Marine Fabricator May/June 2021 - 35

Panel support

Banded tops

These photos show you where I have sewn

Banded tops are a great way of taking quality to the

polycarbonate inside the panel.

next level. They are light-years ahead of lace-on tops,

The photo on the left shows how I support an area at
the top of the panel where it would be tricky to add
fasteners. The polycarbonate makes the fabric rigid
so it stays in place without falling or sagging. This
technique can be used almost anywhere in a panel.
The photo on the right shows how the glass extends
throughout the entire panel at the top and bottom,
keeping the material permanently flat and smooth.
All applications end up with a much cleaner and
sexier look.

and I stay away from lace tops at all costs. In many ways,
banded tops completely seal up the top, so if you were
to add an enclosure, you don't have grommet holes for
water to run through. The lacing usually gets dirty very
quickly and is an eyesore. Banded tops can be mistaken
for a hardtop, and their aesthetics alone can take the
boat to another level of elegance. Banded tops take
longer to install, but the end result is very rewarding and
worth the extra work. I haven't had a customer yet turn
down the extra cost after they have seen the difference.
It's a win-win-win situation. Your shop will be producing
a higher-end product, you get to charge more for the
product, and your customer will definitely be happier
with a banded top over a lace-on top.

wild. Always remember to have fun-
that's the most important part. Make
sure your schedule is comfortable and
you're not rushing to get every job
done. Otherwise, you won't have any
time to improve and take your work to
the next level. You need to have time at
the end of every project to stand back
and look at what you can improve on.
Then come up with a plan or a solution
to do just that. When you have an
issue or are struggling with a portion
of a project, take the time to find
the answer or solution immediately.
Doing so will allow you to grow your
quality more quickly and move on
to the next area for improvement.

At Charlton's Marine Canvas,
our ultimate goal is to be happy with
what we do, have happy customers
and support our family while doing
it. I hope the advice and techniques
I offer here can influence a new
mindset to help you think outside
the box.

" Keep your mind
open to new
things and let
your imagination
run wild. "

Michael and Rachel Charlton are the
owners of Charlton's Marine Canvas in
Yorktown, Va. They have been in business
for four years, and their main goal is to
provide high-end, award-winning canvas
for their customers. They have a strong

For more information, visit:

passion for boating and being on the

www.marinefabricatormag.com

water with their daughters, Mersades

Search " canvas fabrication "

and Nikki Charlton.

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Marine Fabricator May/June 2021

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