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Fabrication Guidelines and Tips

Strataglass Fabrication Tips

For best results, prepare and handle Strataglass® as follows:

- The night before fabrication, lay Strataglass sheets flat on a table in a warm room so they can relax to their natural, perfectly flat state.

- If you see paper marks or lines from the cardboard core, you can remove them with a heat gun, a common hair dryer, or direct sunlight. Hold the heat source 4–6 inches from the surface and work in 12-inch sections. Keep the heat moving and avoid focusing on one spot to prevent damage. As the material gently warms, the marks will disappear thanks to Strataglass’s inherent structural memory.

- To clear cloudiness, “pools,” or sharp impressions (such as zipper marks), warm the affected area in small sections with a heat gun or hair dryer, again taking care not to overheat or concentrate the heat in one place.

- If you are installing in colder weather, warm the enclosure area during installation and stretch the Strataglass into its final position. Panels installed tightly in the cold may relax and appear loose once temperatures rise.

- As a final fabrication step, clean the enclosure panels thoroughly with Strataglass Protective Cleaner, then apply Strataglass Protective Polish inside and out. This creates the initial protective basecoat and enhances water runoff for clearer vision.

Care for new Strataglass curtains:

- New, clear vinyl is soft and easily marked. Keep new Strataglass curtains installed and securely fastened to the boat as much as possible to help stabilize and strengthen the boat.

- If you must remove the panels, store them flat and carefully interleaf each panel with a soft fabric, such as a bed sheet, to prevent impressions. Over time, the vinyl will become more stable and less impressionable.

- Whenever the boat is not in use, close and fasten the Strataglass enclosure panels. This simple step helps maintain optical clarity and extends the life of your curtains.

  • We have a snap-on cloth for our sewing table to help prevent scratches. This also helps the glass slide easier while sewing it. The cloth is a poly/cotton material. We have the edges reinforced and bound in order to hold the female snaps that snap to the table.

    1. When we get the glass in it stays in the drum until we are ready to fabricate the curtains.
    2. We built a large 5’ X 10’ Strataglass storage drawer under our table. We store the sheets flat in this drawer with tissue paper between the sheets. The sheets are always flat and ready for fabrication.
  • The glass is laid out flat on the cutting table with the sheets of paper left in between the sheets of glass. Each window is cut and sewn to completion and then transferred with the paper to another table. The completed windows are also stacked with the paper between them.
  • Transporting the completed windows to the boat has the paper left between each window. The windows are stacked with the paper between them as we transfer the project to the boat. The paper is not removed until they are ready to install on the boat.
  • We use PTFE thread exclusively. We normally sew about 6 stitches per inch. Other shops may sew less per inch. We use MR needles rather than standard needles because we use PTFE. The size of the needle will be an MR5 or MR5 (equivalent to an 18 or 20 respectively). The needle size many times depends on the machine and the sewer.