Cut Costs By Cutting Your Own Glass
Beginners guide to glass cutting, including where to find new and used glass, cut glass the right way, laminated safety glass.
by STUART SILVESTEIN
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One skill which can come in mighty handy to just about
anyone—whether you live on OR off the farm-is glass
cutting.
Now, many homesteaders and suburbanites have taken the time
to become competent carpenters . . . but for some reason,
very few people have ever learned how to [1] find free or
inexpensive glass, and [2] cut it once it's found.
Fact is, of course, a lot of folks are intimidated by glass
because they assume it's too difficult to work with, or too
dang costly in the first place . . . neither of which is
true. Glass cutting is merely a skill that can be learned
(like tanning, canning, or composting) and the techniques
involved are not at all complicated. And anyway, it's just
a matter of time before you'll need to use glass
for your home, cold frame, greenhouse, solar collectors . .
. or whatever.
Sure, you can substitute polyethylene. In a short time,
though, the plastic will become yellowish and brittle and
have to be replaced. Glass is all-around superior because
it's durable, it's not that costly, it's forever
transparent and—best of all—it's not made from
energy-intensive, non-recyclable materials.
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Let's briefly look at some of the different kinds of glass
you'll run across:
WINDOW GLASS is the most common variety
you're likely to work with. It's available in single- and
double-weight thicknesses.
PLATE GLASS is both stronger and thicker
than double-strength window glass, while usually not more
than 3/8" thick.
LAMINATED SAFETY GLASS: Two sheets of
glass bonded together by an extremely tough, clear plastic.
MIRRORS need no introduction, but I might
point out that you can scrape the reflective backing off
most any mirror with a single-edge razor blade,
and—presto!—you'll have another see-through
pane.
WHERE TO FIND NEW AND USED GLASS
HARDWARE STORES usually sell window glass
only, cut to order. (Here, you might as well let them cut
the glass for you. That way, if anything gets broken, the
fault lies with them . . . not you.) While these outlets
are convenient, they are also the most expensive everyday
source of glass.
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