Replies

1. 
   Kell | Oct 10, 2003 12:31am | #1

   k9s

   Nice looking  cabinet!  My experience has been that you can use 1/8" glass for the doors that size.  Shelves may be another matter.  Someone posted a message on here in the last few weeks about glass capabilities, check the archives for it.

   I would recommend tempered glass for the shelves in any case.  They also seem to do better with pins that have a rubber face contacting them; less chance for ringing when something is placed on them. 

   I've made some cabinets over the years with glass doors and they seem to "feel" better when I've put a bead of silicone in the rabbet before installing the glass.  The vibration reduction or deadening gives the door a more solid feel.

   That's my 2 cents.

   Kell

2. 
   IanC | Oct 10, 2003 01:00am | #2

   Ask for double strength glass for the doors.  It's quite a bit stronger than single strength and only a bit thicker.  Most hardware stores only carry single strength for windows, pic frames etc but glass shops will carry double strength.  If 1/4" tempered for the shelves is readily available and reasonable, I'd go with that.  Otherwise, regular glass should do for your situation. 

3. 
   jazzdogg | Oct 10, 2003 01:36am | #3

   Museum wax will not only help to secure your wife's treasured collections to the shelves in the event of an earthquake, but can also "deaden" the glass so it doesn't rattle in the doors, and a smidgen placed between the glass shelves and shelf pins will cushion the glass and help take up a bit of slack - just in case the shelf pins aren't 100% in the same plane. It stays elastic over years, and is easily removable when it's time to reposition the dustcatchers.

   Good luck,
   Paul

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
4. 
   forestgirl | Oct 10, 2003 02:29am | #4

   Earthquake land, yep, I'm there too.  In addition to museum wax, something subtle tieing the cabinet to the wall would be very helpful.   Sometimes it's not how hard it shakes, but with what frequency.  If the dimensions of your display are in sync with the waves of the quake, even if they're small, the thing can start rockin' and rollin' and over it goes.

   PS:  Nice design!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/9/2003 7:30:19 PM ET by forestgirl

1. 
   k9s | Oct 10, 2003 03:40am | #5

   Thanks for the excellent info as always. I'll look into tempered and double strength options. Like the idea of cushioning the door glass and shelves to stop rattle! Everything in the house is fastened to the wall or stuck down with museum wax--went through the Northridge quake.

2. 
   HenryVIII | Oct 10, 2003 04:00am | #6

   I agree about fastening the cabinet to the wall.  I use L brackets screwed to the wall behind the case, with the other leg extending out over the top of the cabinet.  Run a couple of screws into the top, and it won't tip over.

   Another consideration is that the doors are pretty large, and if both are open at the same time, the cabinet may tip over by itself.  The weight of the glass, even if it is DSB (.125" thick) instead of SSB (.085" thick) it will still weigh a lot.  Using 1/4" would be way heavy, in my experience.  I'd build it with inset doors, because the weight of the glass will cause the door to sag and get out of square unless you use some real world-class joinery and make the stiles / rails pretty wide.

   I'd use laminated glass for the shelves instead of tempered, if you are concerned about breakage.  Annealed ("regular") ought to be good enough.  If the shelves are tempered, and you knock the edge of the shelf against something, it will shatter into pieces about the size of a grain of rice.

   Hope this helps

1. 
   k9s | Oct 10, 2003 03:58pm | #7

   Thanks Enery--Doors are indeed inset. When I fasten stuff to wall it's important to keep the connection flexible. During an earthquake there are two forces at work that can move the floor independent of the wall. The L-bracket works if there is space between it and the the furniture connection with slotted holes to allow for movement. A tight connection could rip the bracket out of the furniture. Also important for the doors to be locked closed otherwise they will open and everything will be on the floor with the cabinet still standing.--Bruce