1/4" glass edge polishing

[newood2]

I'm using 1/4" plate glass for curio shelves. The dimensions are 12" X 24". I'm deciding whether to buy them with polished edges or do it myself. I have the Hitachi benchtop disc/belt sander, but I've never worked with glass before. I could save some money doing it myself, but is it worth it. Is it a simple task?
What do you guys think?

Howie

[shoottx]

Not with my luck with glass!


It would take a truck load of glass to get the few pieces I would need,and it would take a truck load of band aids to patch me up

I'll save money in some areas but glass is one I leave to the experts!

[MikeMcCoy]

My supplier doesn't charge anything extra for the polished edges.

[cabinetman]

I'm using 1/4" plate glass for curio shelves. The dimensions are 12" X 24". I'm deciding whether to buy them with polished edges or do it myself. I have the Hitachi benchtop disc/belt sander, but I've never worked with glass before. I could save some money doing it myself, but is it worth it. Is it a simple task?
What do you guys think?

Howie

If you get it cut somewhere, there's some terminology that might help. Glass in 1/4" thickness is referred to as "clear plate".

To just have it cut is the cheapest.

You can have it cut and "seamed". That means they just grind the sharp edges off. Some shops don't charge for that. I'd recommend you get at least that as it would be easier to handle the pieces.

Asking for a "polish" entails a few meanings depending on the shop. In the roughest finish, would be a sanded edge which would leave it somewhat matte looking. Or, a "cork" polish would leave it in a slick surface like the face. Both of those finishes would likely be a charge by the linear inch.

If you want to do the edges yourself, you can sand the edges dry with either a disc sander (rotating), or a belt sander. You have to use silicon carbide sandpaper. You could start with 220x. That will leave a matte finish, but it will be smooth. Whichever you use, you have to only sand in one direction and the speed has to be very slow. You should just bump the trigger to keep it moving. If you don't you could get the glass too hot. I wouldn't recommend sanding the edges on a bench top type belt sander as it might be too difficult to control the movement or speed.
.

[cgallery]

My supplier doesn't charge anything extra for the polished edges.

+1 on that.

I'd call around and get some hard prices before deciding whether you're actually saving any money.

[charliex]

Cman is right. Glass needs water to keep it cool when grinding or it will heat in one spot and break. I have 3 years working in a glass shop. If you want to try it for yourself use a peice of scrap. I think you will get a quick education. The little you save isn't worth taking the expense of replacing what you break.
Chas

[Uncle Cracker]

And you do not even want to expose yourself to breathing that dust... Another advantage to a wet process...

[cabinetman]

And you do not even want to expose yourself to breathing that dust... Another advantage to a wet process...

Dust control is a benefit of wet sanding not a primary reason. Wet sanding is done with stationary equipment intended for that purpose. Handheld power tools should not be used for wet sanding. Primarily, wet sanding is to cool the glass and sanding device. It also keeps the abrasive material from loading up or wearing off too fast, and acts as a lubricant.

As a procedure addendum, If there are no power tools like a hand held disc sander, or a hand held belt sander, the glass edge can be done entirely by hand. Using a narrow block 1" to 1.5" wide and wrapping silicone carbide sandpaper (wet-or-dry) tightly, the sharp edges can be chamfered, by starting with 120x, and the flats can be sanded to a fairly high finish by graduating up to 1200x. Naturally, you could take it to 2000x or even higher depending on how clear you want the edge. This can be done wet or dry, but wet will be faster. I gotta say, it's a lot of hand work.
.

[newood2]

Thanks y'all for the input. I'll stay far away from doing it and let the shop. Pay them the extra money.
Howie

[pelligrini]

It doesn't sound like it would be in the budget, but you might get some pricing on a beveled edge. I always like the detailed look of a beveled glass.

I don't think it's exactly cheap, our builder on some condos we did recently really tried to get out of doing the beveled mirrors we had in the specs.

[Uncle Cracker]

Wet sanding is done with stationary equipment intended for that purpose. Handheld power tools should not be used for wet sanding.

Certainly hope nobody got the idea I was recommending that they douse their belt sander with H2O and fire it up. I have a slow grinder that is designed for wet use. I have used it to polish glass edges and round off corners. I have also used wet/dry paper and a rubber sanding block for smallish jobs. And it is a fact that the water absorbs the dust.

[cabinetman]

It doesn't sound like it would be in the budget, but you might get some pricing on a beveled edge. I always like the detailed look of a beveled glass.

I don't think it's exactly cheap, our builder on some condos we did recently really tried to get out of doing the beveled mirrors we had in the specs.

Beveled glass and mirror is definitely a good looker. But, in this particular case the OP is doing shelves. Besides an expense that may or may not be that visible, there are structural considerations. Beveling can be done to produce a bevel width from approximately 1/2" to about 1" from the edge. Give or take a small amount the taper finishes about 1/16" (depending on the width) less of a thickness at the edge. The bevel geometry may be determined by the thickness of the glass. IOW, 1/8" would be a poor subject to start with compared to 1/4", etc. So, for shelving, it would reduce the capacity of the shelf. For light loads it may not be a problem.

I have done glass and mirror inserts in a wood framed shelves, using beveled edges on the glass, and it does have a unique appeal. I've found that for beveled glass in doors, a wide bevel shows better, as part of the edge sits in a rabbet or in a groove.
.

[pelligrini]

Good point on the loading and strength of the shelving.

Running a bevel on the front edge shouldn't affect the capacity much, and would reduce the cost per shelf by 2/3 for the bevel grinding.

I never did get a figure for the price per inch on those mirrors we did. "significant" was always included though. We did have around 70 in all, many were huge.