I was hoping someone might be able to help me. I am looking for some windows for a round building and was wondering if anyone knows of a company making them in HO scale.
I assume by “round” that you mean a building that has curved walls, such as a turret. In some buildings of that sort the windows were of course normal flat windows. But I have seen very fancy windows with rounded frames and curved glass. Is that what you seek?
I know of no such windows other than what may have been part of a building kit of that sort and not separately available.
One thought however is to explore the Alexander Scale Models line of windows. They are, in my experience, perhaps not the most detailed models available, and the variety that they offer is nowhere near the incredible variety from Tichy for example, but the Alexander castings are in soft metal and in my experience are rather easily bent – although they have a limit after which they break.
That would give you at last the general look of what you are looking for, although not exactly how a prototype window maker would make them look.
I suppose the Tichy plastic castings could, with care, be bent too.
Dave Nelson
Most windows in round buildings are flat. I guess for cost as well as for them to be able to operate.
I remember some years ago, a guy in Pittsburgh was renovating an old mansion that did have curved window frames and glass in a turret. Saw it in a documentary about old houses. He mused that he could have bought a car for every window in that turret. So…yeah, cost.
They exist but…I think I’ve seen two curved windows ever myself.
So true, most round applications have flat window sash but w/ modified head jamb and sill to the curvature. The extreme cost of milled curved sash and curved glass lend these to only be used in rather expensive custom installations. One replacement window job in a rather affluent beach area required custom ordering of the 6 curved double hung windows in the stone turret. Very few specialty companies will mill these and fit the glass. each window was more than 10x the cost of even the high quality “flat” version.
Always been a favorite of mine for years, now I have a chance to keep it looking perfect
I have formed Tichy windows into slight curves for the point on a flat iron building. I had to shave the tops and bottoms of the frames down to where only the exterior trim remained. They will break if they are bent without shaving them down, but with the frames removed they will take a moderate curve. I plan on using .050 clear styrene for glazing because it will curve relatively easily. Note that all of the windows were individual single hung units.
I used a 1 1/2" ABS tube as a base over which I tried to apply a thin styrene brick veneer with the window shapes cut out. I applied .020" x .040" styrene strips vertically between the windows on the back of the veneer to give clearance for the window side frames and the glazing.
The project is on the back burner because I haven’t quite figured out how to glue the brick veneer to the ABS smoothly. I’m thinking contact cement might be the best bet because it will grab immediately, but I am also thinking that I will need some way of clamping the brick and ABS together while the cement fully cures to prevent things from popping loose when the glue is fresh. Maybe 2 or 3 sushi rolling mats with elastic bands might do the trick.
Anyhow, it is yet another work in progress.
Dave
Interesting. It might also be possible to bend a tichy window by heating with a hair dryer or the kind of heat gun that “stampers” use. If you get the timing right you can bend the casting and then harden it with some cold water. But there will be a failure rate as you practice this so it pays to have a box of junk windows to practice on - Tichy castings are too nice to waste.
Dave Nelson
Dave:
I tried the heat method but I found it nearly impossible to control the temperature. The problem was that at the temperature that softened the plastic enough to form it, the plastic also shrank a bit. I was holding the windows fairly close to a hot soldering iron which I admit is not a very controllable method, and obviously resulted in too much heat being applied. If I were to try it again I would try something like hot water or warm sand where the possibility of applying too much heat is reduced and the temperature can be kept more or less constant.
Dave
I wonder how well the plastic casting would hold up in boiling water? This would allow control of the heat by the amount of time immersed, then when softened form over a solid curved surface. Not tried this for such a fragile piece but may work.
I want to thank every one for the ideas. I am not sure which way I will go. I want this building to be kind of a center piece. So I was hoping to find windows that were already curved, I will see what I can do. I am thinking of going with the heat method over a steel pipe with a vacuum bag to hold it in place. I just need to come up with a section of 6 inch pipe. I will try to post pictures on how they turn out if anyone is interested.
Thanks Mac
Mac, you don’t have to hunt down a steel 6" piece of pipe for your mold. Grab an old Athearn steel weight or other similar heavy stock and “roll” the curvature needed over wood dowel or other (basement lally etc).
LION SAYS…
Get a plastic jar or bottle of the right size and diameter, cut off the top, maybe the bottom as well, you can paint or paste on materials that you may need.
LION wants to build a model of the Coney Island Subway Station, Him plans to use a florescent light diffuser (Lowes, $5.00 – will select a broken one and ask for $$$ off.) and use that for the roof of the terminal.
ROAR