Case study · Independent, from my building work

A sill pan cut to fit

Every window on a build needed a sill pan pieced together from shims and beveled siding. I designed one part that replaces the pile: a three-channel pan, cut to the opening's length.

Role: Designer and maker, solo
Organization: Independent, from my building work
Tools: 3D CAD (STL and STEP), CNC router

The final sill pan candidate in white PVC lying on a stone countertop, its three stepped channels running down its length. — The final candidate, in white PVC.

In short

01Under every window, the sill pan was assembled on site from shims and beveled siding.
02I modelled a single pan with three channels, so one part does the job of the pile.
03Prototypes were cut in wood on a CNC router, then cut to the length of each opening.

problem framing · on the job site
3D modelling · STL and STEP
CNC prototyping · in wood
manufacturing outreach · on-demand shops, under NDA

01Problem

A small pile of parts under every window

Every window opening needs a sill pan that sheds water out and away from the wall. On site, that meant shims and pieces of beveled siding cut and stacked under each window, a little differently every time.

02Design

One part with three channels

I modelled a single pan that does the job of the pile: three channels along its length, cut to fit the width of the opening. I kept the model as STL for printing and STEP for machining.

A long wooden prototype of the sill pan on a CNC router bed, seen end on, its stepped channels running the length of the piece. — Prototype, straight off the CNC router.

The stepped profile.

A cut-to-length sill pan prototype in pale wood lying on a workbench, with its channel cuts at each end. — Cut to an opening's length.

03Making it

From the router to manufacturers

I cut prototypes in wood on a CNC router to check the profile at full size, then made the final candidate in white PVC and talked to on-demand manufacturers about producing it, under NDA.