Glass Shelving-Help Needed

[Jimbuna]

I've recently built 1 1/2 out of 2 of these (6 sections out of 8 supplied)...the damn things looked like they could be built vertically and horizontally in the advert but I've found out to my cost they can't and because of room size limitations I've ended up with 2 sections spare (there are four sections to each unit) :stare:

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/images/products/besta-wall-cabinet__0117389_PE272482_S4.JPG

I don't like the fact they came with wooden shelves, meaning the models at the rear of the lowest and uppermost sections will be difficult to view.

My plan is to replace them with 6mm glass shelving measuring 560mm x 354mm.

The glass needn't be toughened because under UK H&S legislation that is only required if they are to be wall mounted, not when freestanding which these will be.

There is only one glazier in my hometown and I have been quoted £24 per shelf, I require 12.

Anyone got any ideas?

[TarJak]

Give these guys a go. http://www.mirrorsandglass.co.uk/shop/made-to-measure-glass-shelves-cut-to-size Toughened glass at 22 quid a pop. You put in your measurements and they tell you how much.

[Jimbuna]

Good link Grant cheers :up: but the £25 saving is all but gobbled up by the price of post and carriage :-?

[Tribesman]

Any scrap/salvage yard or council recycling in the area where you could grab some and cut and rub them yourself?

[Jimbuna]

Any scrap/salvage yard or council recycling in the area where you could grab some and cut and rub them yourself?

Non that I'm aware of currently but twenty or so year ago I would have said "What an excellent option".

Scrap these days is swiftly sisposed of to meet government targets for recycling etc.

Pity it wasn't applicable to local councils :DL

[Osmium Steele]

Would Plexiglass be an option in your neck of the ocean? It would have to be thick, probably as thick as the current wood shelves. A 1 inch strip can be epoxied to the rear to provide additional strength.

I know that would be just as expensive, if not moreso, in this area.

[Herr-Berbunch]

One glazier in the whole of the Newcastle area? :o

I bet he's busy! :O:

In my local tip/dump/household waste recycling center it is an offence to remove any items. Surely the best way for recycling is to get people to take what they want to use?!?! :-?

For OS's suggestion, http://www.acrylic-online.co.uk will do those sizes, 12 of, in clear acrylic for £136.01, and you can collect (err, from Hull, but that's not too far? 120 miles A19?). Or if 6mm is too thick you could go for 4mm for a hundred notes. :hmmm:


PS - I know a couple of Glazers in Manchester, but they don't come recommended.

[sidslotm]

Me, I would use the provided shelves for the time being and bide my time. Something will turn up and them you can fix it the way you like.

The glass your buying must have finished edges judging by the price, thats a lot of money if there not.

[Jimbuna]

Would Plexiglass be an option in your neck of the ocean? It would have to be thick, probably as thick as the current wood shelves. A 1 inch strip can be epoxied to the rear to provide additional strength.

I know that would be just as expensive, if not moreso, in this area.

That's a good idea...never considered that :up:

One glazier in the whole of the Newcastle area? :o

I bet he's busy! :O:

In my local tip/dump/household waste recycling center it is an offence to remove any items. Surely the best way for recycling is to get people to take what they want to use?!?! :-?

For OS's suggestion, http://www.acrylic-online.co.uk will do those sizes, 12 of, in clear acrylic for £136.01, and you can collect (err, from Hull, but that's not too far? 120 miles A19?). Or if 6mm is too thick you could go for 4mm for a hundred notes. :hmmm:


PS - I know a couple of Glazers in Manchester, but they don't come recommended.

Used to be three in South Shields but only one now, Newcastle is ten mile up river :03:

Great link....food for thought now :hmmm:

[THE_MASK]

