Sliding windows not sliding

[mogmog2]

Our Committee boat (25ish foot work boat) is out of the water for the winter, with a list of stuff to do. I'm looking at the sliding windows, which were stuck shut but I've got them to now slide a bit.
I've cleaned most of the vegetation from the channels & one slides reasonably freely to about halfway, then jams really tight & is very difficult to release again: I used a block of wood & a hammer...
I can't feel any irregularities in the channels top & bottom where it jams, so it's presumably a cumulative friction effect.
Any advice on restoring these to their former slippery glory?
Many thanks.

 

[VicS]

Our Committee boat (25ish foot work boat) is out of the water for the winter, with a list of stuff to do. I'm looking at the sliding windows, which were stuck shut but I've got them to now slide a bit.
I've cleaned most of the vegetation from the channels & one slides reasonably freely to about halfway, then jams really tight & is very difficult to release again: I used a block of wood & a hammer...
I can't feel any irregularities in the channels top & bottom where it jams, so it's presumably a cumulative friction effect.
Any advice on restoring these to their former slippery glory?
Many thanks.

A PTFE spray may help them slide easily provided you have eliminated any tight spots that may be making them jam

Eg this one from Toolstation: https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automotive/d60/Lubricants+&+Sprays/sd2795/PTFE+Spray/p63929

 

[Poignard]

I got some stuff from Halfords which worked very well on my car windows.

This might have been it

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...&productId=219033&categoryId=165705&langId=-1

 

[Trundlebug]

Yes I used a thin smear of silicone grease on mine, works a treat

 

[VicS]

If you think you'rd prefer a silicone spray then Toostation offer this one: https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automotive/d60/Lubricants+&+Sprays/sd2795/Silicone+Spray/p21983

 

[ashtead]

Have you tried a can of Pledge from the clubhouse or other household polish before you slip off to Toostaion?

 

[Momac]

Have you tried a can of Pledge from the clubhouse or other household polish before you slip off to Toostaion?

Good suggestion.
Pledge is okay on other stuff too - like the canopy windows.

 

[simonfraser]

whacking it that hard is not a good idea.

see if you can close them again, clean out all the rubbish from the groove, and lubricate.

bit like, take it out, lubricate, put it back in .........

 

[benchmark]

Silicone or lubricants will not help If your rubber furred window channels for the glass are degraded , uneven or dirty.
Take a metal semi blunt spatula and carefully run it around the channels freeing them from the glass, spray some anti fungus soap in the channels and let it soak in to kill all mouldy growth that may be clinging to the glass and sticking the rubber to it.
If you succeed in getting the glass moving a bit apply more and give it time to act. Repeat as required, and when it’s free use a small brush like an old toothbrush to wash the channels completely clean.
When clean and dry ,inspect the rubber for damage and replace if need be.

It’s good practice to exercise your windows a couple of times a week to avoid them sticking to the rubber channels.

I apply Rodalon (anti fungus ) every year to my window channels otherwise algae grows on the inside which you can’t see.

 

[Baddox]

Silicone lubricating spray or just fairy liquid worked well on my last boat. Could your boat have flexed out of alignment slightly, sitting on a few points of support ashore? It may relax back into shape when afloat and allow the window to move freely once more.

 

[Lodesman77]

Something else to consider - http://www.silkolene.com/motorcycle/aerosols/silkopen/

Not cheap but very good.

 

[TonyMS]

We had the same problem.

I dug out the rubber in the top and bottom channels, to find 2 layers of rubber. Removed one. Now the windows slide nicely. If yours isn't double, you could try some thinner rubber.

I use washing up liquid as a lubricant for this, and anything else that isn't metal to metal.

Tony MS

 

[Daydream believer]

Make some wedge shaped strips. Hammer them into the grooves & leave for a couple of weeks to gradually force the strips apart. Then apply silicon spray & try again.

 

[claymore]

Once you have them freed, keep giving them a slide every now and then -

 

[Boathook]

If the frames are aluminium is there corrosion under the rubber / fabric material that makes the slide ?

 

[mogmog2]

Thanks for the feedback.
I have PTFE spray & some silicone grease. I'll go with PTFE as I have more of it.
I was wondering about first giving them a good flush/gentle-ish jetting with a pressure washer. Apart from water ingress intro the cabin, any reason why that's not a good idea?

She's not chocked up all that well(securely, but not level) as crane-out had a brisk schedule so the way she sits can probably be improved - I'll run that by the Bosun.

If they can't be made to slide, I'm not sure I've got the motivation to remove the frames - I undid the splash guard screws but couldn't remove it at all easily as I suspect the mastic has set hard, so tackling the frames may be a job too far without more volunteers.
Cheers.