Some basic glass terms, as I learned them, 35 years ago. SS-single strength-1/16 thick, old house glass DS-double strength-1/8 thick, newer house glass Chrystal-3/16 thick, coffee table tops Plate- 1/4 thick, old automotive Tempered- any of the above heat treated....CAN NOT BE CUT Laminated-2 pieces with plastic in between....CAN BE CUT Saftey glass-Tempered-laminated-wire glass-like in Jail! All USA made windshield glass is laminated, Can be cut. All curved back glass-tempered-CAN NOT BE CUT!(Repops are laminated) Look up laminated above. Laminated will break, but stay in place(normaly) Tempered will break into a Million pieces Wire glass will break, but the wire holds it in place. Before you chop your top Please do some research. Other Glass Guys Please add to this....Glass ain't Magic, it has some rules.
Could someone explain metric glass to us? and window setting tape? this applies to doors and vent windows mostly, on 64-older cars/trucks.
We used to call 3/16" glass "float" glass. Probably because of the manufacturing process. This was in the late 70's. Mike
Glass setting tape is a rubber/cork combo with a fabric "cover". It is available in various thicknesses and is used to set the glass in the window channels(the steel rail the door glasses are in which is raised and lowered by the regulator arms), windshield frames, convertible door/quarter glass frames, and front door/rear door/quarter vent window frames. Many glass shops do not use this any longer and simply bed the glass in urethane. Glass setting tape is available in varying thicknesses to mount various thicknesses of glass in varying widths of channels. I do not have the expertise to know which goes with which. Since you cracked the glasses I would say your tape was too thick or your hammering was too hard and/or at the wrong angle or place in the glass. It is always easier and often best to let glass guys handle glass chores as that is their livelihood and they do it well.
I cracked the windshield and a door glass in my model A trying to use the setting tape, I wouldn't mind a little explination and some tips so I don't do it again.
squirrel, metric glass=most glass today is imported (China) they use the metric system. What we call 1/4 inch is a bit smaller today. Just like everything else, lazy Americans buy outside. Setting tape (oil pack) is used less and less, due to the poor condition of vent frames and bottom channels. As it takes a bit of effort to install it. Another misconception about glass,it don't cost much. Its made mostly out of sand. "Little Billy if you break that window it will cost you a bunch!" Really costs more to ship it, than its worth. Real cost on a windshield is about $20........................OLDBEET
I need to mill glass grooves in the windshield post for my modified. What's the "standard" thickness of flat laminated? Thanks, Bob
I guess I'll get my feet wet here too! first off float glass is a good story. One of the Pilkintons was helping his wife with the dishes and was spinning a saucer in the dish water. got him thinking what would it take to make glass float. and experimenting found that pure molten tin would float glass 1/4 inch thick. by using different alloys gives different thicknesses. allows a continuous belt of glass as it goes over carbon blocks and cooling then cut into sections. the beauty is other than a bulbed edge (on both sides) the glass is absolutely flat. in the old days 1/4 inch was called polished plate as it had to be polished flat. this process came about in the early 60's in the states and the price of glass went down. thats the only time I've seen that happen. packing tape has always came either cork and cloth (I never use this because it looks bad and always leaves threads coming out) or composition, which is Rubber like (problem is any sun or heat causes it to stick to itself and it very rare to use a full roll) packing tape comes in 1/64 increments 1/32, 3/64, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8 when fitting glass I take a short piece and lay it over the glass so the width is my trial area. then put the channel and tap it lightly with a steel or dead blow hammer ( I actually use a large old leather mallet, where are you going to find one of those?) if it cuts the tape, it's to thick. if it pulls of easily , it's to thin. since the test tape is only an inch and a quarter wide you should be able to pull it off, but not easily. now when I do Model A's or any full framed glass early windshields, door glasses like 55-59 chev trucks ect. I use a packing tape that I can push the channel on by hand. just snug! it's not holding the channel to the glass. mearly isolating the glass from steel. you don't want it to loose. it might leak or rattle and cut thru to the glass bedding a channel in urethane is a lazy ass short cut that some lazy ass installers use. the factory started doing this in the 80's. to replace these requires a torch and lethal fumes. ureathane that gets to your lungs NEVER go away. Painters should know this also. it used to be on the label but it was so nasty, it says contact this number for further cautions, they sell more products that way. having said that I do bed some channels. if it is an old rusty part that is otherwise un-useable I'll use a little packing tape on each end to center the glass in the channel then lightly fill the rest of the channel and slip it on. then shoot a clean smooth bead on both sides to keep moisture out of the channel. when this is done that channel will never accept another piece of glass we used to have 3/16 inch "Safety Sheet" which was rated AS-2 (American Standard-2) and 1/4 inch "Safety Plate" that was rated AS-1 that was then. Safety Glass wasn't required by law till 1939. that is when the standards came into play. now the Glass thickness doesn't affect the safety rating. AS-1 has at least .030 lamination. AS-2 is only .015 this is one that used to confuse even journeyman glaziers was laminated glass for commercial glaziers .015 is Catagory 1 .030 is cat. 2. 1 and 2 are reversed between auto and commercial glass AS-1 is required for Windshields and was often used in side glass for added sound control (like lincoln's and Cadillac's) AS-2 is legal in all autoglass except Windshields (Tempered glass is also classed as AS-2) AS-3 rating is for thinner or darker glass and is only legal from the drivers shoulder back in commercial or utility vehicles. trucks, vans, suv's. limo's are classed as commercial ect. but not legal in passenger cars. (this is federal but could vary in some states) I hope this helps some one out there. I'm certainly no expert. I've learned something new almost every day since I started working in the Glass business in April 1965. I must be a slow learner since I haven't learned it all yet!! Jim
OLDBEET, could you send me a couple pallets of those $20 windshields? actually every product on the market. the manufacturer makes less than 10% of the retail cost, shippers, distributors,shippers, wholesalers,shippers, retailers, shippers, then you. wholesale glass has gone up twice a year for at least the last 20 years and the one that gets blamed is the retailer, go figure. I sold my glass company in 1992 and just work on pre 1970 and speacial vehicles out of a 2400 sf shop at my home. I do no insurance, car lots, body shops, or assholes. I keep small (one emplyee) so I have no real buying power with the glass warehouses. I don't know what that has to do with tech week. i just felt like saying it.........Jim
one thing i learned while in the glass biz is... (windshields and sunroofs,hippie van windows) use silicone and it will leak and be hard to remove or reseal ... use a butyl sealant (glazing compound or in a caulk tube)and it won't dry out .. if needed... add more .... it will fuse together will not be leaving a " hollow trail"that will leak and in door glass crank-channel it will give a little with temp changes and extra hard/fast window cranking if repairing a old silicone seal use butyl as it will fill gaps our old shop motto"silicone is for boobs"
Something as simple as glass can be so fascinating, who knew? I think, next to an automatic transmission, glass is the least understood and the least done-at-home job. I've done paint and body at home, some upholstery at home (some), and rebuilt various trans at home. But glass I send out 'cause it needs to be done right. One more term for the list: The part of the car where the glass mounts to is the "Glasshole"
when i was about 17 i had some one piece windows that fit a 65 and up bug, mine is a 63 so i thought to myself ill just grind it down... seen my mom do it all the time when she made her stained glass windows, lights and stuff so i tried it. i ground off damn near an inch and soon as i turned the bench grinder off BOOOM!! damn TEMPERED glass all over me
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