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A step by step write-up of how I make the Lexan shades I sell, for those inclined to make their own.
IMPORTANT UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE IF YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE THESE.
Gather all your materials first. Prices vary depending on where you buy them.
1 sheet Lexan, 24" x 36" x 3/16" thickness. $35-40 Sign supply.
1 linear yard Faux (Fake) leather upolstery material $ 8-12 Fabric store.
1 quart HIGH TEMP solvent based adhesive. $8-10 Check your local automotive upholstery shop.
4 Qty. Old or new shade fasteners. (Twist locks) Available at the Z store. $6.15 Ea. About $30 for 4 shipped.
4 Qty. 3/8" E clips hold the shade fasteners in place. $2.50 for 2 pkgs. at Lowes. (Total of 4)
1/8" thick self adhesive neoprene rubber (E-Bay) $20
Table saw with abrasive blade (Metal or masonry) installed.
Drill or drill press. 1 1/8" Forstner bit.
Sanding disk used in drill.
Small paint roller for applying adhesive.
Material total approx. $85-100 Less if you already have some of this stuff- Or some connections.
Total time- minus material procuring, 3.5- 4 hours. Don't rush it.Everything is Meaningless. -
Take you time and get a good pattern drawn on the protective masking of the Lexan sheeting.
This is crucial- pay close attention to getting the holes drawn out right. Cut out with table saw.
You can use the side of the blade for shaping and rounding the corners. Just do so GENTLY.Everything is Meaningless. -
Take your time for this step. If you don't get this right, nothing fits.
The twist lock holes on the OEM shades are just a hair less than 1/2" in diameter. If you have access to a drill press
use a 7/16 drill bit to make your first rough openings for the twist locks. A 1 1/8" Forstner bit (Used in funiture making)
was used to create an indentation for the twist locks to seat. The "E" clip retaining rings will not fit if you skip this step.
Remove enough material (About half the Lexans 3/16" thickness) so that the "E" clips will slide into place. Test each one.Everything is Meaningless. -
The whole time that you are working on these you should leave the protective masking on one side. What
you see face up in the pics is what will become the inside of the shades. You can remove that mask since it
will be sanded and covered later. Once you have dry fitted all the twist locks, you can move to the next stage.
Orbital sander with 60-80 grit paper will rough up the inside of the shades to get them ready for adhesive.
Deburr both sides of the twist lock openings either with a fresh razor knife or sandpaper by hand (Finger).Everything is Meaningless. -
Dust/ wipe everything off and prepare TWICE the amount of working space for the two T-Top shades.
Rough cut your leather fabric two inches larger in every direction- then trace out an outline on it.
Use a piece of scrap cardboard or plastic to even out the adhesive on your roller- not on your work.
Work quickly but, accurately. Be generous with the adhesive, apply two medium coats- Even it out as you go.Everything is Meaningless. -
Apply adhesive to the roughed up side of the Lexan pieces and give it a minute or two to tack dry.
Lay down the Lexan T-Top shades to mate up with the cloth- using your marker outline for accuracy.Everything is Meaningless. -
Flip your shades over and smooth down the fabric with clean hands.
Use a fresh razor blade to flush trim the fabric. Doesn't have to be perfect.Everything is Meaningless. -
This little trick is simple and very effective at producing professional results. Use a sanding disk in your drill
with 80-100 grit paper to produce a beveled edge on the cloth. Make sure to hold the disk at a 45 degree angle
and that the sanding disk is touching the egde of the shades where the sandpaper is traveling downward. This bevels
and seals the egdes so that they won't peel. Smoothly make your way around the perimeter of the shades. Then follow
around once more around the shades with the disk sander perpendicular (90 degree angle) to clean up any glue on the edges.Everything is Meaningless. -
Press the fabric down into the recesses with your thumbs. I use a tapered stone drill bit and press down into
the center of the hole. The fabric will "melt" out cleanly as it does with the sanding disk on the outside egdes.
Install the twist locks and "E" clips. A pair of linemans pliers will help squeeze the E clips into place.Everything is Meaningless. -
Final material I needed came in today- the self-adhesive Neoprene sheeting.
This ensures a nice snug fit into the glass and reduces vibration/ rattling.
Cut 2" wide strips and line the three perimeter sides as shown. Turn them over
and flush trim with razor blade. Use the sanding disk at a 45 degree angle to finish.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEOPRENE-ADHESI … 27b95e9370Everything is Meaningless. -
Thank you for posting this. I just found my next project (to add to the list).
…and to think I was considering tinting my t-tops… -.-
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When i got my car tinted the lady said she wont tint the t-tops because it can keep in some sort of gas and explode the ttop. Im not sure how true that is but just a heads up.nater86zx wrote: Thank you for posting this. I just found my next project (to add to the list).
…and to think I was considering tinting my t-tops… -.- -
They cannot tint the ttops because of the little dots on them. If you look very close they are slightly raised. That is what would cause the bubbles, she was lying to you about exploding. The only ttops that can be tinted are mirrored ones with the mirroring stripped. Technically you can sand off the dots and tint them, but it will look like shite if you scuff the glass doing this.88SS - #300 - http://z31performance.com/showthread.php?18360 -
Awesome thats good to know, thanks for the information! -
IMPORTANT UPDATE.
One of the board members who purchased a set of my T-Top shades has PM'ed me over an issue,
that others need to be aware of. His car has been in storage for (6 months)? and the "leather" material
has shrunk and begun to peel away from the the Lexan base. Of course, I have offered to fully repair them
for free, including shipping both ways. Until I can figure out how to preshrink the fabric, I will not be offering
these for sale. It's possible that I may need to switch fabrics completely. If you're making your own, please note.Everything is Meaningless.
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