Screens

It’s a little thing but it’s been a constant bother for the last 6 years. The porthole screens on the Snow Goose were built (almost 60 years ago) out of steel and then chrome plated. It required 2 rings for each screen and had copper screening placed in between them and then screwed into the hull. Since the 11 ports on the side of the hull were welded into the hull when the boat was built I guess that screwing the screens into place seemed like the right thing to do only, down here in the salt water EVERYTHING rusts. So I’ve been looking for a way to replace the metal rings and go to plastic.

Deaton recently did a job on another boat and had left over scraps of plastic sheeting which were just the ticket for my screen problem. I built a simple jig and routered out the inside of the rings and then cut the outside of the rings on the band saw. Then it was a simple job to use sealant to “glue” the screen in between the two rings.



I've had to paint these old metal rings to prevent the rust.

old metal ring on bottom and new plasic on top

finished plastic ring, now only 21 more to go

screen installed and ready to go back on the Snow Goose

Because of the tighter fit, I will not need screws to install the rings and I can finally get rid of the rust stains that weep from our ports! What a great New Years gift.