Ruby rear window blind

[IainHurwood]

I realise that the answer to this question is - 'why didn't you look at Moreton?' but let's gloss over that!
Inspired by the rally to finish of my '34 Ruby's interior I've dug out the tatty remains of the rear blind and I now have a question. Does the horizontal steel rod go at the bottom of the blind  with the dowling rod a couple of inches above it or vice versa?
Thanks

[Peter Naulls]

If it's the same as a late Ruby then the dowel goes at the bottom with a screw-eye in each end (to guide it down the strings) and a metal rod in the pleat part way up.

[IainHurwood]

Thanks very much for that Peter.  On mine it appears that the pull cord is attached to the centre the lower rod (that I now know is the wooden one) and then it passes through a reinforced hole in the fabric just above the metal one. Do you know if this is correct?

[JoeRowing]

I didnt realise they should have a blind, is that Mk1 and 2, from memory yours is a mk1 Iain?

- any pictures?

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of course, this forum to the rescue:

http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/s...1&cmd=show

[IainHurwood]

Hi Joe. Yes mine is a Mk1, I understand that the mk2 also is similar. I have now found a very good article on the Cornwall A7 Club’s site about Ruby window blinds (though it doesn’t answer the question of whether the cord passes though the fabric!). I was very pleased to buy the cream plastic hook and ‘pull’ from a Cherished Supplier at the Centenary doo and highly amused that these two tiny items cost £3.50 more than I paid for the car!?

[Denis Sweeney]

Ian, my Ruby is a Mk1 too and did not have the advantage of existing interior details to replicate and so I too followed the principles of those shown on the Cornwall A7 paper.
I attach three rather poor photos of my finished blind.
I have three panels in my blind with two folds sewn into the blind equi-spaced and a pocket at the bottom. In the two middle folds there is a wooden dowel inserted and in the end of each of both dowels there is a screw eye which the side chords pass through. 

In the bottom pocket I have inserted a steel tube with a screw eye epoxy glued into each end, this metal tube at the adds weight which helps the blind "fall" nicely when the blind is released
I have not passed the side chords through the material, the screw eyes at the ends of the dowels and metal rod extend just beyond the blind fabric and slide up and down on the fixed side chords.
I cannot claim that this is entirely "correct" but whilst the pics may be poor quality the finished job, I think, looks pretty neat and does work.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Denis 

If those are poor photos any I take must appear abysmal!

Cheers

Howard

[IainHurwood]

Thanks very much for that Denis. It looks very good, certainly it folds up better than mine ever did! Food for thought!

[Peter Naulls]

I decided to go and look rather than trust my memory!

This is not an original one but was copied as best as we could from an original years ago. There is a wooden dowel in both pockets and a thin metal one added to the higher one to add weight (I think that was my idea). The cord is tied around the bottom dowel and goes through a hole in the pocket behind the upper dowel. Only the bottom dowel has eyelets fixed to each end. The holes in the fabric are not edge-bound but I suppose that would prevent them fraying. I'm not promising it is absolutely accurate but may get you a bit nearer to an answer.

Incidentally the vertical cord guides should be held at end end with a resin headed pin (similar material to the knob on the front end of the operating cord) not the plated ones we have used. If anyone knows of a source for these I would love to fit some. Also the hidem binding above the blind is not correct, it should be fabric covered ply!

   

   

   

   

[IainHurwood]

Thanks very much for that Peter, really helpful. I’m pretty sure that my original one had a steel rod in it for weight, but I suspect when I restored the car first time round I, incorrectly, put it at the bottom. I think I’m pretty happy now about how it should be made. The wonder of the Friends site! Thanks again.