how to do actual moving windows

[evilone]

ok i have a 59 caddy hearse that i want the front windows to move how do i do it

[MrObsessive]

Kevin, a loaded question for sure!

Your hearse has a frame around the windows which will make it easier for the window to ride up and down on. Now mind you, what I'm going to explain will take a LOT of trial and error.............what I've done to make working windows had no exact measurements or scientific algebraic theories to rely on! Also, my method won't appeal to everyone because it's labour intensive----------and won't apply to every type of model out there.

Before I go any further, I just remembered that Ken Hamilton did an article on working windows in the October 1986 issue of Scale Auto Enthusiast. His method was quite simple, but it requires a very thick door width wise such as he used a '49 Mercury to do this.

You're going to cut the doors away from the body, and then you need to build a suitable door jamb on both of them. The door jamb is the part of the structure that you'll need to place your window tracks, and I strongly recommend you find a pic of a '59 hearse door that's open to get the shape right of the jamb.

Next you'll want to create a "inner" panel of some sort to rest on the door jamb. On the inside of the panel you'll want to start making your window regulators.

Here's some pics of what I made for a '64 GTO..........this is one example of what a "hardtop" door window mechanism would look like.........

To make your window regulators and to have some durability, you'll need to solder. I soldered first a tiny watch gear to a handle...............

You can check eBay for watch gears as they turn up regularly, or go to your nearest jeweler or watch repair place and ask them for some junk gear parts.........these will have some gears in them.

Next, you'll want to solder a larger gear to a brass arm............this larger gear with the brass arm, is what will move your window up and down on the track. Now, you'll need to position the window crank gear somewhere on your inner panel------you'll want to position it somewhere on the panel where your window will clear and move freely and also to have enough turns to go up and down the door to be believable.

Here's another pic that I started on my '55 Ford, but have since abandoned for expediency in getting the model done.................

You'll notice the smaller gear is held in place by a scratchbuilt "box", and the larger gear which btw, has to be tight against the smaller gear for it to mesh------is to be held in place by a plastic "washer" on a plastic rod.

You'll not want to permanently glue the washer in place until everything is working smoothly and without binding.

Now you want to focus your attention on the window tracks on the door. Since your hearse has sedan like framed doors, you can build a track to run up and down the leading edge as well as the trailing edge of the door without the need of a balance arm which you would need in a hardtop car.

Here's a pic of tracks I had started in the Ford.................

The tracks I made from H channel plastic stock with some strip plastic placed in to narrow the track and be more in scale.

You'll now need to make your door glass.............I use "clear stencil sheet" which can be bought at an Arts and Crafts store............or you may just want to use clear styrene. I personally don't like clear styrene as it scratches too easily, and is doesn't bend well without fogging.

Your glass is going to need a "tray" to sit on........if you look at the above pics you'll see that the window is sitting on a brass H channel piece which I soldered another channel to get the brass arm to move the window up and down with a soldered pin in the brass arm.

From this point out, it's going to require a LOT of patience, and I'll tell you that one door window may take you a couple weeks to get to work correctly depending on the amount of time you have to work on it.

If I can find that original '86 SAE article maybe I can scan it and send it you------I don't think copyright laws allow me to post here on the board.

Hope this all helps..............any further questions I'll try to answer, but as I mentioned, everything I did was trial and error and a lot of patience!

Edited June 14, 2008 by MrObsessive

[Clay]

Kevin you best payattention to this man, you will learn alot from him, not just about windows, but alot of other things.

[redd504]

MrObsessive, thanks a million for responding so fast to my questions.Im sure I can pull your window method off w/ a little (alot) of effort.It's a honor to be taught by you, and I hope I can pull this off. I'll keep yall posted on this as soon as I get it together.Thanks again , REDD504 (Richie) P.S what about a book on working features LOL

[MrObsessive]

MrObsessive, thanks a million for responding so fast to my questions.Im sure I can pull your window method off w/ a little (alot) of effort.It's a honor to be taught by you, and I hope I can pull this off. I'll keep yall posted on this as soon as I get it together.Thanks again , REDD504 (Richie) P.S what about a book on working features LOL

Your welcome Richie! And welcome to the board!

I've been asked by several people about a book..............I'm not much of a writer-----like my building, it's whatever hits me at the moment! Maybe someday..............

[george 53]

Bill, A book wouldn't cut it,you'd hafta write a whole encyclopedia! Thanks for the tutorial.

[evilone]

dang thanks bro

ill go to the jewlery place and convince them into hooking me up with som gears

[Jairus]

Bill, your my hero!

[abedooley]

dang thanks bro

ill go to the jewlery place and convince them into hooking me up with som gears

Or just buy some cheap junk watches from Walley world if the jeweler wont come off of them.

[Smart-Resins]

Jeeze, when I get back to NY, I will need to raid my grandfathers collection!!Jody