Window curtain shades created for front windows

I wanted roll up curtain shades, but I wanted them to remain under tension when unrolled. I used standard paper tubes for vinyl blinds. I glued the centrifugal keepers down so they don't stop tube from rolling back up.

Used crazy glue. Then I oiled the bearing. The glue step is kind of a pain to get enough instant glue in there and also keep it out from the rotating bearing. Keep it moving-rolling if you get too much so i does not harden the bearing.

I put a ss screw #4-40 by 1/2" drilled , tapped, threaded into the steel end to lock to spring cam so I could wind it up with some tension and also when taking them down to lock to roll spring. The springs all wind up clockwise. You can even use a variable speed drill to load up the spring.

I used the heavy duty shade brackets from HDepot. For the far right starboard bracket, I had to rebend the angles to mirror the other way for it to properly mount the shade.

For the material I used polyester tablecloth from Walmart. It is lightweight and lets in light but blocks full sunlight. The goal was not to darken but to lessen the greenhouse effect from these windows. Cut and sewed in a hem all 4 sides. One on starboard side I made a wider 1.5 inch side hem. I was wondering if a wider hem would help it roll up straighter.
I drew a straight parallel line on the tube.
I used blue painters tape to secure the cloth to the roll.

I used 1/2 inch poplar dowels to pull them down and brass screw hooks into the dowel to hold down the shades. They hook into brass eyes screwed into the lower window frame.

All the wood and paper tubes I coated with minwax polyurethane.

These worked out really nicely for me.

All 3 wiper motors sit behind the curtains. The 2 motors on the outer windows, the roll up is stopped by the motor. The center window, the roll up is stopped by 2 mahogany 3/4 inch short dowels. I had to create 2 center mahogany brackets to hold the blind brackets.

The 2 outer shades are reversed roll, the center is standard roll. roll being the material position in or out on the tube as it rolls. Fit better to reverse roll to clear the window motors on the outer windows.

Link to lot more pics
https://1drv.ms/a/s!AqrOjz4_QIRDiFlFB_HlO2P_ZzQr

I had the old vinyl blinds. My cost was material about $12, and 3 sets of brackets about $4, so under $20 for these. The material at Walmart has a nice looking pattern. It is standard polyester tablecloth. I bought the 60 by 102" size.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Hyde-Tablecloth-with-Table-Protector/20469953

Nice job! Easy solution and pretty clean.

Greetings,
Mr. 717. That's pretty darn slick. Nice job!

Best thing is it it works better than I thought and looks good.
Took a few days to think it through.
The wood brackets, I patterned using paper and tape. Then ground to get a good tight fit at the boat, there are several angles I had to match to fit the window frames.

And also my copper 1/4 " windshield washer line runs thru a hole in that wood.

One long 3" SS square drive deck screw through the side of the wood ear to secure it. then a small glued on block to the eared block to properly space the outer shades.
Outer shades are standard length 36". Inner I cut down to 35.5"

I have a long 12 inch drill bit that can while drilling form an arc, otherwise It would have been very difficult to drive that screw sideways, the wood is too hard being African Mahogany, has to have a hole.
Only other idea was maybe 90* angled drill.

What a fantastic job!

Here's the curtains I sewed for our boat's salon

SEWING IS FUN!

I am planning on doing the side windows. A prior owner years ago had installed aluminum curtain track, looks like this here
Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969



And they have this glide tape for a good price. I need to measure my track to see if the same size. I think it is type C.

Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

sdowney717 said:

I am planning on doing the side windows. A prior owner years ago had installed aluminum curtain track, looks like this here
Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

And they have this glide tape for a good price. I need to measure my track to see if the same size. I think it is type C.

Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

Click to expand...

Thats what I used for my curtains. It's east to sew on, and the track is east to install.

I had a problem with one of the paper tubes, it sagged.
Thinking of a solution, came up with one that was easy for me.
a piece of 1/2" copper water pipe cut to 34 7/8 " long. It slides into the paper tube and goes past the internal winding spring which is good for full length support. The copper tube is a sliding fit into the paper tube. I have lots of copper pipe from an estate, still no cost to me.
I did the other 2 in case they also warped. I think that paper tube was damaged. OR over time the pressure of the spring pulling against the paper tube causes it to sag. As designed those blinds are not constantly pulling against spring pressure.

So now they feel very solid and strong.

I made sliding curtains to cover the side windows.
Ordered those plaster sliders, they worked well.

Curtains move smoothly.
The salon feels like a room, and that material lets in natural sunlight which I like.
At night, no one can look into the salon and see anything past these curtains. But they do see lots of light.


Camera makes this look too dark due to light intensity, it is much brighter to the eye in the salon.

sdowney717 said:

I made sliding curtains to cover the side windows.
Ordered those plaster sliders, they worked well.

Curtains move smoothly.
The salon feels like a room, and that material lets in natural sunlight which I like.
At night, no one can look into the salon and see anything past these curtains. But they do see lots of light.

Camera makes this look too dark due to light intensity, it is much brighter to the eye in the salon.

Click to expand...

Nice job!!!