How does the Retaining strap work?

navycop · Post by **navycop** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:25 pm

I noticed on Woodcraft website they had a retaining strap for glass. I am confused on how it works. The pictured showed it nailed in place. How can it be nailed through glass? I think I figured it while I was typing this. The glass is cut shy of the groove. Then the strip is applied to lock it in place. Is that right??

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:13 pm

The nails are driven down at an angle into the door frame just in front of the glass. More or less parallel to the glass. Trying to get the nail through a gap between the glass and door frame is risky as you could easily nick the glass causing a crack, or you could drive the nail through the front of the door as many doors have a very thin lip of wood over the edge of the glass. Hope this makes some sense.

Troy

navycop · Post by **navycop** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:53 am

horologist wrote:The nails are driven down at an angle into the door frame just in front of the glass. More or less parallel to the glass. Hope this makes some sense.Troy

That kind of does. Maybe I am having trouble visualizing it. The Woodcraft picture showed a piece of rubber running around the pane of glass.

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:49 am

Sorry, I knew a drawing would help but lacked sufficient energy last night. The cross section below should make things clearer. You tack the strip down in this fashion with nails or staples spaced along the length of the strip.
Troy

[ATTACH]5774[/ATTACH]

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:55 pm

navycop wrote:That kind of does. Maybe I am having trouble visualizing it. The Woodcraft picture showed a piece of rubber running around the pane of glass.

Sorry!, Would have answered sooner, but got completely lost by a retaining strap. Just a simple mis-spelling, but it threw me:o

Troy has now answered your question with his drawing.

Now about the rubber. Not seeing the reference you are talking about, I imagine the rubber is a floating spacer. Some catalogs carry little BB like rubber or soft plastic balls that are to be installed into window casings. They act as little floating cushions, and keep the glass from rattling.

navycop · Post by **navycop** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:30 pm

charlese wrote:Sorry!, Would have answered sooner, but got completely lost by a retaining strap. Just a simple mis-spelling, but it threw me:o

Troy has now answered your question with his drawing.

Now about the rubber. Not seeing the reference you are talking about, I imagine the rubber is a floating spacer. Some catalogs carry little BB like rubber or soft plastic balls that are to be installed into window casings. They act as little floating cushions, and keep the glass from rattling.

Here's the link: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200107 ... roove.aspx

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:27 pm

Now that I've seen the referenced site, I know even less than earlier. It looks like this retaining strip can be used in a couple of ways.

In the photo (of the part), it looks like the strip has been nailed into the frame prior to any glass. If this is the case, the strip would serve as a sealing strip between the glass and the wood, rather than a retaining strip. From here you would need to install wooden quarter round, putty or another one of these strips.

I don't know how firm or soft the strip is. In the catalog photo, it looks to be quarter round made from a soft material. I believe the intended purpose is to replace wooden quarter round. Honestly, I'd prefer quarter round or putty to these strips. (That is, until I learn more about this product.)

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:41 pm

My observations/understanding.

1) They are intended to be used on the INSIDE of the door(?) where the nails are not visible with the door closed. If NOT a door, substitute the words 'opening for glass'.

2) They are available in two versions. One version includes a retaining tab which fits tightly into a groove eliminating the nails.. The other version only retains the glass similar to quarter round.

3) nailing is through the soft (vinyl?) material away from the glass.

fixit · Post by **fixit** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:55 pm

Rockler sells plastic panel retainer in either a staple or groove type. I use the groove type for shadow boxes I make. I cut a 1/8" kerf in the frame material to accept the plastic retainer. The plastic is curved so when it's installed it presses against the back side of the glass.

The pictures of the frame profile (picture 2314), the panel retainer (picture 2317), and the glass mounted in a frame (picture 2319) show how it's done. The frame in 2319 is face down on the table. I got too close so the focus is bad in that picture. If anyone needs a better pic let me know.

I use this method so the glass can be replaced in case it is broken in a move or if the box is dropped. My shadow boxes are mainly sold to military folks who move frequently and many times things get broken during these moves. I also use double strength glass to help prevent breakage.

horologist · Post by **horologist** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:55 pm

charlese wrote:Sorry!, Would have answered sooner, but got completely lost by a retaining strap. Just a simple mis-spelling, but it threw me:o

Sorry for the confusion, guess I need more sleep.

That and I am more familiar with these as strips of wood. Never have used the plastic stuff.

charlese wrote:Now that I've seen the referenced site, I know even less than earlier. It looks like this retaining strip can be used in a couple of ways.

In the photo (of the part), it looks like the strip has been nailed into the frame prior to any glass. If this is the case, the strip would serve as a sealing strip between the glass and the wood, rather than a retaining strip. From here you would need to install wooden quarter round, putty or another one of these strips.

I don't know how firm or soft the strip is. In the catalog photo, it looks to be quarter round made from a soft material. I believe the intended purpose is to replace wooden quarter round. Honestly, I'd prefer quarter round or putty to these strips. (That is, until I learn more about this product.)

I saw the version that needs no nails and am guessing that it has a tab that fits into a groove under the "strap" in the direction of the nail.

In clock doors you will typically find glass secured with putty or strips with a rectangular cross section. Quarter round stock would be more appropriate for doors where the appearance of the interior needs to equal that of the exterior of the door. In clocks the retaining strip/strap is rarely visible.

Like you I would prefer these methods and am not very impressed with the vinyl stuff. Which of course is what is used on more modern clocks.

Troy