How To Make Window Glazing

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

Bob

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:

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

Sounds like a Darwin Diesel Award candidate.