The best part of what happened on Sunday is that Tom and I got together for the day in my shop for a mini Maine Truckfest! We had communicated some but had never met. We live about 45 minutes from each other. It was great to meet another FTE'r face to face and spend a day together.
Tom brought his stainless and I had mine with a new windshield and new DC rubber. Tom needed to polish his which he did. It turned out well and at least Tom had an accomplishment for his day.
I made no progress installing the stainless. Tom and I worked together starting initially to install the stainless in the rubber with the rubber on the windshield and the windshield on a work bench (plan A). After fighting that for a while without success, we removed the rubber and tried installing the stainless in just the rubber, again no success. We went back to plan A. Since 4 hands did not seem like nearly enough (ss kept popping out particularly in the corners), I cut a strongback out of plywood 1" larger all the way around the glass to allow the use of spring clamps to have more "hands". No matter what I did the corners did not want to stay in place. That did not really surprise me since the shape of the corners in the rubber was significantly different than the shape of the groove in the rubber as installed on the glass.
At this point, you start to question everything. Toms stainless laid front to front wirh mine was identical. The new glass that I had cut used the windshield that came out of my truck as a pattern (the cut is accurate when laid against the old windshield). The old windshield had been installed in my truck with the ss installed before I took it out. My truck is a 49 that came to me in 1977 with the stainless. I suspect that sometime in it's life the complete windshield with ss and rubber came from a later truck with the ss.
Tom had to leave and we had the ss in the groove clamped around the top and sides. At the end of the day I had all of the ss in the groove held in place with about 15 clamps holding the ss in the groove clamped to the plywood strong back not believing for a minute that it was going to stay in the groove when I removed the clamps. I had tested this by removing some clamps and it would pop back out of the groove. I left the windshield overnight all clamped.

The saga continued the next morning. I decided to work on something else and went to move the whole clamped setup on on the folding stand. After relocating it, I observed a crack in the new (now old) windshield that goes from the top to bottom of the glass near the middle.

Needless to say, there will be no video and this exercise was a total failure. I will have another windshield made ($95) and try one more time. SO given my recount of the failure, I ask again for suggestions on doing this installation. The local glass shops will not do it. I would pay in a heartbeat. I do not get beat back very often but have at least so far on this job.
As a check I will "dry fit" the new windshield in the truck with the rubber sans ss next.

 

Bill, I'm sorry to hear about this frustration, and broken windshield. I haven't installed my ss trim yet but as soon as I get the final polishing done I will start the process.
(btw I've got a couple old windshields i will be using on the F-6, I ordered new glass for the doors but will be reusing old glass in front and back)

My only thought is that maybe the rubber is somehow the wrong one or maybe defective,? or maybe the glass you took out originally was slightly larger than stock original glass? instead of having someone local cut the glass maybe one of the many venders glass is smaller??

I can measure some original glass sitting here if it helps to determine that as a possible factor?

Josh

 

Buy me a two way ticket to Maine and I'll help install it. I've done it twice in my F-2.

I wish there was a way to show you how I did it. The trim is installed in my truck but the bottom corners don't fit perfectly, I think there is a slight gap. I'm not near my truck right now but when I am I'll post a couple of pictures. It's been this way for almost 20 years without a problem.

 

I have a few pieces of trim and I can relate to what Bob is saying about the corners. On some of them the trim piece seemed to be not seated all the way in the corners. I think maybe if i compare a few different ss trim pieces i might see slight differences from one to the next.
Ill take a look at them tonight.

 

Josh and Bob,
Thanks for your responses. This morning I dry fit the windshield that I used as a pattern to make the new (now cracked) windshield with the rubber installed but not the ss. I think that the windshield is too small and not shaped right. I thought that this was the one that I had taken out of Willard years ago. With the old windshield and rubber sitting in the opening, I have a 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap or more at the top between the rubber and the steel of the opening. I can't believe that that is right and could be the cause of my problems.
All that said, Josh is it possible that you have an original windshield without the rubber not installed in a truck that you could trace and send me the tracing to compare to what I have and most likely to use as a pattern to make a new windshield?
Bob, Do you like lobster?

 

Why, yes I do!

 

I have a windshield pattern as well I can trace and send to you. PM me with your address and I'll send it next week.

 

How about a one-way ticket and you can stay at Bill's house for awhile sharing all your tips and experience. Then we'll move you to my house and you can download more tips and experience to help me finish assembly of my truck.
By then you will have grown claws and antenna from eating all the lobster we will feed you.
It will be spring by then and you would have missed the misery of an upper-midwest winter.
Bill and I will have finished trucks by then and we will flip a coin to see who gets to drive you back home. The airlines won't sell you a return ticket cause your appearance won't match your driver's license.

Sound like a plan?

Tom

p.s. - I passed about five lobster shacks on the way to Bill's house. Supply won't be a problem.

 

Damn!! Sounds very tempting I'd bet my family wouldn't even notice I was gone unless something breaks and they need it fixed or there's something that has to be paid for.

 

We vacationed in Maine once about 10 years ago. Beautiful State.
Was the only time we had two different hotel rooms for the same night in two different countries, lol.

Also all the while our last nights stay reservations before flying home was in Portland ---Oregon. yep never a dull moment when with the Madsen's

 

Tom,
Good thinking on your part, it sounds like a plan, trucks and lobster!

Bob,
It is just a different road trip for an experienced guy like yourself.

 

[quote=49willard;13781672]Josh and Bob,
This morning I dry fit the windshield that I used as a pattern to make the new (now cracked) windshield with the rubber installed but not the ss. I think that the windshield is too small and not shaped right. I thought that this was the one that I had taken out of Willard years ago. With the old windshield and rubber sitting in the opening, I have a 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap or more at the top between the rubber and the steel of the opening. I can't believe that that is right and could be the cause of my problems.

I was hoping that someone could provide input on the kind of spacing that existed when they fitted up their windshield/rubber gasket into the opening in the truck as I described in my earlier post. Mine just seems way too loose. Anyone?

 

Iyla,
I sent you a PM.

 

First, thanks to Josh for sending me a pattern that he traced from an original Ford script windshield. It revealed as I thought that my old windshield and the windshield that I used to make the now broken new/old windshield was too small by about 1/4 inch in both height and width. The corner shape was also a bit off. I have had a second windshield made using the pattern from Josh. I had originally bought the rubber that I have been using from Drake (back in 2005!). I called Drake today to see if they originally would have molded that rubber inhouse. The answer was maybe and maybe not. If they had run out of their own at the time, it could have been made by DC. They indicated that they have changed at least the rubber composition and with that the part number has changed. I decided to buy another one in the interest of maximizing my probability of success.
More to follow!

 

I had two original Ford windshields and two old aftermarket? windshields and I looked at them all together. the two aftermarket ones did vary considerably from the original (especially in the corners) however they came out of donor trucks so who knows how much slop would allow it to still fit and seal right. I don't recall if any of those had SS trim on them though??

Here are a few pictures of the original glass just sitting in the frame without the seal just as reference . the top edge of the glass is just barely past the bottom edge of the metal opening at the top of cab window opening.

Still need to install my glass and trim, wish one you guys was in Salt lake to give me a hand. Yes, I'm going to re-use the old glass, if I break it I've got a couple others on hand!