Cut Costs By Cutting Your Own Glass

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GLASS STORES specialize in window glass, plate glass, auto glass, stained glass, or any combination thereof. You can pick up new glass at such outlets for less than you'd pay at a hardware store. These specialists also are often willing to cut your purchase into some pretty weird shapes, if you want them to.

Aside from dealing in brand-new wares, specialty stores are also frequently a good source of inexpensive and (sometimes) free glass. Ask if there are any seconds available. A second could be a pane that's pitted, scratched, or perhaps a bit distorted . . . none of which, for all practical purposes, affects the piece's utility. If you don't mind such imperfections, seconds offer the purchaser a good way to save a substantial amount of bread.

Also inquire about cracked laminated satety glass. The store's manager might think you're cracked, but actually, damaged safety glass can be put to good use in cold frames, greenhouses, and whatnot. (The "sandwich" material leaves even cracked sheets of glass with enough strength so that they'll work OK in most applications.) If your shop carries cracked safety glass, you should be able to get it for free . . . or nearly so, in any case. Busy shops constantly remove such damaged panes and sheets from cars or trucks that are having new windows installed. If your local outlet doesn't carry any cracked auto glass—and they may not—it's probably because more and more cars today are equipped with tempered windows which, instead of cracking when damaged, just disintegrate into thousands of jewel-like bits and pieces.

Unfortunately, dealers simply don't use as much laminated glass as they once did. Nevertheless, inquire anyway and ask if they'll save you any odd pieces they come across which might otherwise go in the trash.

AUTO WRECKERS are, of course, a good potential source of laminated safety glass—cracked or intact—should your local glass shop not have any.

BUILDING WRECKERS, SALVAGE YARDS, SECOND HAND STORES, AND COUNTRY AUCTIONS, all are good places to look for low-cost used glass. If you dig awhile, you're likely to find old storm windows, sliding glass doors, framed picture windows . . . and who knows what else.

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