How To Make Window Glazing

I purchased a used HO caboose and it had nice clear window glazing applied. I had to wash the car off and the window glazing immediately turned white and partially dissolved into an Elmer's glue type paste. I've been trying various water based glues but have been unsuccessful trying to duplicate the original clear glazing. Anyone know what is used to make the glazing? Thanks

Reply to
Byron Lane
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Not sure what it's called but I bought some from Micro-Mark a couple years back.

Bob

Reply to
Robert "rpon"

That sounds like the glazing was made using Microscale Krystal Klear, a similar competitor, or a home-made concoction using white glue.

You should be able to recreate it using Krystal Klear. This will take you to Microscale's web page on the product:

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Reply to
Mark Mathu

Any suggestions on how to make such a home-made concoction? Many thanks, Art

Reply to
Art Robb

Why not just use products mentioned in the thread? They aren't *THAT* expensive (couple of dollars). Plain Elmers white glue might work too.

Personally I don't like this type of glazing. It never looks like flat glass but more like a lens. That is due to the way it dries. It dries concave and thin in the middle and thick on the perimeter. IMO, that looks like crap. I much rather glue in some thin clear styrene, acetate or similar plastic sheet. Some people actually use micorscope slide glass covers for the ultimate "real glass" effect. That looks great especially in larger scales.

Peteski

Reply to
Peter W.

Sure, but when adding secondary details to models (such as cars) it is very simple. How do you glue styrene inside of auto models? I typically use Krystal Klear but welcome your suggestion.

Reply to
Mark Mathu

You are correct about drying concave and being rather thin in the middle. I did try Elmer's glue and it worked great from a cohesive point of view. It dried flat and filled the window nicely. However, it was translucent. Maybe a combination of Elmer's and Microscale Krystal Klear might work. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks

Reply to
Byron Lane

On Fri, 05 Jan 2007 11:17:01 -0500, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Byron Lane instead replied:

You could go to a rock shop and get some mica. Works great. Looks just like glass that's been out in the weather and gotten a tiny bit dirty, dusty and a greasy. Crumble a sheet of it from a large, flat piece, cut it to fit and glue it in place.

-- Ray

Reply to
Ray Haddad

ars)=A0it=A0is=A0very

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I remember an article (MR?) where the author used/cast auto models of c= lear plastic and then painted everything but the windows.

--=20 It's turtles, all the way down

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

I have used Micro Kristal Klear from Microscale to make thin film windows on a Campbell structure that I'm building.

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I have to wonder if it's really a special formula. It looks an awful lot like standard white glue when put on, but it dries clear very similar to white glue. Makes me wonder if you could do the same thing with white glue.

Reply to
Rick Jones

Go over to a craft store and ask for "Gallery Glass" Crystal Clear, part number 16001. It may be the same as what Micro Mark sells under their name?

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Reply to
Arizona Rock & Mineral Co.

Try using microscope slide cover glass. It can be brittle, though. Clover House sells it I think.

Reply to
Jack

Yep, it is, and it makes an excellent finger cutter too! It does work better than anything else I've seen though.

BDK

Reply to
BDK

You're correct. In certain applications (like model automobile windows), Krystal Klear works ok and is the easiest solution to use. In those applications the car bodies are usually molded with quite thin walls, so that helps in the Krystal Kleas to set up quite thin throughout the entire opening. Also. most automotive windows are curved so, Krystal Klear doesn't look too odd.

But in most rolling stock, windows are supposed to be flat and the wall thickness of those models caused Krystal Klear to harden up concave. So, plastic glazing looks more realistic.

Someone else mentioned Mica as a good material for dirty windows. That works, but I think Mica has too much of a metallic-like sheen. It looks more silver than transparent.

Peteski

Reply to
Peter W.

Well, they say that nothing looks more like wood than wood. Similarly, nothing looks more like glass than glass. I've used microscope cover glasses normally used to hold a specimin to a microscope slide. Cutting it is tricky but you can bet that it's optically flat and as clear as possible.

Norm

Reply to
Norm Dresner

Not entirely all that exciting, but in the current month's Model Railroader there is a review on the Walthers Flour Mill and Grain Elevator buildings - what's relevant (and I felt odd) was the reviewer recommended using Kyrstal Klear (or equivalent) to represent the glazing in the lower windows in the grain elevator, as it is otherwise 'too hard' to put the usual plastic glazing into the windows. Since Walthers invariably includes plenty of plastic glazing with their building kits (enough at least for all the windows in the kit, and often a number of spare pieces), I found this review 'hint' to reek a bit of laziness and poor construction methods...

Reply to
Sir Ray

I agree. Windows in the photographs of that model looked...well... like someone used Krystal Klear on them. They all looked like little lenses.

Reply to
Peter W.

What made it hard to put the usual plastic glazing into the windows in that kit?

Reply to
Mark Mathu

Apparently it is difficult to access the inside of the building to install window glazing after assembly (at least the way the building was assembled by the reviewer).

Feb. 2007 Model Railroader Mag, pg 97.

Peteski

Reply to
Peter W.

Sounds like a Darwin Diesel Award candidate.

Reply to
Steve Caple

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