiwibum]

Yes I agree with "inanecathode", using a mold (even if it's the old screen) and heating it all at once is the better way to go. Depending on how patient you are with the heat gun it's pretty easy to get lots of waves and gas bubbles from getting too hot too quickly.  I had a look and couldn't find the earlier thread on "shaping and cutting windshield plastic", does anyone have a link to it. I spent some time trying to find info on Google before I attemped mine but no luck on making screens. There is a difinite art to it, my attempt was not that successful but does the job for now.

[ColinthePilot]

i don't have an old screen. all i have is the fairing to get the shape from. i don't know how i would make a mold either. as for the waviness, i'm not sure how noticeable it would be. its smoked plexi and its going to be a low windshield, really just to complete the fairing. I won't be looking through it.

[kiwibum]

I made a basic mold out of wood and covered it with felt. Put mold in oven with sheet covering it and heated to correct temp for it to mold to shape. Problem was my oven wasn't quite big enough to do this with the door closed so didn't get very even heat distribution. Have been temped to find an older bigger oven at the dump as a donner to make a heating box as I'm sure it would be useful for other things as well, like baking painted parts etc.

[QBS]

Kiwi, do searches for polycarbonate, acrylic, plexiglass and lexan.

[kiwibum]

Kiwi, do searches for polycarbonate, acrylic, plexiglass and lexan.

You mean on Google? I've used those terms on ROV and haven't found the thread on shaping etc.

[QBS]

No,...ROV.  I just did a search on polycarbonate and got back 4 threads, one of which is from Reckon and is a direct hit for constucting a poly. windshield.  Cheers.

[kiwibum]

OK thanks, for some reason I was only getting this thread searching techtalk, searching all ROV brought them up. Link here in case someone is is looking
http://ridersofvision.net/forum/zindex.php?topic=6314.msg54690#msg54690

Also just found out the local library has the book "Do-It-Yourself Vacuum Forming"
by Douglas Walsh recommended in another post. I'll check that out too.

[reckon]

I used a simple drape form to make this shark windscreen out of .70 thickness polycarb (lexan)




I would NOT use plexiglass (acrylic) for a windscreen,,........take a piece out side and give it a good rap with a hammer and you'll see it shatters into needle like shards with sharp edges, not a good choice for windscreens.

POLYCARB (lexan) looks, works, and bends like acrylic, but when you rap it with the hammer, you'll notice it just cracks, but it won't shatter.

you can get it anywhere you can get plexuglass, for about the same cost.

as far as tints go, get clear polycarb, and after shaping, use automotive window tinting film, MUCH better looking, and many, many more choices as far as color, and darkness.

I'll be offering these shark windscreens for about $50 ROV member price (they'll go for $89.95 on ebay "buy it now")  and as soon as I get the 83' screen, I can start to offer those as well (same pricing)

[Kenny]

  Hi Reckon,
     The 83 screen will be on its way to the address you gave me earlier on thursday Aug 2nd.  You can keep this unit as it has a couple of cracks but should still be a good pattern.
   Will you be able to add any extra height to your shields?
        I will let you know how I ship this windshield.
                        Thanks Ken S.

[Kenny]

 Hi Reckon,
    I sent you a PM with regards to the 83 pattern windscreen.
                Cheers   Kenny

[reckon]

PM sent

and yes, I can make them shorter, or taller,....all I need is to know how much (or little)