Glass ordering

[Aaron Beaver]

I built a medicine cabinet and need a glass panel for the door and then some glass shelves. Do most people just buy the glass local? I called one store and they charge $8 per piece to cut it to size, so if I had 3 shelves and one panel it would be $32 just for cutting then the price of glass on top of that. Maybe its not, but it seems a little high just for cutting to size. I am looking to see if there is a less expensive way of getting this. I tried looking online a little but didn't find any sites that I could order it cut to size.

Thanks for any help or direction.

[John Timberlake]

I had to get some glass a few years ago and only had to pay for the glass that I purchased. Sounds like you have a store that handles glass as a sideline. Look around and ask friends. Bet you can find a better deal than that.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

This is always a bit of a problem for me too. Either it's very expensive, or many places don't want to be bothered with small orders. Keep looking around though. Sorry to not have any good advice...I'd be interested to hear what other folks think also.
-Jeff

[Alan Shaw]

Aaron

Besure you get temper glass not plate glass. The code in most towns require temper glass. That way if it breaks it does not shatter.

[Byron Trantham]

I get my glass from a local glass shop. Years back I shopped for my first purchase and found out the price varies widely. I found the cheapest and have been with them ever since. Tempered glass is EXPENSIVE though you may have to use it. Good luck.

[Aaron Beaver]

The glass place I tried I was looking into was a stained glass place. They sell all sorts of glass, patterned, colored, etc, and even have stained glass classes.

I don't have a problem buying the glass from them, they only make you buy a sq foot as minimum. Problem is cutting it and then smoothing the front edge of the shelves. They said they would buff one edge so you couldn't cut yourself, but that was and extra $2. geesh Guess maybe I need to see what it takes to cut and smooth glass to see if I want to go that direction.

[Gary Jacuk]

Aaron,
I spent many years as a glazier and we used to polish the edges of our mirrors with a belt sander! 80 grit to grind away any uneveness up to 120 or 150 to polish things up. Glass shops will charge you for whatever size piece they cut your stuff out of. Get a good glass cutter and approach them about buying some cutoffs that will suit your needs, then cut and polish them yourself.

Gary

[Aaron Beaver]

Aaron,
I spent many years as a glazier and we used to polish the edges of our mirrors with a belt sander! 80 grit to grind away any uneveness up to 120 or 150 to polish things up. Glass shops will charge you for whatever size piece they cut your stuff out of. Get a good glass cutter and approach them about buying some cutoffs that will suit your needs, then cut and polish them yourself.

Gary


Thanks Gary, will all I need is a cutter & sander? Are there any other glass specialty tools that I might need to help cut/break it apart?

[Jeff Horton]

The glass place I tried I was looking into was a stained glass place. They sell all sorts of glass, patterned, colored, etc, and even have stained glass classes.

I think that is your problem. You need to go a real glass company that does the type of work you wanting. I am going to need the glass for my garage doors soon. I will deal with a local glass company that does windows, mirrors, shower doors, that sort of thing. Stained glass is a specialty, so I suspect they can get away with charging more.

[Frank Pellow]

Most of our local hardware stores (the ones that reamin :( ), seem to have stoped cutting glass within the last 5 to 10 years. None of the local big box stores that replaced them cut gless.

I was told by one hardware store owner that they stopped cutting glass because of insurance costs and tend to believe that this is one factor.

When I first encountered this, I phoned about half a dozen glass places in that I found in the phone book and picked the one that seemed to have the best combination of prices, products, and services. I have stuck with them ever since for both glass and mirrors.

[Reg Mitchell]

Good moring Aron
Any GOOD glass shop will do what every you want. The glass is pretty simple to cut and "cutting to size" Is what they do. Normally the flat gring and seam the glass if it gos into a cabinet but you can have a pencil edge put on it, but only do the front side because that is the only side that will be seen. We use to charge.25 an inch for that. If your gonna polish the edges you would need a cork belt and they are expensive and you will only find them in 48" lengths. Too if you polish an edge you will HAVE to have water to keep it cool enough not to fracture, crack, or chip.
If I were foing to put it in as shelves I would not use tempered glasss simply because it it gets dinged on the edge it WILL shatter into tiny 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces. Even thought tempered glass is very strong as for carrying wheight, it can be shaterd it you hit it pretty hard on the edge.
I use to work in a tempering plant i Fla. and alose a glass and mirror shop that mirrored yatchs. It is an are unto itselp and very beautiful when carved with pictures and scenery on it back lighted