abedooley Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I was reading another post about what kinds of materials to use and was wondering how to do this without the fancy tools and gizmos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Abe, the trick to making windows look well, is to build some kind of inner "lip" or ledge inside your roof pillars. This is easier with flatter glass in late '60's and later models, but if you're trying to make glass for cars out of the '50's to early '60's, you'll need the patience of Job! In the '55 Ford I'm building, I first did the inside lip of the pillars, than made paper templates of the windshield and backlite using 3x5 cards. Here's a few pics to show including the GTO from years ago............. I'll then play around with the fit to make sure the templates fit well, and also to give myself a "rehearsal" to getting the clear stencil sheet in later. I usually try to do this early in the bodywork before painting as this step can be difficult (especially for wraparound glass) and I want to be able to get the real deal in as quickly as possible. Once I'm satisfied with the fitting of the templates, then I'll lay this against the clear stencil sheet and using a #11 blade, trace the pattern on. I'll cut the pattern out using some sharp scissors, and there you have it! You may need to do some fine trimming on the edges to get the glass to fit.......one goal I shoot for is to get the glass to stay put on it's own. That leaves my hands free to get the epoxy in later. This works well for relatively flat glass.............the wraparound type forget it! One thing to look out for when doing this--------you want your inside "ledge" to be as smooth and burr free as possible! If not, this will give your glass a wavy/bumpy appearance around the edges from the outside.................not good! I attach my "glass" with 5 min. epoxy, let 'er set overnight, and then clean the epoxy residue up with alcohol and wax. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abedooley Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Wow Bill!!!! You really do know how to do everything!!! So wrap around glass is not easy?? I dont like the glass in my Challenger and was wondering how to replace it. I could make all the glass seperate. Is that the way you do it Bill? Do you guys heat anything up when making glass or is that just when using the vacuum form? Could you make your own vacuum form machine? You'd basicly just need a vacuum and something to put the object on right? I really hate the way that glass looks. I'm in the process of tinting the glass but its not covering up the scratches and other flaws like I want it to. I wish the companies would pay closer attention to the crappy windows!!!! I mean if you're gonna put out a product, wouldn't you want it to be as nice as possible???? QUALITY FIRST right??? Or is that quantity first??? I can't tell anymore. Anyway, Thanks a million Bill!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Ya, I do all glass separate. The key to making windows with clear stencil sheet is holding them in place until the epoxy sets. It'll look real messy when you're done, but that's where the alcohol and wax cleanup come in. Here's how messy it can get when doing windows as shown in my Turbine car............. If you click here this will take you to some more pics on making your "lip" for the inside of the body to hold the glass. I don't heat up the acetate.........but yes, if you're vacuum forming----heat is definitely needed. You might want to check out this interesting site for some info about vacuum forming equipment. Bad and wavy glass from the kit manufacturers has been a pet peeve of mine for many years! The best kits out there for good glass may be Tamiya, but they can be pricey! I've got the AMT '57 Chrysler 300 kit which I won't build because the rear glass is sooooo bad! It looks like looking through too thick eyeglasses! I'll have to definitely vacuform this one if I want it to appear nice. Glad I could help Abe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abedooley Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Bill, you always help.... YER DA MAN!!! I looked at the site and I dont know if there is anything special about the box, I might try to make that. I'd just have to run some silicone caulk in the joints to get an airtight seal. The only thing that looks tricky is the frame for the clear sheet. What material works best for vacuum forming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Material for vacuum forming runs the gamut from thick styrene (.040"), to butyrate, to polycarbonate. I have yet to make any parts via vacuum forming, although I do have one of those old Mattel Vacuforming machines. (An eBay win) I experimented with it a while back.......the only trouble is finding clear enough plastic to fit in the fixture properly. It works very well despite its age, I'll have to try a future model part with it sometime! There may be some veterans here of vacuforming that can give you details of what plastic works best for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abedooley Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 What do those mattel vacuforms look like?? I tried to find one on ebay after