Over the past few years I have made a number of cabinets that feature 1/4″ plate glass doors (frameless).
Recently I completed a stereo componant case requiring four 9-1/16″ X 36-1/8″ smoked glass doors.
Went to the glass shop that I’ve used for years with a template, and was informed that “we can’t guarantee any closer than 1/16′ on the size.”
Ordered it anyway and told them to use the template. Stuff came back, and none of the pieces were square or even the same size! I refused to pay for them, and went to another shop where I was told the same thing. The owner said that he would cut them himself, but that I had ro order a larger piece for accurate cutting. The pieces are on order now.
Has anybody had this kind of problem with getting glass cut?
Replies
Nope.
I had glass cut for cabinet doors recently. The guy delivered them, and was interested in what I was using them for. So I showed him, and found that I measured wrong (thankfully, too large). He recut the glass then and there, to exact size (which is probably +/- 1/32") and without additional charge. Each pane was square and the same size as the others (eight panes total).
Needless to say, I'll use him again.
I've ordered a fair amount of glass/mirror and never had a problem. Though I did just find a new shop that is about 30% cheaper than the one I used to go to. Hopefully the quality is not 30% less. I also used to work in a store where we cut glass and I'm not sure that I could be within 1/32nd, but then again I wasn't the main glass guy.
-Art K.
I had some glass work done recently. The people did a real nice job.
I expect that the shops you visited have had problems with people who have out of square needs and who measure with poor tape measures.
I posted a lengthy answer and I don't know what happened to it...
Perhaps you need one of these :-)
http://www.neecontrols.com/glass-cutter.html
Many hardware stores are setup for window glass which has quit a bit of play. Undersized glass never gets seen because of the goop you spread in the cracks.
I'm betting you could do a better job at home. You'll need a fixture like a panel saw to hold your glass and hold the scribe from moving side to side.
The "snap" is easy, just clamp the good glass between two large boards right up to the scribe line and clamp the boards to your work bench - a quick snap break off the scrap. Voila!
FYI I've had similar difficulty with porcelin (sp?) tile. The fiber saw blades work well but I hate the smell and the mess. I can't imagine glass being any harder the the tile (I burnt out a carbide bit with my rotozip on the tile).
Mark
Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax.
Tom, I own a art glass studio for about 12 years. Normal standard in the glass industry is one half the thickness of the glass.+- When glass is snaped it brakes at a slant which can be cleaned up with a wet belt sander or a greezed
. belt sander which will help square it some frome the slant. If you need a very close tolerance order a "drop in fit" which usually cost double. Sounds like the glass you receved may have been out of standard tolerance. Question why are you using 1/4" glass instead of 1/8"glass? Big difference in the weight once install you can't tell the difference.
don,What's the technique for using a "wet" belt sander?I had to put a pencil edge on some plate glass a while back, and I looked (not very hard) for silicone carbide belts. If that's what you use, where do you get them/Finally, what on earth is "greezing"?thanks."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell
At times I do quite a bit of glass. Display cases, glass shelves, specialty glass for doors, etc. I often figure an eigth each side for clearance. I've had numerous pieces cut slightly out of square and + - 1/8" in size requested. This has happened with many different companies. I don't know if it is because they don't calibrate their cutting machine, don't check the registration of the glass or if the glass has a grain and it runs off. Could be a combination of all. I did ask one guy after some problems and he showed me how square it was with his out of square framing square. He never heard of a square being out and didn't understand how to register it. Many times I think it's just lack of attention but thick and specialty glass isn't easy to cut. You can't think in terms of woodworking accuracy, 1/8" is about as close as they get.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
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