Restoring Wooden Windows

Don’t take this as sarcastic but, I think I saw Norm do a restoration of a window with a sash and I can certainly see how doing 45, 35, or even just the 10 remaining could be a daunting task.

Since you’re in the teaching business, perhaps a class on how to do old window restoration with 10 students whom you furnish with the authentic windows could be arranged. Since you know there is a shortage of tallent in this field, and there’s a lot of older buildings in Scotland with old windows, maybe you could sell it to the tradesmen that are reluctant to take the work. Thus solving your future need for workmen too! Wow, I’m a genious! Or, you’ve got a simple reason this won’t work.

Anyway,
Good luck,

-- Jim

Haven’t done this myself, but have heard that bondo from the auto repair business has been used successfully to repair rotted wood. Might be quicker and easier than replacement of wood members.

-- Lee

Sheer genious outputter!
That’s very similar to how Huck Finn got his fence painted

-- Fred, Springfield, Ma

You are right Jim – there are many reasons why I can’t get the evening class people involved ! The main one is the scaffolding, and I don’t have enough green hard hats – maybe I’ll get round to putting up a pic when I’ve worked out how to post pictures on here, but most of the remaining ones are at 3rd floor level and one at 4th. I’ve tried all sorts of ideas to get this lot done but hadn’t thought of that (another problem is the rain which is not incessant, but never far away when you’ve got all the tools out on the scaffolding)

If Bondo is what I think it is I do use it but only for small repairs. We use stuff that is 2 pack and when I run out of the hardener (white stuff – golf ball to a football – proportionally) I can go next door to the auto repair shop and borrow some from them. Sounds like its the same stuff ?

Allan

-- Allan Fyfe, Lethenty Mill Furniture, http://www.lethenty-mill.com

Yeah I think it probably is. Only negative I have heard about it is if you live where it can get extremely cold, bondo has the propensity to fall out of the dents in the auto when bondo has been used to fill them instead of the “panel pounder” using hammer & anvil to fix them.

-- Lee

Maybe I don’t understand, but are you doing a historical preservation/repair? Because today’s windows are so much more rot resistant and energy efficient, we just cut the old ones out and replace them with the new.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

You are right it is a historical preservation I just didn’t see it like that ! The newest part of this building is 180years old and to get or make new windows would need the bank balance of Bill Gates, so I do it myself.
The original (top part of the windows) is probably 100 years old so they have been reasonably efficient.
Is it not wasteful to replace a whole window if only a small part of a sill or sash is rotten and the rest is OK ?

-- Allan Fyfe, Lethenty Mill Furniture, http://www.lethenty-mill.com

Is it not wasteful to replace a whole window if only a small part of a sill or sash is rotten and the rest is OK ?

Depends on whether you’re wasting the old window, or wasting the energy that the old windows allow to escape. But like you said, you would need the bank balance of Bill Gates, so I do it myself.

Would be very interesting to see your project here Allan. Any chance for some photos?

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Here we are – don’t look at the gutters! Rome wasn’t built in a day…..

View from scaffolding while patching windows

A view of the windows at Lethenty Mill

A dentist's eye view of the damage

PS. Who is Bob Vila?

-- Allan Fyfe, Lethenty Mill Furniture, http://www.lethenty-mill.com

You know, I had pictured in my mind a three to four story building that was loaded with windows! Thanks for the pictures Allan, you definitely have your work cut out for you. What though are the owners intending to do with the building after you are done? Will it be a historical mill or residence?

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

It’s mine ! I bought it about 23 years ago – heaven knows what will happen to it when I go. It’s part residential and part Craft businesses at the moment, I rent to Lethenty Cabinetmakers who design,make and install kitchens; my son Matthew who makes furniture, my oldest son Alexander who buys and sells machines and Grampian Saddlery. So it’s almost as busy as it was in the old days – actually it’s maybe busier, as a lot of it was used for grain storage (most of what is now my house was used as grain lofts)
Although it has a distinguished history as a “meal mill” – probably the biggest in the North East of Scotland at one time, it is not a “Listed” Building, i.e. not regarded as an important historical building – probably a good thing as that would carry all sorts of restrictions on its use.
Sorry must go – the repair work must go on !

-- Allan Fyfe, Lethenty Mill Furniture, http://www.lethenty-mill.com