Windows, windows, windows

This weekend has been all about windows.  I realized that all the nice little frames I'd made by cutting down the kit windows would work for the inside of the cottage but that Tudor styles don't have 'trim' as such on the outside.

So I had a bit more work in store for me.  But before I got started with that I did a test of my aluminum mesh.  I bought some Aluminum black from Amazon and tried it out.

That's just one coat.  It works pretty well I think.  I cut out the shapes I'd need for all my planned windows and blackened them.  Woo... windows had to be opened because that puts off fumes when you do it in quantity. 

There are still a few bits that gleam silver but I honestly like how everything looks so far.

That problem off my mind I started to make the frames for the casement windows.

They're basically little boxes to hold the mesh and 'glass'.

I stained them with a Dark Walnut before I added the mesh and glass and put another strip of wood around the back edges to hold everything in place.  Then I coated the mesh and glass with Americana Triple Thick Gloss Glaze.  It takes a day to dry completely so we'll see how it looks afterwards.

The windows here will go into the bay window at the front of the house.  I got it all glued together and stained.  Once the glaze dries I'll put the pins in for the casement windows and add the interior trim and 'floor' of the window.  I think what I'll end up doing is a small band of wood above and below the windows to add some interest and make it look like an addition to the cottage rather than something that is original.

Here's my bay window so far.

I also made up the windows for the tower stairs.  I had the shape I wanted already, but I knew if I used wood cutting it would be tricky.  So I traced it onto cardboard and made window sandwiches.  I'll layer more cardboard on top to add some thickness to the frames and when I add brick to the tower I'll surround the windows with stone which will give them more depth.

My last step was making frames for the casement windows to sit in.  I tried to make them look less like machined lumber and more like axe cut wood.

Hard to see here but I used my dremel to roughen up the edges and round them a bit.  I got that done for all of the side windows and that was it for my weekend.  It doesn't feel like a lot of progress but it was a ton of work.

I have the mesh cut for the Houseworks Casement windows which I'm planning to use for the second floor windows and the tower.

I haven't figured out what sort of windows I'm going to have for the dormer yet.  I might end up making more casement windows.  At least I have a process now.

We're chilly down here, seesaw temperatures, up to seventy one day down to low thirties the next.  So we're on the lookout for tornados.  We don't have snow, though we've gotten some lovely thunderstorms.

I hope everyone else is having a good weekend and making progress on your various projects.