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The Sash Factory and the Future of Window Craft


Field-built sash in progress using the Sash Factory system — proving you don’t need a traditional shop to do world-class work.
Field-built sash in progress using the Sash Factory system — proving you don’t need a traditional shop to do world-class work.

By Steve Quillian — July 2, 2025

It’s been tangled in my head too long. Time to get it out.


Let’s talk about the Sash Factory—not just the tool itself, but the world it opens up. When used inside the framework of Window Craft, it becomes a game-changer.


Sure, I can sell you a unit. You can roll it out in a field, driveway, garage—anywhere—and make a sash. But the true power of the Sash Factory doesn’t lie in its mobility. It lies in what it enables when paired with the right system, structure, and team.


Not Just a Machine—A Movement

Building a sash isn’t just woodworking. It’s a complex dance of skills—removing old units, repairing frames, priming, painting, cutting glass, and reinstallation.


That’s why Window Craft exists. It blends three trades—joinery, carpentry, and finishing—into a cohesive, teachable system built on the Five Pillars of Window Craft. These pillars ensure every part of the process flows together, not just for craftsmanship’s sake—but for serviceability and longevity.


The First Pillar: Mechanics to Prime

The foundation of all our work is the M2P pillar: Mechanics to Prime. Its purpose is simple—restore the window’s archetypal function. That means weight-and-pulley operation, serviceable sash, and full access from inside the building.

When M2P is done right, every other phase—glazing, tuning, finishing—flows from it. If M2P is ignored, the rest is just cosmetic.

Mechanics to Primed Frame (M2P): the foundation of every successful window restoration begins right here—with structure, serviceability, and the return to archetypal function.
Mechanics to Primed Frame (M2P): the foundation of every successful window restoration begins right here—with structure, serviceability, and the return to archetypal function.


Real-World Proof: Lions Eye World Vision Institute

We put this system to the test at the Lions Eye World Vision Institute. The windows had been replaced with what we call “stage props”—sealed shut, no mechanics, no access.

Using the Sash Factory and Window Craft principles, we restored what was lost. We reintroduced functional double-hung windows, fully serviceable, fully operable. The result? A beautiful, functional window system that can be maintained for generations—with ease.

Lions Eye Institute — where stage-prop windows were replaced with fully functional, archetypal double-hung sash using the Window Craft system.
Lions Eye Institute — where stage-prop windows were replaced with fully functional, archetypal double-hung sash using the Window Craft system.

What You’re Really Buying

Anyone can buy a Sash Factory. But if you want to actually succeed, you need more than a machine. You need:

  • The system (Window Craft)

  • The structure (Five Pillars)

  • The mindset (Service, not shortcuts)

With the right team and tools, you don’t just build sash. You become the person your community needs—someone who can make the impossible possible.


Ready to Join the Movement?

This is more than preservation. It’s a path forward for artisans, tradespeople, and historic house communities.

If you’re ready to step into a trade that honors the past, serves the present, and builds a meaningful future...




Let’s build something that lasts.

— Steve Quillian

 
 
 

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