# Curtain Rail around Bay Window



## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

Currently got an expensive pathetic useless IKEA rail around the bay, it doesn't work, the curtains snag & don't go around the corners. Looking for a solution.


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## vickster (10 Nov 2019)

Google is your friend
Eg
https://www.poledesign.co.uk/bay-window-curtain-pole-online-quote


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## Pale Rider (10 Nov 2019)

I have an old metal rail which uses metal gliders that have two little wheels on them.

I reckon the wheeled gliders are less likely to snag than friction ones.

Only problem is there is a small crack in the rail so I get an occasional curtain derailment.


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## Supersuperleeds (10 Nov 2019)

Brick the window up, you won't need curtains then.


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## MontyVeda (10 Nov 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> I have an old metal rail which uses metal gliders that have two little wheels on them.
> 
> I reckon the wheeled gliders are less likely to snag than friction ones.
> 
> Only problem is there is a small crack in the rail so I get an occasional curtain derailment.


i reckon the problem with Phaeton's rail is the tight corners. The same problem will exist with wheeled rollers.


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

vickster said:


> Google is your friend
> Eg
> https://www.poledesign.co.uk/bay-window-curtain-pole-online-quote


Filled in the form will await their reply I will ensure I have a chair handy


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## Cycleops (10 Nov 2019)

As @MontyVeda says above, the problem is certainly the sharp radius on the corners, ease them off a bit and it should work fine.


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

MontyVeda said:


> i reckon the problem with Phaeton's rail is the tight corners. The same problem will exist with wheeled rollers.





Cycleops said:


> As @MontyVeda says above, the problem is certainly the sharp radius on the corners, ease them off a bit and it should work fine.


You can't they are formed that way, hence why when we shelled out the money we figured they would work, but as you have both suggested the bend is too tight, as a BTW they no longer sell it in Ikea


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## classic33 (10 Nov 2019)

Could you fit a three inch radius curve, without it standing out too much, into the corners?


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## MontyVeda (10 Nov 2019)

classic33 said:


> Could you fit a three inch radius curve, without it standing out too much, into the corners?


I'd guess they're already a three inch radius and probably a bit more.

@Phaeton... have you tried adding more of those little runners and more hooks? Are they snagging because they're trying to cut the corner as you drag the curtain round (if that makes sense) ?


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## Levo-Lon (10 Nov 2019)

There a pain, weaken the angle is the easy way but it depends on where the drop finishes.

I use swish plastic ones for my bow window, nearly 4m length so have to join as well.

Im presuming you cant do a straight full drop across the bay? And make a feature with a nice curtain and pelmet with nice tie backs ect


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## MontyVeda (10 Nov 2019)

meta lon said:


> ... And make a feature with a nice curtain and *pelmet* with nice *tie backs *ect


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

MontyVeda said:


> (if that makes sense) ?


Perfect sense, but if we do that the ruffle/pleat is not at the desirably ruffle/pleats per foot


meta lon said:


> Im presuming you cant do a straight full drop across the bay? And make a feature with a nice curtain and pelmet with nice tie backs ect


You presume right for 2 reasons, 1) It's no longer the 1950's  2) The settee/couch that lives in the bay would take too much out of the room if it was moved 400mm forward.


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

vickster said:


> https://www.poledesign.co.uk/bay-window-curtain-pole-online-quote


They have got back to me with a quotation, £365.62, I politely declined their quotation


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## vickster (10 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> They have got back to me with a quotation, £365.62, I politely declined their quotation


Fair enough. Dunhelm and John Lewis sell ready made poles and tracks for bays


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## MontyVeda (10 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> Perfect sense, but if we do that the ruffle/pleat is not at the desirably ruffle/pleats per foot


Put the hooks on about 3" apart after you've done the pleats, but this will mean each curtain will take up more space when open. To resolve this the pole needs to extend further beyond the end of the window, but you've got wall lamps in the way. How about moving house?


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## MontyVeda (10 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> They have got back to me with a quotation, £365.62, I politely declined their quotation


this is why i made my own bay window pole from plumbing pipe.... it should have cost £35 but I fecked up the bends so it cost about £55.


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## Levo-Lon (10 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> Perfect sense, but if we do that the ruffle/pleat is not at the desirably ruffle/pleats per foot
> You presume right for 2 reasons, 1) It's no longer the 1950's  2) The settee/couch that lives in the bay would take too much out of the room if it was moved 400mm forward.





