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John cilia Samba Member

Joined: May 03, 2016 Posts: 140 Location: Toronto, Canada
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:32 am Post subject: Window channels and felt |
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Can anyone supply pics of what they are supposed to look like when installed. Why won't DOOR glass go all the way up ??
I am out of ideas and swear words ! _________________ Currently restoring a 1953 11g in metallic blue.
The most important thing on a Tombstone is the Dash between the 2 dates. |
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sled Samba Member

Joined: February 16, 2005 Posts: 6209
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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John which car are you working on, your 52? if so, then the door glass has the cut out for creating a draft, and requires the appropriate felt channel that has a slot in it allowing the glass to slide all the way up.
here is the style of channel you need
but maybe you have this style for early '50 and older?
_________________ drive your split. |
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John cilia Samba Member

Joined: May 03, 2016 Posts: 140 Location: Toronto, Canada
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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My July 52 11g uses the slotted version.
Am I right in understanding that once rubber channel gets put into the slotted metal frame you then glue rubber to it only where slotted top section is. Then once it sets up you remove the rubber middle which is covering slots. This will allow glass too pass thus allowing window to fully shut.
My metal channel is all f@@ked up and going to order new ones from Mika .
I really hate having to do any DOOR work.
I've done several total body off on different makes restos over the years and the DOOR part is always the biggest pain in the ass . _________________ Currently restoring a 1953 11g in metallic blue.
The most important thing on a Tombstone is the Dash between the 2 dates. |
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sled Samba Member

Joined: February 16, 2005 Posts: 6209
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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John cilia wrote: |
Am I right in understanding that once rubber channel gets put into the slotted metal frame you then glue rubber to it only where slotted top section is. Then once it sets up you remove the rubber middle which is covering slots. This will allow glass too pass thus allowing window to fully shut.
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yes this is correct.
I used a set from Mika on a 52 sunroof project and they were awesome!! _________________ drive your split. |
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Solan Samba Member

Joined: March 26, 2009 Posts: 41 Location: Bergen, Norway
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 5:34 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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Hello guys
I am sorry to answer to this old thread, but I have a 1952 bug, and I do not have the metal felt channels that you mention, sled.
First I ordered felt channels for so-called one-piece windows, but there is nowhere in my doors to attach these properly. So I realised these were wrong for my 1952.
Then I ordered felt channels from kaefer-nostagie, but I was surprised to see that I only got wobbly rubber ones. But if I need metal frames for these, it all makes more sense.
Btw: Is there a video available somewhere that shows mounting these in the door?
Thanks in advance
Cheers  _________________ '65 11W Microbus
'52 Beetle ragtop |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:34 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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there are two styles of the metal channels , early n late . you need the later ones .....im currently working on the same and ordered the rubber n felts today .....look over these adds to see the two styles ..... these are in the samba classifieds . there are several repo manufacturers now days . there is another thread showing the felt installs by John Henry .
early
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2653500
later style for notched windows . this is what mine has .
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2653502
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 10:53 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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i got all the old rubber out of my window channels , stripped the paint n re painted em ......ordered the rubber kit from kafer nostagia as splitpartsunlimeted didnt have the complete kit for a 51 , he wanted me to cut the center out of the U channel rubber for the upper pieces ..........the KN rubber is pretty nice , the rubber U channel just pushes into place like the original rubber n fits good ....... the two upper pieces when in place just fall out and need to be glued ....my old damaged original upper pieces have a bit different profile and almost lock into place without any glue .....i went n got some 3M weather stripping glue n glued those upper rubbers in place NOT EASY .......the glue is like contact cement , coat both pieces till tacky n put em together , well getting em in the channel with contact cement on em is a tricky situation ......had to use a little gasoline to remove the excess glue ......after about an hour i have all the rubber installed in both channels .......it came with some stretchy fabric for covering the whole works now . i have not gotten stated on that .....i did see some pics John Henry showed how he installs the fabric cover ........it looks to be a chore !!! the KN rubber is pretty nice but they used maybe 20 rubber bands to hold everything coiled up , well these rubber bands left a lot of dents in the rubbers , some of em would massage out but not all .........luckily they were long enough i could cut off most of the damaged parts .............its coming along ok so far ...
on the plus side the KIT came with 4 rubber U channels , so it has enough to replace the rubber in the straight channells as well cuz mine is a 51 and doesnt have U channel all the way around ....
Last edited by my3bugs on Sun Apr 07, 2024 2:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 11:22 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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this is what i mean about the straight window channel piece . the door glass rides up n down in these channels . one on each door .......i have 5 of these straight channels sold to me as NOS ages ago .......they look nos to me but maybe didnt have the best storage as the felt/whisker fabric covers are a bit worn n dirty ......i may re do one pair to match the other channels and sell the rest in the classifieds here ........anyway the KN U channel rubber fits these as well as the upper channels .....
not sure why they all have this square hole in the back side of the metal , must be for mounting to something ?
Last edited by my3bugs on Sun Apr 07, 2024 2:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 11:32 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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any glue recomendations on how to glue the fabric cover on ???? im a retired wall paper hanger so im sure i can do it , im just not sure what kind of glue to use ......spray contact cement ? |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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ok i thought id go trial fit one of the straight channels WAPITA i was not sucsesful - all i manages to do was scrape off some of the old fragile fabric cover trying . im sure there is a little trick to this i need to learn ....... the door is curved so it only fits in the one area , not much wiggle room there ...... the fabric cover is so old n fragile ill prolly remove it as im learning how to fit it ..... some trial and error is happening here
still struggling LOL |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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OK piece a cake this time , the trick is to pull open the door shell just a tad , pull the inner shell from the outer shell just a bit and it just dropped right in the other door will be a lot easier now . the doors are not painted yet so im just trial fitting things .... you dont want any troubles after paint .
i ended up using a wooden wedge to hold the shell open a bit to work on , a rubber door stop wedge would be best after paint . |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2024 2:21 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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so i peeled the cloth off a pair of the straight channels . that leaves it rather bumpy with bits of cloth stuck to the remaining sprayed on glue . it was kind of a mess . checking the rubber it looked ok but it was hard n cracked when i messed with it so i took it all out as i have new already ...... got the channels all stripped down with Jasco paint remover .....then i gave em a shot of rattle can rustoleum gloss black ...... there is a lot of work to a pair of these early doors .... i have trial fit most everything now but the big window channel , it looks intimidating LOL |
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Solan Samba Member

