windows

[Greg King]

Hi guys,

Just thought I would post a little discovery I made that probably everyone else has too, but here goes anyway. 

I know a lot of you have the Crogi PCC's and the "old look" GM buses, all with standee windows, these and and all other models with windows like this suffer from the same problem, even (to a lesser degree) the beautifull SPTC Pgh PCC's. The problem? Flush glazing, this is not just these cars, other streetcars and buses have/had windows that were flush with the body mounted in rubber "grummets" so that, when you look down the side of the body, the windows should be flush with the sides, not recessed as the Corgi models are with just a bit of plastic behind the window space.

Many year ago, I built an Osaka (Japan) car which had very large flush top windows and had a hell of a time flush fitting those windows but did it (you can see a picture on Dave's Rail Pix), anyway, back to the main line. As I am working on my next production bus in HO (Marmon Herrington T/C) I was pondering how I could tell the purchasers a way of reproducing that look (I have to do something while I'm driving my Streetcars at work!!). Then I remembered my friends in the aircraft modelling group I'm in (aviation is my other love) and the product they used when scratch building an aircraft and have to make windows (and you don't get more flush windows than and aeroplane!) it a product called "Crystal Clear" all this is, is white or PVC glue.

It can only be used in small cavities, about 1/4" square is about max, it's not perfect, but gives the closest effect other than individually fitting each window, last night I tested it out on the standee windows of a Corgi PCC, varrying from very thin to really thick, the thinner you do it the more it "sags" in the middle, the thicker you make it, the longer the "white" takes to turn clear but the result (takes overnight) is more flush, as soon as get the digital camera back, I'll take some pix. According to my friends, the most successfull way to do it (I've modified this for our purposes) is to finish the model and paint it, then do the flush windows, then clear varnish the model, this has the effect of "Doping are flying model aeroplane" that is, to stretch the "Crystal Clear" and make it even better, the good part is, at leats with the Corgi's, if you stuff it up, it's water based and is easily removed.

Hope this ahs been of interest.

Greg
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