Glass cutting isnt easy . I did it for over 20 years . You will need a new glass cutter . You can sharpen old ones but you need a slate stone and its impossible to do if you dont know what you are doing . Ok , so you have a new cutter . You also need a straight edge , something like a thin piece of wood say no more than 6mm thick and about 2 inches wide . Some oil , any type will do . Be careful you dont get toughened glass because if you score that it will explode . Laminated glass like whats in shower doors is no good either . Lay the glass down on a blanket on a table . Warning dont ever carry glass flat . Placing on a table etc you should be holding vertically one hand on top and one on bottom . Rest the glass on the edge of the table and slowly tip it onto the table keeping the glass resting on the edge of the table at all times . Put a blanket on a table and put the glass on the blanket .
glass cutting.
The glass cutter wheel has to be perfect . In other words if you go over a cut you just did with the wheel then its destroyed . So what you do is start at the top of the pane and in one smooth stroke with even pressure cut down the length of the glass . Clean the glass where you will be cutting and dip the end of the cutter in some oil (engine oil etc) so you have a nice wet cut . Never cut dry . Get someone to press down on the wooden straight edge at the top and press down the wooden straight edge at the bottom with your left hand . You dont want the straight edge to move but not too much pressure .
Holding the cutter
Hold it exactly like a pencil . Except have the shaft of the cutter in between the index and middle finger .
You just want enough pressure to score the glass . You are not trying to cut thru the glass , just scoring the surface .
Mark the cut with a marker pen and allow 2mm for the width of the cutter . In other words move the straight edge 2mm to the left of the mark to allow for the cutter width .
Once its scored
Lift the edge of the glass up and place the straight edge under the cut . Put some gloves on and slightly press down on the glass . It should just snap .

I never told you this bit
Do this at your own risk
Cleaning the edges
Put on safety goggles . Get out your 4 inch angle grinder and rub some oil into the grinding wheel surface . Put some gloves on and just ever so lightly feather the wheel along the sharp glass edge on an angle . You just want to take off the sharp edge . You want to be touching the edge that softly that you are only just sure you touched it . Never run your finger along the edge of glass length ways to check . I have seen people do this . Ouch .

[Jimbuna]

Me, I would use the provided shelves for the time being and bide my time. Something will turn up and them you can fix it the way you like.

The glass your buying must have finished edges judging by the price, thats a lot of money if there not.

Yeah....fully finished @£24 a pop for 6mm thickness.

Glass cutting isnt easy . I did it for over 20 years . You will need a new glass cutter . You can sharpen old ones but you need a slate stone and its impossible to do if you dont know what you are doing . Ok , so you have a new cutter . You also need a straight edge , something like a thin piece of wood say no more than 6mm thick and about 2 inches wide . Some oil , any type will do . Be careful you dont get toughened glass because if you score that it will explode . Laminated glass like whats in shower doors is no good either . Lay the glass down on a blanket on a table . Warning dont ever carry glass flat . Placing on a table etc you should be holding vertically one hand on top and one on bottom . Rest the glass on the edge of the table and slowly tip it onto the table keeping the glass resting on the edge of the table at all times . Put a blanket on a table and put the glass on the blanket .
glass cutting.
The glass cutter wheel has to be perfect . In other words if you go over a cut you just did with the wheel then its destroyed . So what you do is start at the top of the pane and in one smooth stroke with even pressure cut down the length of the glass . Clean the glass where you will be cutting and dip the end of the cutter in some oil (engine oil etc) so you have a nice wet cut . Never cut dry . Get someone to press down on the wooden straight edge at the top and press down the wooden straight edge at the bottom with your left hand . You dont want the straight edge to move but not too much pressure .
Holding the cutter
Hold it exactly like a pencil . Except have the shaft of the cutter in between the index and middle finger .
You just want enough pressure to score the glass . You are not trying to cut thru the glass , just scoring the surface .
Once its scored
Lift the edge of the glass up and place the straight edge under the cut . Put some gloves on and slightly press down on the glass . It should just snap .

Good advice...reminds of the few 10" show tanks I built for showing tropical fish years ago.

I think I broke every tip you've given and paid for it in extra purchases of glass sheeting :DL

I thank you all for your input, it is very muchh appreciated but being a lazy sod (on a good day) I'm leaning towards the expensive option.....fully finished/ready for fitting and a mile or so down the road :yep:

When the pictures are posted of the finished assembly you can all tell me how I've wasted my money :DL

[Osmium Steele]

Sometimes, the extra pound paid for convenience is money well spent. :up:

[Tribesman]

Sometimes, the extra pound paid for convenience is money well spent.
You have to look at the bigger picture.
If he can convince the wife he saved money on the glass she won't be able to go quite so mad when she sees the next additions to the collection.

