Hey glass experts!!!

[Fred Voorhees]

One quick question because I am to lazy to google it. Well, I did but still couldn't find the answer. Glass shelves, tempered of course, but what is the term for rounding/softening the edges so that they aren't sharp? Thanks guys. For some reason, I remember it being called a "pencil edge". Does this sound right?

[Ben Franz]

I used to tell my glass guy to round/soften the edges - I think they use a belt sander to do it. The pencil edge is a grinding process and more expensive. I don't ever remember using tempered glass for small to medium sizes - you might ask a good glass shop what they would recommend for your application.

[James Stokes]

You can have several kinds of edges. The first is a seamed edge. That is simply taking the sharp edge off with a belt sander. Then you have a polished edge. On this they take off the sharp edge and then polish that out to give you a clear edge on the glass, then you have the pencil edge which is basicly a double bull nose completely polished out.

[mark page]

+ what James stated. I have never had the need for anything further than a polished edge.

[David DeCristoforo]

A "pencil edge" is actually a roundover, typically of a small (1/8" +/-) radius. If you just want the sharp corner taken off but not actually rounded, the correct term is "eased"

[Robert Parrish]

I don't use tempered glass for shelves just 1/4" with polished edges. I will be installing some today if it warms up enough so I can spray the cabinets first.

[Karl Brogger]

James!! Thank you! I worked in a glass factory briefly ten years ago, I could for the life of me remember what it was called. Seaming... duh. We had basically two big belt sanders set at an angle opposite of one another to hit both edges prior to tempering.