I posted this and there weren't any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 (edited) There's a few on there now Abe...........do a eBay search for Mattel Vacuform Toy Maker under "Vintage Toys" and you should see one. I tried to post the link, but eBay's being contrary today. Mine looks just like the one you'll see......it's packed away somewhere in the basement------I haven't fooled around with it for a few years! Edit: Here's a pic of one from one of the auctions........... Edited July 17, 2008 by MrObsessive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abedooley Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 There's a few on there now Abe...........do a eBay search for Mattel Vacuform Toy Maker under "Vintage Toys" and you should see one. I tried to post the link, but eBay's being contrary today. Mine looks just like the one you'll see......it's packed away somewhere in the basement------I haven't fooled around with it for a few years! Edit: Here's a pic of one from one of the auctions........... NO WONDER I DIDN'T FIND IT..... I just looked up "Vacuum Form" and thats not what its called.... How much do they go for usually??? That is so cool!!! So mattel put that out huh??? When? Why? Did they make it for something specific or did they advertise it as just whatever you wanted to do with it? That is so neat!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle F Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Ya, I do all glass separate. The key to making windows with clear stencil sheet is holding them in place until the epoxy sets. It'll look real messy when you're done, but that's where the alcohol and wax cleanup come in. Can you elaborate a bit on the cleanup? I have never really had any luck cleaning up epoxy, other than the cases were I have been able to pop it off by bending or scraping. BTW: You can eliminate the waves by using thicker "glass", if the shape allows it. I used .015 K&S sheets for a rear window quite recently, and there were no signs of waves even if the surfaces weren't 100% smooth. I made channels on the B-pillars, trimmed the window carefully, and it snapped right in. The thick material actually had enough "spring action" to stay securely in place without glue, so I just added a few, small drops of Kristal Klear to make sure that I wouldn't pop it out during the final cleanup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Regular alcohol and a Q-Tip works for me Olle when I need to clean up epoxy. I try to do it fairly soon when the epoxy has fully set. If the epoxy has set more than a day or so, yeah it might be tough to get off but can be softened up with care. Yes, for flatter glass, thicker plastic can be used to minimize waviness on the edges. I've not had good luck with Kristal Klear to keep glass in though-----maybe I'm too rough trying to clean it up! Plus, paranoia sets in as I'm always afraid the glass will come out after everything is together (It's happened before...... ) so old habits die hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abedooley Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 What kind and brand of epoxy do you use Bill??? I need to get some more glues... I only have some of the super glues and a bottle of model masters model cement.... What types of glues do you recomend for all the different applications Bill??? I've been having a hard time with the glue selection. I dont wanna have to order any glues if possible.... So if walley world or hobby lobby has something as a substitute that would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 Here's an excellent post(s) in the middle of an Under Glass topic, but the content is well worth reading: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Casey said: Here's an excellent post(s) in the middle of an Under Glass topic, but the content is well worth reading: Some good info there, but unfortunately Photobucket "ate" the photos from last couple of pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 (edited) On 12/3/2020 at 12:16 AM, peteski said: Some good info there, but unfortunately Photobucket "ate" the photos from last couple of pages. True, but some images are still viewable, and the words remain, too. Really the best technique I've seen shared here on the forum, so worth a read IMHO. Adding on a bit to this topic, I have one long term project which will require both new windows (where the base kit included none) and replacement windows, where the kit supplied parts are too out of scale, so I keep my eyes open when I shop thrift stores (charity shops for U.K. members ?). I have collected a few different styles and sizes of screen protectors for future use as scale window "glass", as seen in the attached image. One piece even has slightly curved edges on two opposite sides, which might come in handy for a specific application. With handheld devices becoming outdated and obsolete rather quickly, you can bet the screen protectors they were designed to protect are cheap as chips on the secondary market now, too...and we know auto modelers are a frugal bunch. tl/dr: keep your eyes and mind open. Edited December 12, 2020 by Casey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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