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⛵️ Head issues & successful DIY forming of 10 mm acrylic. New windows part 6! Ep 673
5 April 2026 · 25 min · 92K views
What this video covers
Mads and Ava continue their DIY project to manufacture 10mm thick acrylic windows for their 44-foot Antares Yachts 44 catamaran, Spiffy.0:19 To eliminate cold spots during the thermoforming process, they install additional 1200-watt fin heaters into the lid of their custom 6,000-watt electric oven.1:57 Experiments with sodium silicate as a mold sealant prove unsuccessful, as the coating flakes off during heating.15:49 However, gravity-drape testing with a plaster mold confirms that heating the acrylic to 130°C successfully captures the required curvature without cold spots.16:50 The team also repairs the head on their other vessel, Athena, by replacing a clogged hose and installing a new macerator assembly.9:18 After confirming the acrylic thermoforming process works on test-scale molds, they prepare to build a full-scale mold for the catamaran's most curved window.24:32
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