Its all the rage man


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

MontyVeda said:


> Put the hooks on about 3" apart after you've done the pleats,


Ikea no longer do the track we have but looking at their product called Vidga which looks like it uses the runners that we have in ours, so calling round on the way home tomorrow to double the number to see if that cures it.


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## Phaeton (10 Nov 2019)

vickster said:


> Fair enough. Dunhelm and John Lewis sell ready made poles and tracks for bays


Replied to them thanking them for the quote but explaining it was beyond our budget received another quote £208.26, reminds me of the old double glazing salesmen


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## roadrash (10 Nov 2019)

I would still tell em to feck off for trying it on with the first quote


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## Bazzer (10 Nov 2019)

In our bays I used plastic tracking and using Mrs B's hairdryer gently bent them to shape. 
If you haven't an old piece of tracking, buy the shortest piece available and experiment with the amount of heat you need, note how it distorts and how far you can bend it to allow the runners to pass through.
If you attempt this, be warned the plastic warms up quickly and can get very hot to touch.


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## Milkfloat (11 Nov 2019)

I would forget about curtains and just have 3 blinds.


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## Phaeton (11 Nov 2019)

Curtains provide less heat loss


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## Adam4868 (11 Nov 2019)

I'd have three separate curtains.Failing that wooden Venetian blinds.
Our windows aren't at right angles so used a plastic track,never liked the poles.


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## snorri (11 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> , 1) It's no longer the 1950's


 Exactly the response I got when seeking advice on home decor from a friend of the female persuasion back in the 1990s


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## Phaeton (11 Nov 2019)

Adam4868 said:


> I'd have three separate curtains.


That was offered yesterday well 4 curtains, 2 for the sides & then 2 across the front, I was given very short shift on it.


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## Joey Shabadoo (11 Nov 2019)

Swish Supreme aluminium curtain track. Bend it by hand, works a dream. I used to sell literally kilometres of the stuff and it's what I've got in my bay window. About £30-50 depending on size


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## Adam4868 (11 Nov 2019)

Phaeton said:


> That was offered yesterday well 4 curtains, 2 for the sides & then 2 across the front, I was given very short shift on it.


He that's what I meant.Ive fitted same at my parents house before.I think 90 degrees ? Is too acute of a angle to ever get what you want.


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## Proto (23 Dec 2019)

Diogenes said:


> Swish Supreme aluminium curtain track. Bend it by hand, works a dream. I used to sell literally kilometres of the stuff and it's what I've got in my bay window. About £30-50 depending on size



Dubious claim to fame alarm: my dad and my uncle Bob invented Swish curtain rail. I’ve got the original drawings at home somewhere.


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## Proto (23 Dec 2019)




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## Joey Shabadoo (23 Dec 2019)

Is that the original brass track and runners?


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## Proto (23 Dec 2019)

Diogenes said:


> Is that the original brass track and runners?


Nylon, I think


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## Joey Shabadoo (23 Dec 2019)

Interesting. I think it was Harrison Drape who had that track first - but in brass. Both companies were acquired by Sunflex so maybe the Swish version was dropped when they rationalised the product lines. I left there 6 years or so ago, I forget what all the tracks were now.


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## classic33 (23 Dec 2019)

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Harrison_(Birmingham)


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## Proto (23 Dec 2019)

Diogenes said:


> Interesting. I think it was Harrison Drape who had that track first - but in brass. Both companies were acquired by Sunflex so maybe the Swish version was dropped when they rationalised the product lines. I left there 6 years or so ago, I forget what all the tracks were now.


They were a thriving business very quickly in the 50’s, and quickly sold out to the Duport Group** (Slumberland Beds amongst others). They only needed one MD so my father was paid off and my uncle remained as MD of Swish until his death in the early 70’s, by which time he was a very wealthy, but deeply troubled, man. Not really sure what happened after that but the manufacturing plant in Tamworth eventually closed, and it looks like Swish has morphed into building products company.

**Not sure of this. They may have been part of Slumberland first, who then themselves became part of Duport.


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## MrGrumpy (28 Dec 2019)

We bought curtain poles from Dunelm for our bay window. However no sharp corners like that ?


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