Joined: March 26, 2009 Posts: 41 Location: Bergen, Norway
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 4:35 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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Thank you for posting your tips, my3bugs
I just ordered metal felt channels from our friend in Finland. They cost an arm and a leg, but I trust these will be almost identical to the original ones, and I will be able to have functioning felt channesl when installed. _________________ '65 11W Microbus
'52 Beetle ragtop |
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Martin Southwell Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010 Posts: 1067 Location: Bath, England
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Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2024 9:11 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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Mika must be turning out a few of these items of late, as I received a set from him yesterday for the 47, and have trial fitted the rubber U sections from Argentina into them, and all looks very good indeed. Mika informs me that they are one of the most difficult items for him to make, and I can believe it. I'm always impressed with his packaging. He's a one man, human dynamo of activity, tucked away in those Finnish forests!
I'm leaving the rubbers in the frames for a while, as they have been stored tightly wrapped, and need to assume the shape they need to be before gluing. I'm half considering having the frames thinly galvanised 1st if possible, without reducing dimensions, and making the rubbers difficult to fit. It's been suggested that I'm being over the top, as I'll be dead and gone before they start to rot again with present usage rates, but somebody wil benefit in the future!
As to what glue to use for the fabric, the jury is out, but a friend fitting the same rubbers (ours came at the same batch from Argentina) for another friend, is experimenting. So far he says bicycle inner tube glue has worked well, but still experimenting. |
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johnshenry Samba Member

Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9403 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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I used 3M Super 90 spray adhesive. I just spray some in a Ketchup cup and brush it on.
Haven done those in a while, and the pics of how I did it ARE probably here on thesamba forums somewhere, but I do remember that it was real important to press something into the felts while the glue sets. Especially in the vertical parts, else the window will be VERY hard to roll up and down. I cut several pieces of 1/4 masonite (that set side by side slotted into every section of the channel, there is a pic of that here somewhere) that mimiced the top and side edges of the glass. After gluing the felt, I pressed these pieces hard in the new channels, and used spring clamps to hold them in place.
I think std VW glass is 5mm thick, and the 1/4" masonite 6.35mm thick. So this trick really insures that the glass will slide nicely in the channel. _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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my3bugs Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003 Posts: 594 Location: Moreno Valley
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johnshenry Samba Member

Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9403 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2024 10:10 am Post subject: Re: Window channels and felt |
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_________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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