Technical Why do side windows break?

One ought to see how my wife gingerly closes the kitchen cabinates.....relates to any other door or window she closes...

 

Thanks guys for your reply's , I'll ride with the 6mm.
Mike

 

I guess the glass industry is following the plastic industry and going metric with their thickness. I see it all the time when I buy commercial plastics at work.

 

From the age that I got old enough to get in and out of a car/truck, I was taught to use only enough force to close a door, not slam it. And I was taught to lube the latches so that their friction was less so they'd close easier. Been wondering lately about what's available now in more modern lubes to apply to door latches that might be better than than grease sticks that we have all used forever? Anybody?
Also, I was taught to never close a door with the window up only part way, should be either all the way up or all the way down. That way the gl;ass is held more firmly.

 

I use graphite.

 

Laminated tempered glass is common in commercial buildings, highrise ,skylights, store fronts, the glass is tempered before being laminated.. if you wanted to pay extra you could have side glass made the same way.

 

I use this;

 

Strangely, local laminate works out very close to ¼" at 6.38mm (¼" is 6.35mm.) It's made up out of two 3mm glass panes and a 0.38mm vinyl interlayer. Of course you get 4.38, 8.38, etc. too, and HPR is thicker at 4.76, 6.76, 8.76, etc.

Something else that has come up is a novel privacy glass made by laminating a tempered pane between two plain panes, and then shattering the middle one.

 

Mine broke after my EX wife slammed it

 

I used to use the stick of 'door ease'. (great for belts/pulleys, too) The spray can of what's supposed to be 'white grease' (or, 'Lubriplate') ain't worth a shat any more.
Hmmm, Unkledaddy... Synthetic 5th wheel lube, eh? Looks like something I'll have to try.

Regarding the metric size on glass: A customer of mine had a '32 panel, the night before San Jose Autorama the fresh black truck had the glass guy going thru fits.
The fuzzy channel (with the shiny stainless strip) was installed, riveted in. The glass was tinted laminate, 1/4" thick...Glass guy was trying to pull the glass up into the channel, (both doors! and it was so tight the owner insisted he rubber mallet it in on both doors. (just for the show)
They made the fairgrounds on time, and drove it inside.
Drivers window didn't crack until they jacked the front up to roll some showy stuff underneath...
...Told 'em...

 

Mine got broke after I locked my keys in it.

 

As a rule of thumb any car I restore or build gets tempered glass if it rolls up and down, slide or swing, anything that's fixed gets laminated. I had a windshield that broke once on a customer 32 due to a casting flash I didn't see in the windshield post casting, it punctured a tiny hole in the seal and cracked the windshield, 1day before delivering the car to the customer. Only time it ever happen.

 

I inherited my 48 Chopped Ford Coupe , it had a cracked passenger side door window . because when the top and doors were cut , the guy neglected moving the window stop to the new correct location , so when the window was rolled down it went below the reveal and flopped around , close the door with the window down and it cracked the glass

 

Snipers

 

They say you should never leave children unattended in a car....

The same applies to a wallet or camera, they have amazing Houdini skills.
They somehow manage to create a vacuum that breaks the side windows inwards, so they can escape.

 

Beaner, I recall that Plexi had a harder surface finish than Lexan, not sure about the safety aspect though. Polycarbonate (1970's Lexan) always cut as though soft.

 

In my question on Tempered glass two things happened, as porknbeaner stated was dead on shop was playing bigger profits cut rate product lesson learned Again, Would not give me a firm price ( first red flag) he guessed 60.00 each but with small variables my be ?, final price $150.00 each 2 x 150 $300.00. all model A catalogs list side as laminated safety glass 1/4" which uses the 1/4" fuzzy channel. Since I have a little experience with laminated glass which I knew, If I needed I can get in any specs that's what I expected but the shop owner kept side stepping my questions , I have used laminated glass on various commercial projects have specified 3/4" laminated multi layer, 5' X 5' sq. on some projects.
Thanks for all your great input. Mike,
I'm Done

 

Ned I used to make coffee tables like that.Sandwiched real tight,tap a corner of the temp glass and watch it slowly crack.Fun to see.Tempered glass weak point are the edges.

 

Plexiglass breaks in big sharp shards, Lexan is much more safe and can be used as a cheap bullet proof material (depending on thickness and gun size) Lexan is allowed on rally cars and I believe Nascar, plexi no, both are not scratch resistant but there is a sticking film for that, still not a good idea for roll up windows or if there is a wiper scraping it.

 

Several years I was at a car show in north Georgia.Way back in the woods at a Dirt motorcycle drag strip a non thinker { may be had a little to drink}} in a non fendered coup started doing do nuts slug rocks all over the place and my passenger side window caught one.

 

Someone earler touched on it.Sheet metal screws,rivots,clips or whatever ,if they touch the glass at any point can chip and start a crack. When installing the window channels(cat whiskers) Simply use a good quality adhesive and glue them in without any fasteners at all. I am the victim right now of a cracked side window in my 40 Ford Standard. A real pain to get out and replace !! Gene Minnesota