Adding Glazing (Windows) to Models

Hi Folks,

Well you know in the past I've talked about adding glazing (glass) to windows on models where there is just a molded window frame? On those attempts I've tried to glue in pieces of clear plastic to the inside of the model, which is messy and haphazard at best as some types of plastic are not so keen to be glued to others etc...

Anyway in my search for something better I think I may have found it, a product called 'Glue N Glaze' made by a company called 'Deluxe Materials'. This comes in a small plastic bottle with a very narrow spout as well as the basic one. Basically you can use this to either glue pieces of clear plastic together, or alternatively if the window isn't too large you can use it to make a window out of the material itself.

The pictures below show the process and the results which I tested on my Class 06 Hornby Diesel that I picked up recently with the intention of detailing/customising.

The first picture shows you that the cab has several windows, but none of them are glazed as this is a relatively low detail model;



Using the narrow tip you first draw a layer of the material around the outside of the frame, them moving in slowly you slowly fill in the window ending up with the following (the material is white when fluid)



For larger windows you can add some of the material first and then go back when dry to add more until the whole window is filled, alternatively you could get some clear plastic and use this material to glue it to the inside as it is more compatible than normal polystyrene cement.



After curing (I left it overnight), the material goes clear and provides quite a good impression of glass in the previously empty window frame the followind doesn't show it quite as well as it looks in reality, but it gives you an idea (the white is a reflection of outdoor light);

[ripley802]

Very cool Nigels.. can’t wait to start seeing some customs..

Hey, Ripley, is this something you'd consider for Trackmaster Annie and Clarabel?

[ripley802]

Yeah, I think it looks great. I had tried a matte finish scotch tape which worked to diffused some led lights inside, but it was tough to get the bubbles out.

[Super]

Nice work Nigels, interesting stuff.

For just gluing clear glazing on windows I had bought this stuff quite a while ago because I wanted to try something better than just Super glue which is unforgiving and a bit problematic. I haven't tried it yet but hope it works for all plastics. I had seen the type you have in my search for a better glue so I am curious to hear how ir works for just gluing clear plastic too.

Very cool Nigels.. can’t wait to start seeing some customs..

This class 08 diesel will be the first custom, first step add the glazing, 2nd step add some brass handrails on the doors, 3rd repaint some parts of it and add some detailing

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Nice work Nigels, interesting stuff.

For just gluing clear glazing on windows I had bought this stuff quite a while ago because I wanted to try something better than just Super glue which is unforgiving and a bit problematic. I haven't tried it yet but hope it works for all plastics. I had seen the type you have in my search for a better glue so I am curious to hear how ir works for just gluing clear plastic too.

I'll let you know when I try that, maybe for bigger windows where I want to add glazing, but I think it will be fine. It appears to be some sort of PVA glue, but dries crystal clear where most don't. Although having said that the other day I saw a bottle of clear coloured PVA I may have to get one of those and try that see if it dries clear as well because if it does it will be way cheaper

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Also forgot to say Mr Ripley, I will also be adding internal cab lighting and maybe drill a hole in the front for a headlamp as well

Ok guys, update time, here's some results using the glue n' glaze product;

Ok, first up is the Class 08 'large windows' I said would need several applications as building the 'skin' across too large a window is just not viable, so the idea was to build a frame and then keep building it up until you can skin the whole window. Well it worked with 3 applications, however I'm not entirely happy, the initial 'frame' I created was a bit too thick and therefore did not dry totally clear. However all is not lost I intend to maybe cut it out and try again trying to keep the skin as thin as possible. If that does not work well maybe the solution will be a small clear cross member to effectively make the window into two smaller ones if that makes sense?



Despite my concerns about clarity, shining a torch into the cab (to simulate an LED being fitted inside which I intend to do also, albeit a warmer white than the torch, the windows actually look ok despite my concerns - but there again I am a stickler for detail



Next up is the Class E2 loco I snagged at a cheap price with the intention of creating a custom, well as you know after a chat on here I decided instead to renovate. First step was to glaze this loco's cab and it worked very well. The first image shows you the front windows glazed, as you can see they look just like perfect glass lenses, the second picture I lit the cab with a torch (I will be adding a flickering LED to the firebox on this one). The third picture is of the rear windows which have 'bars', again the glazing looks great, although to be fair it looks better in the flesh than it does in this picture.









One last piece of info, the Glue N' Glaze product does look very much like PVA glue, except of course it dries clear so long as you only use a thin layer. Well while in a local hobby store I managed to find a bottle of 'clear PVA glue' so I will be carrying out some experiments to see how that dries as it will be way cheaper if it does end up clear and may be more forgiving with thicker layers

[Super]

Do you think that stuff would stick to glass? The reason I ask is it you could take a small piece of glass behind the window opening then applied the liquid glazing would that flow and level out? The remove the glass once it dries.

I think there's a big chance it would stick to the glass and come away when you peel it of, also it's such small dimensions that getting in there to place and remove the glass could be problematic, but I may try it at some point.

Maybe a better solution would be a + of very fine wire as that would narrow the aperture, but still look like a windows frame.