What's so hard about window shades?

[WobblyHand]

This isn't a rant, since all is sort of well, with the exception of a second round trip, but why is getting a window shade cut to size difficult to get the first time? Sure, peoples measurements are often wrong, I get that, but I brought in the old window shade, and they got it wrong. It was roughly 5/16" too long. It's surely better than being too short, but it was a bit of a waste of time to go a second time. And I have, oh, maybe six more to replace.

These new window shades have a spring loaded section, which should help make this a little easier, not harder. Here's how the window shade fit the first time.

Spring section is fully compressed. The spring force is sufficient to hold up the window shade.

This is the fit I got with the other end fully compressed. The window shade was jammed in there. It barely fit. As you can see, it's a little long, oh about 5/16" long.

The fellow was good about cutting it down again, (and it fit when I got home the second time) but I'd hate to do this routine a half a dozen more times.

Would be nice if one could make a tool that was better than eyeballing window shade lengths. Sure, all I need is a 36 inch caliper! Would be nice not to have to go to that far. Any suggestions?

 

[gray]

While a 36" caliper sounds like it would solve the problem, I can assure you that most who work at hardware stores and home centers cannot read, much less identify what a caliper is.

The major issue is the lack of training. When I retired, I went to work at the neighborhood hardware store. I was never trained on the shade cutting machine. Heck, they never even showed me where is was!

My first shade was not on size. I did however, check it against the original and simply cut another one. Yeah, I cut it too short.
The scales on the shade cutters, at least the 40+ year old ones are very confusing.

You would think that the store would take the time to train the new guys, but the profit on the shades is low, the parent company eats the cost of the messed up shades, so the store doesn't care.

Good thing machine shops don't work this way, at least not for long.

 

[WobblyHand]

While a 36" caliper sounds like it would solve the problem, I can assure you that most who work at hardware stores and home centers cannot read, much less identify what a caliper is.

The major issue is the lack of training. When I retired, I went to work at the neighborhood hardware store. I was never trained on the shade cutting machine. Heck, they never even showed me where is was!

My first shade was not on size. I did however, check it against the original and simply cut another one. Yeah, I cut it too short.
The scales on the shade cutters, at least the 40+ year old ones are very confusing.

You would think that the store would take the time to train the new guys, but the profit on the shades is low, the parent company eats the cost of the messed up shades, so the store doesn't care.

Good thing machine shops don't work this way, at least not for long.

A 36" caliper would be awkward at best. And it wouldn't help the guy cutting...

I'm not surprised that shades come out wrong, at least based on the cutter that I saw. Not sure how any come out right, except by accident. The profit on these shades must be really low. And maybe even lower when the same guy has to do it over again.

I just don't want to have to repeat the experience of doing things twice (for the other shades). So I was wondering if there was anything that would make it easier to get it right (more often).

 

[mac1911]

Eh , at least there was an employee willing to help.
Welcome to post covid world.
Oh and in the event you replace your windows many replacements do not have a deep enough casement recess to fit the old tug style shades.

 

[WobblyHand]

Eh , at least there was an employee willing to help.
Welcome to post covid world.
Oh and in the event you replace your windows many replacements do not have a deep enough casement recess to fit the old tug style shades.

Yes, actually had to go search for that person, but they did help me out. I didn't want to cut the shades, figured I'd get it wrong!

Have a 172 YRO house, so replacing windows would be a major issue, since there's 23 double hung windows with 1/2" muntins. These windows and muntins were hand made (in 1851 and in 1876). And yes, I'm in a historic district so I need to deal with that.

No one sells windows with muntins this thin. The thinnest window muntins I could have custom made were 0.560" wide which had to be close enough. I worked with a mill works to get them done. None of the major window manufacturers made anything close to that, they were all 3/4 to 1" wide. We replaced 6 of the windows. Was rather expensive 20 odd years ago. Hate to think what it would cost now.

But that's far afield from getting window shades cut to the right length. You'd think there would be a better less error prone way... In the old days (I seem to remember them) you'd hire someone, they'd come to your house, measure them, go make or cut them, and come back and install them. If it didn't fit, you never knew about it, because they'd take care of it. Haven't found someone in this century to do something similar.

 

[mac1911]

Yes, actually had to go search for that person, but they did help me out. I didn't want to cut the shades, figured I'd get it wrong!

Have a 172 YRO house, so replacing windows would be a major issue, since there's 23 double hung windows with 1/2" muntins. These windows and muntins were hand made (in 1851 and in 1876). And yes, I'm in a historic district so I need to deal with that.

No one sells windows with muntins this thin. The thinnest window muntins I could have custom made were 0.560" wide which had to be close enough. I worked with a mill works to get them done. None of the major window manufacturers made anything close to that, they were all 3/4 to 1" wide. We replaced 6 of the windows. Was rather expensive 20 odd years ago. Hate to think what it would cost now.

But that's far afield from getting window shades cut to the right length. You'd think there would be a better less error prone way... In the old days (I seem to remember them) you'd hire someone, they'd come to your house, measure them, go make or cut them, and come back and install them. If it didn't fit, you never knew about it, because they'd take care of it. Haven't found someone in this century to do something similar.

oh the joy

 

[markba633csi]

Make titanium muntins

 

[WobblyHand]

Those muntin profiles must have been done with planes. How else could a carpenter in 1851 (in a small city) make them? Somehow they made them strong enough out of clear wood, glue, and fasteners to withstand the ages. Mine are all in good shape, even 172 years later.

Which makes it surprising to me that a modern factory with modern materials can't duplicate them. I suppose I should add "can't duplicate them and offer them for sale at a reasonable price". Maybe you can't get decent wood with the right properties at the right price any more.

 

[FOMOGO]

Had fold up insulated shades made for the bedroom double doors out to the deck. Guy came out and measured (there was existing shade). Came back to install and the color was red instead of the clearly marked on the order blue. Came back with the right color several weeks later, but 2" too short. Came back again, still an inch too short, and proceeded to hang them cockeyed and leave about 15 screw holes in the sheet-rock (I wasn't home at the time). Called to complain, and they told me they couldn't afford to come out again. Long story short, ended up doing it myself, and they went under soon after. Some folks make incompetence an art form. Mike

 

[WobblyHand]

Some folks make incompetence an art form.

True enough. Think many of us have experienced similar things, where the "professionals" weren't so competent after all.

But you have to draw the line somewhere, just can't do everything yourself, all the time. Sometimes it actually turns out ok. Other times, well, the above happens.