23-25 Windshield Channel

[SurveyKing]

I am seeking some advise on how to restore the original channeling for the windshield of my 24 Touring. I am told the channel was originally nickel plated. Some time ago, it was painted over. Now after I have stripped the paint you can see that it appears to have been plated originally. My question is it necessary to have it re-plated or can the original shine be brought out? The picture has the glass at the top and portion which inserts into the frame at the bottom. Only the rounded or beaded portion at the top shows. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

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[John kuehn]

I have a 19 Runabout and a 21 Touring that has nickel plated brass window channel. I polished out the channels with polishing clothes that are avaliable at larger hardware stores. We have a Ace hardware that carries them and they work great. They come in a foil pouch and have some type of compound in them that really works. I can’t remember the name of it but there are also other polishing products avaliable besides the ones I mentioned.
I don’t know about the later T’s but if it’s a brass channel they should polish out really nice.
I would try before trying to have it replated.
You can also repolish the headlight reflectors if your careful with them. Mine are close to 90% of original. I’m not a night driver so that’s OK by me. More than a few reflectors have been thrown away that could have been polished out.

[SurveyKing]

Were those clothes Cape Cod metal polishing cloths by chance?

[John kuehn]

Can’t remember the name but they worked really well polishing my headlight reflectors and window channels. They were in a foil resealable pouch. If I remember there was a post a few years ago about them and folks really liked them. Seems like it was about polishing the reflectors so I tried them and was really surprised how the cleaned them up.

Just looked up the Cape Cod polishing cloths and that is what I used. They are used to polish fine metals such as jewelry, silver and etc. The ones I used were vanilla scented. Don’t know why the scent. Ace sells them along with extra cans of polish.

[George House]

Whatever you do; don’t try to use a polishing wheel on them. And don’t ask me how I know that it’ll turn you expensive glass channel into a pretzel. What I did do on my ‘14 windshield glass channel - that’s supposed to be shiny brass - is I spent hours hand cleaning with steel wool then a polishing creme. Then I took them to be clear powder coated. Now always shiny and I don’t have to shine them.

[Original Smith]

At one time, Langs was selling nickel plated channel. As I recall, they had issues with the lengths. They may have discontinued it. I finally found two frames at Chickasha with good channel and used them.

[david_dewey]

Caswell sells a brush nickel plating kit that does a wonderful job on plating the glass channel I have replated originals and also the brass reproduction channels and end up with a very nice, original-looking nickel plate. Do spend extra time and really add plate so it will last longer. I always have to do a mild polishing after to get a nice and even shine. I would post a pic, but the channels are up in the storage shed.

[SurveyKing]

Thanks for the suggestion about the Nickel Plating kit from Caswell. They sell a number of different ones, which did you use?

[johnernst]

Ive read all the posts about the brass windshield channels. I have some old ones I might be able to salvage because I was shocked at the price of the reproduction ones. I thought I should be able to make these myself. Wow its a lot harder than it seems. I guess thats why they're expensive. Wondering if anyone on here has successfully made their own brass channels from scratch. Any tips on how to do this would be appreciated. If I cant make some I think I will go without and have a glass shop use some rubber or cloth tape to mount it with.

[Scott_Conger]

23-25 open car windshield channel complete set is $117

for this, you would try to make it yourself?

Not me brother...I'd rip that wallet out of my pocket and ask "how soon can you get it to me?"

Trust me, it isn't going to get any cheaper or easier than that. Considering the cost of brass and manufacturing costs, I would not be surprised if it is not double that amount in 2-3 years (or less).

[John kuehn]

Johnernst
Give the polishing cloths on your old windshield channels a try. They brought the nickel plated windshield channels really nice on my cars. I polished them before the glass was installed. I bet people have thrown the old ones away not thinking the nickel on them just needed polishing.
You will be surprised how good they will look! Take your time and don’t rub to hard.
When Ford built the open cars the nickel plating around the windshield looked great.

Over time T owners probably didn’t keep them polished but that’s just my guess.

[david_dewey]

Sometimes takes me a while to read posts here, the disadvantage of not having reliable internet at home. The Caswell kit I use is the "plug n' plate Brush electroplating system" and my box is marked "Nickel/copper" I have purchased parts and more solution a few time from them as I use it for many different things, player piano parts, toy train parts and Model T parts! It has really been a godsend to me. I want to try to plate a steering gear box sometime, not certain I can get a good "do" on something that large, but I'm going to give it a try sometime!