[sidslotm]

Glass cutting isnt easy . I did it for over 20 years . You will need a new glass cutter . You can sharpen old ones but you need a slate stone and its impossible to do if you dont know what you are doing . Ok , so you have a new cutter . You also need a straight edge , something like a thin piece of wood say no more than 6mm thick and about 2 inches wide . Some oil , any type will do . Be careful you dont get toughened glass because if you score that it will explode . Laminated glass like whats in shower doors is no good either . Lay the glass down on a blanket on a table . Warning dont ever carry glass flat . Placing on a table etc you should be holding vertically one hand on top and one on bottom . Rest the glass on the edge of the table and slowly tip it onto the table keeping the glass resting on the edge of the table at all times . Put a blanket on a table and put the glass on the blanket .
glass cutting.
The glass cutter wheel has to be perfect . In other words if you go over a cut you just did with the wheel then its destroyed . So what you do is start at the top of the pane and in one smooth stroke with even pressure cut down the length of the glass . Clean the glass where you will be cutting and dip the end of the cutter in some oil (engine oil etc) so you have a nice wet cut . Never cut dry . Get someone to press down on the wooden straight edge at the top and press down the wooden straight edge at the bottom with your left hand . You dont want the straight edge to move but not too much pressure .
Holding the cutter
Hold it exactly like a pencil . Except have the shaft of the cutter in between the index and middle finger .
You just want enough pressure to score the glass . You are not trying to cut thru the glass , just scoring the surface .
Mark the cut with a marker pen and allow 2mm for the width of the cutter . In other words move the straight edge 2mm to the left of the mark to allow for the cutter width .
Once its scored
Lift the edge of the glass up and place the straight edge under the cut . Put some gloves on and slightly press down on the glass . It should just snap .

I never told you this bit
Do this at your own risk
Cleaning the edges
Put on safety goggles . Get out your 4 inch angle grinder and rub some oil into the grinding wheel surface . Put some gloves on and just ever so lightly feather the wheel along the sharp glass edge on an angle . You just want to take off the sharp edge . You want to be touching the edge that softly that you are only just sure you touched it . Never run your finger along the edge of glass length ways to check . I have seen people do this . Ouch .

Some very very handy tips from a professional, thanks sober.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Tell her-indoors that you'll buy her a new glass cleaning spray! That should do it. :D

[Webster]

Anyone got any ideas?


have you thought about building one of these?

http://www.ehow.com/how_5035413_build-plexiglass-display-cabinet.html

plexi is a great option for things you want to be able to see :up:

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Tell her-indoors that you'll buy her a new glass cleaning spray! That should do it. :D:haha:

[Jimbuna]

Tell her-indoors that you'll buy her a new glass cleaning spray! That should do it. :D

LOL :DL

Not man enough :oops:

have you thought about building one of these?

http://www.ehow.com/how_5035413_build-plexiglass-display-cabinet.html

plexi is a great option for things you want to be able to see :up:

Oh I agree but the cabinet is delivered and built now....I'll pull a few pictures off the camera :up:

[Jimbuna]

This is the cabinet with the doors on plus a few of the wooden shelves in situ...it measures 120cm wide x 192cm high and 42cm deep and stands on a base I built 24cm up from the floor (to alleviate the need to get down on ones knees to see the contents of the lower section) I seriously undercalculated and have a further section (counting each pairing as a section) stored in the garage :oops:


http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/928/p1000897s.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/p1000897s.jpg/)

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3307/p1000898ty.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/710/p1000898ty.jpg/)

EDIT: May as well include this seeing as how I've made reference to it in the past....the 1/96 (8') hull of HMS Illustrious I've meaning to build for about 25 years :oops:

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/3747/p1000879tf.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/542/p1000879tf.jpg/)

[sidslotm]

have you thought about building one of these?

http://www.ehow.com/how_5035413_build-plexiglass-display-cabinet.html

plexi is a great option for things you want to be able to see :up:

Another handy link, maybe we should have a dedicated DIY thread. I had to fix a hot water tap the other day, got me biggest hammer and fixed it :DL Joking aside, I find as I'm getting older my confidence is failing me, the skills are still there, it's the stepping up and doing it.

[THE_MASK]

I had these rocks and mineral collection lying around . So i bought an old antique wardrobe . Took the front panels off , painted the interior flat black . Nailed some 1/2 x 1/2 pine strips on the side and put some glass shelves in . Put a light on the top and a mirror on the bottom , put the rocks in . Looks quite nice .