: Where in the Minneapolis are is some
: plastic available? Is Lexan the stuff to use?
: Any help would be greatly appreciated.
: Dave

Lexan may be bulletproof if it is thick enough (1/4 inch thick lexan should resist a .38 cal. bullet fired from a snub nose revolver at 12 feet I'm told)
but it is softer than plexiglas (or similar acrlyic plastics) and scratches more easily. Lexan also expands and contracts with changes in temperature, so
you might want to mount it in such a way as to allow for the change in size. A hot moirning sunning on the beach followed by a dip into a cool lake can make a large piece of Lexan move around a bit, which might mean leaks if you put this on the bottom of the hull.

There are some products made from a mixture of fiberglass strands and lexan which are more stable. It might be harder to find these than to find plain Lexan sheets, which are used for glazing windows in areas subject to physical abuse or vandalism: Screen doors, gymnasiums, train platforms, etc. If your local (Home Depot or Lowes)home center doesn't have some sheets in stock check the phone book for the local glass supplier. If you are not into bouncing bullets, you should be able to find some acrylic glazing panels.

Lexan (and the acrylics) melts at about 450 degrees. You can heat a small sheet in your oven at 275 to 350 degrees and when it is soft (anywhere over 270 degrees) you can bend it. Might be a useful way to get a flat sheet to match the curvature of your hull. Wear mitts, work fast, experiment with some small pieces first.

for a lot more on Lexan properties here is a link to a Regal Plastics site.:

http://www.regalplastics.com/polycarb.pdf

Regal Plastics has an outlet in La Crosse, WI, whih I believe is about an hour from Minneapolis.

But check the local phone book. I'm sure Minneapolis has plastics suppliers.

If you want something that is slippery so it can slide over rocks, you might want polyethylene or teflon.

Or, you can just add aluminum or graphite powder to a batch of epoxy resin to make a very hard and durable surface. You can buy those mailorder from epoxy suppliers on the internet.

hope this helps

PGJ
PGJ