Replies

1. 
   kate | Mar 02, 2007 01:33am | #1

   Bump...

2. 
   Ragnar17 | Mar 02, 2007 02:19am | #2

   Can you manage to get any pictures of the mechanism posted?

1. 
   rjperry | Mar 02, 2007 03:39am | #4

   Thanks for the response. I can take a digital picture tomorrow in the daylight. Too dark now. By the way, I found out the mfg. name: Curtis Woodworking and the window unit is called "Curtis Silentite". Curtis Mfg. went out of business in 1966, after a flood, and never rebuilt. Apparently this co. was a big mfg. back in the 30's depression era. I'll get the pics up tomorrow, Again, thanks!

3. 
   YesMaam27577 | Mar 02, 2007 03:29am | #3

   Your description sounds a lot like some windows that I worked on a couple of years ago. They were a true pain in the pitoobies.

   As I recall, I wedged a glaziers scraper between the wood frame and the spring/tube/aluminum. I pried it loose from the wood, and removed the sash together with the mechanism.

   Once each was out of the frame, I could do whatever was needed on the sashes -- and of course the mechanisms fell to pieces. I remember working a long time one each of the first few. Gained some experience so the later ones were a bit less tedious.

    

    

   Support our Troops. Bring them home. Now.  And pray that at least some of the buildings in the green zone have flat roofs, with a stairway.

1. 
   rjperry | Mar 02, 2007 03:46am | #5

   Thanks for posting. You write that the balance mechanisim "fell to pieces". Were you able to use them or were they trash at that point, and if trash, what were you able to replace them with? Thanks!

1. 
   YesMaam27577 | Mar 03, 2007 11:06am | #8

    

   Thanks for posting. You write that the balance mechanisim "fell to pieces". Were you able to use them or were they trash at that point, and if trash, what were you able to replace them with? Thanks!

    

    I didn't have much choice but to put them back together. Even if my quote could cover the added cost of upgrades (it couldn't), the value of the house couldn't.  In a couple of the windows I probably spent the better part of an hour just straightening and re-forming the tube that the spring rides in.

   And once the thin aluminum pieces were re-formed, I sometimes had to make new holes for the ends of the springs - since the original holes were so badly deformed.

   Good luck.

    

    

    Support our Troops. Bring them home. Now.  And pray that at least some of the buildings in the green zone have flat roofs, with a stairway.

1. 
   rjperry | Mar 04, 2007 06:21am | #9

   Thanks for the reply and the sharing of your experience with that particular project. Ray.

4. 
   nikkiwood | Mar 02, 2007 05:20am | #6

   I think what you are looking for is called a "spring balance".

   It is available from these people:

   http://www.blainewindow.com/

   for some jerk reason, they require you to sign up for a customer number before you can gain access to their parts list. I would just call them.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

1. 
   rjperry | Mar 02, 2007 03:32pm | #7

   Thanks for the info. Blane Hdw certainly looks like one of those outfits that "If they don't have it, nobody does!"

5. 
   mkb54 | May 12, 2011 12:44am | #10

   Silentite windows

   A little late, but may help someone else with the same question.. These are "Silentite" windows, made by Curtis Millwork. They were state-of-the-art for their time, and well worth restoring. The quality and detailing of these windows is pretty impressive.

   I think some other posts on this thread have mis-identified them, confusing the metal key & channel you mention with a spring/tube mechanism found on other windows. These DO have a spring suspension system as you describe, but no "tube". The metal strips you speak of are draft stops (they were advertised as "insulated windows"- way ahead of their time!), and also provide a slight amount of friction and smooth the window movement. On my windows, I'm pretty sure they're made of stainless steel.. not a hint of rust, non-magnetic, and very stout for such thin metal. After removing the paint from them (where they say DO NOT PAINT METAL!), they are pristine.. and polish up nicely, if you're into that.

   The trick to removing the sashes is likely buried under your paint: there are two screws on the faces of each sash stile (the verticals at each side) that need to be removed. These capture the metal fins (the "key" you speak of) in slots in the sides of the sash. After removing the screws, wedge a punch or putty knife vertically between the sash and the sill so that when you push the sash down, the metal fin strips are pushed out of their slot from the TOP of the sash. Once they're partially exposed at the top, use a pair of needle-nose pliers or vise-grips to extract them completely. You can likely get away with extracting just one side, so the sash will pop out from that side. Before re-installing (pretty much the reverse order), make sure the fin strips slide easily into the wooden sash slots; I filed/flattened them where the screws deformed them slightly. 

1. 
   DanH | May 12, 2011 06:31am | #11

   Good info to file away, even if too late for the OP.

   And welcome to Breaktime!