Trend Modular Window System

[Tom Rossman]

Has anyone used this system for making windows?

If so I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPj0roetO4A

[Peter Quinn]

I have not used it, but it looks great. Thanks for posting that link. Garniga has a very similar setup in their catalogue, and I have not used that either. You might get more hits for that sort of product over at woodweb,, because frankly one has to be making a heck of a lot of windows for that level of tooling to make sense financially, and I don't know of any fenestration production guys here at the creek.

At work we use a more traditional set that I think is from Schmidt? Not as versatile as that Trend setup at all, but it does make a decent window. Deep mortised lock boxes go in with a PC jig, and the espanolet bolts fit in a groove made with a special router bit from the hardware manufacturer. The gaskets are from Conservation Technologies, and the slots they require can be put in with a variety of router bits from the manufacturer or a thin kerf TS blade on a slight bevel.

[Neal Clayton]

well, for what it's worth from someone who builds windows on the side, admittedly not for a living...

that was all real slick up to the point that they turned it into something i can get cheaper at home depot with the plastic glazing sticks set on pre-fab glued up glass panels, and screwed in muntins.

you can churn out parts all day long with two table saws and two shapers, whether you have fancier machines like the one you linked or not. what takes time, and what makes anything a small shop can build better than than what you can order from home depot, is paint and glazing.

the real question is, are you gonna compete successfully with the pella proline disposable windows? i don't see that being very likely.

[Tom Rossman]

Good points from both of you. Thanks!