How to Make a Round Window Frame

There are many ways to make round window frames this is how i made them.

Supplies

Lumber:

• Boards with desired thickness for the main body.
• Boards with desired thickness for the body with glass stop.
• Boards with desired thickness for the outside casing/flange.

• Boards with desired thickness for the outside and inside trim.

Fastening:

• Dowels.
• Exterior grade wood screws
• Glue. (Gap filling, Water resistant, Slow setting) trust me there will be gaps and the glue-up takes time.
• Glue spreader & brush or stick.
• Ratchet straps. (to hold frame in place while glue is setting)
• Glue Claps.

Tools:

• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Bandsaw
• Router with flush-trim and round-over bit
• Drum sander ore: https://www.instructables.com/Drill-Press-Drum-San...
• Orbital sander
• Band sander (luxury)
• Hand plane
• Surform plane
• Hand drill
• Drill bits for dowels
• Drill guide for dowels.
• P.P.E.

Step 1: Making the Templates

Make your templates by drawing the desired diameter circle on a peace of cardboard ore door-skin and divide them until they fit your lumber. I made 6 different templates for:

1. Outside flange
   
2. Casing with glass stop
   
3. Main Casing
   
4. Glasstops
   
5. Outside trim
   
6. Inside trim

its best to scroll trough the images so you have a idea about the different templates/parts

Step 2: Drill Dowel Holes

Make sure your dowel holes are on the exact same angle & position on each frame piece.

i made a jig for this from some of the offcuts.

Step 3: Glue-up

This will be a race against time and that's why you want to have a slow setting glue. I first did a dry fit to practice before the real glue-up.

glue-up in these steps:

1. Glue-up the Main casing ring. (see first picture)
2. Cleanup the top of the Main casing for the next glue-up
3. Glue-up the Casing with glass stop on top of the Main casing. (forgot to take a picture, see second picture so you have an idea)
4. Cleanup the outside of the glued-up window frame since its easier whilst the outside flange is not on yet. (see second and third picture)
5. Glue-up the Outside flange on top of the Casing with glass stop. (see forth picture)

Step 4: Clean-up, Shaping, Sanding and Paint

Use the Router, Hand plane, Surform plane, and the sanders to clean up the frame for paint

Do not forget to add a drainage channel shown in the third picture (this will be the bottom of your window).

Now its time for either varnish, stain, ore paint.

Step 5: Mounting the Glass

Now its time to place the glass.

1. Stick the glass foam tape on the Casing with glass stop.
2. Carefully place the glass op top of the foamtape.
3. Stick the glass foam tape to the glass.
4. Ad shims to keep the glas in place if necessary.
5. Place the glass stops (see pictures)
6. Caulk the window in place and let it all dry.

Step 6: Mounting and Water Proofing

Its time to mount the window in the house.

1. Cut the house wrap
2. Apply waterproofing tape from the bottom to a a little over half way make sure it all overlaps (i forgot to take a picture before i put the window in see first picture to get an idea).
3. Put some caulking behind the outside flange.
4. Slide the window in its final position (make sure the drainage channel is at the bottom (see 6th picture).
5. Secure the window by screwing trough the main frame to the framing studs. be careful not to put tension on the frame.
6. Apply the water proofing tape around the top of the window make sure the top side overlaps the bottom (see second and third picture)
7. Place the out side trim and add some caulking behind the trim (see fourth and fifth picture)
8. Place the outside cladding against the outside trim (see fifth picture)
9. Caulk the outside trim to the window and the outside cladding (see sixth picture)