Re: bubbles in plastic

[William Sewell <cstmwrks@xyz.net>]

Subscuba@aol.com wrote:

> Bill,
>
> I think some of what is in the papers refers to the time I did work with my
> Polycarbonate viewing port. The material I used came from the local Builders
> Supply and was intended to be used as a window or door window. The
> Polycarbonate

As in LEXAN polycarbonate?... after baking out the water and then heat forming it
did you again heat it to remove stress from the forming?

> I used has an affinity for water which had to be baked out at
> about F 210 before I took it up to around F 300 for forming. I was never very
> happy with the process but I couldn't buy one anywhere. Most of the available
> domes are acrylic which has more history and seems to be slightly better from
> a cold flow respect although it shatters easily. There was no way I would use
> acrylic for my front port since it would have been broken many times by now.
> Also bear in mind my Sub is a Wet Sub so I don't have the problems you do
> with a 1 ATM steel burial chamber. My burial chamber is Fiberglass.

Well right now I'm not to worried about a falure... I'm messing with rov's so a
couple of camera's die in an implosion no big deal..

>
>
> Ports seem to be a continuing problem. The PSUBS site has some vendors you
> might want to contact.
>
> Ken Martindale

Thanks for your input!

Bill