Thread: window construction

If you want it to be "functional more than decorative" I would just use perspex or similar and do away with the timber frame, it will be heavy and animals do not like to use pet flaps that are heavy and I would swing it from the top it is a more natural action to animals. If you hang it on the side youn will also have to spring load it so it will close behind the animal, being spring loaded risks the animal being hit by the flap if this happens the animal will most likley never use it again.

I should explain that the door is for an outside cat house connected to a wire tunnel run etc and the window is to see into before the door is opened by us opposable thumbed humans- the cats won't be using it themselves. The wire tunnel just ends at the moment but I'm going to make a version of one of those upholstered cat climbing frame things you see on sale in pet shops, and mount it on the end of the tunnel and enclose it. It's essentially a carpeted box with a few levels inside. Hence I need a door to be able to get at the mongrels.

By the way I'm not one of those people who keeps their cats inside all the time and never lets them out, (I've been in those houses and they stink), its just that someone in my semi-rural area baits and traps animals, so we have to keep them in at night.

I have access to the glass and wood already but I don't think there is any perspex lying about and I want to avoid a trip to $$Bunnings$$. I've never mounted a glass pane before and just wondered the best way to go about it.

Originally Posted by megamoo

After searching online I found two basic methods. One method involved using a table saw or router to make a channel all around the inside of the frame and then assembling the glass and wood at the same time. It seems fairly straight forward.

The second method was to construct the wood frame with a suitable sized rebate and then use putty or pins or glaziers points (whatever the hell they are) to stick the glass in place. I'm sure I've heard or seen you can also nail a thin frame over the top to hold the glass there.

I would not use the first method as if you ever break the glass then it will be quite difficult to repair.

Your second is a pretty standard construction style. Well proven. Glaziers points are basically small nails without heads - I just use 10mm tacks.

If you intend painting it and aesthetics is not top priority then you could simply use a sheet of MDF or plywood. Cut a hole for the glass, route a decorative molding and rebate for the glass and putting in the glass.

Cheers

Graeme

I've never understood people "building glass in" as it means if the glass is broken the whole job needs to be disassembled for replacement.

Putty or pins work well as retainers, but my preference is to frame it out with lengths of quad or triangular beading (depending on the style) and either tacking or screwing them in place.