BHS, call me between 8:30 and 9:00 am at 347-813-9635. I will be coming to Brooklyn in the morning and can put the glass in the car. there is only one bigger piece that will meet your 20×20 need (and I hope it even meets that; I’ll measure it in the morning). the others are smaller.
It’s free and I hate to leave it in my shop – I am a woodworker and it will get broken.
you can get a glass cutter at the hardware store. do not use a box cutter. mind you, cutting restoration glass can be a little tricky as it is uneven which can cause breaks to run in odd directions.
Steve, where are you located? I’d be interested in the old glass if it’s still available. I have a few roughly 20×20″ panes than need replacing in 90-year old windows, but only one immediately. The existing glass to be matched is quite thin–maybe 1/8″. Are glass cutters expensive? Can I use a box or exacto knife instead?
If it’s a french door, the issue might be a little more complicated. I don’t know if I just got unlucky and ran into two oddball doors, but when I replaced panes in two old french doors, (two different jobs) both the doors had been assembled in one shot so there was no glazing, or removable trim. I ended up making a template and VERY carefully routed out one side of the mullion and replaced it with wooden trim after replacing the glass. Doable, but a big pain in the neck.
If there is no glazing compound on one side of the door, you make have to remove the trim work. Sometimes it is hard to tell which side has trim work held on with brads and which side the trim is actually part of the divider, particularly if the door has many coats of paint. If it is an exterior door, usually the removable trim will be on the inside. Once ascertained, use a knife to score the layers of paint between the divider and trim. Then, using a sharp, stiff putty knife, pry at the trim – maybe even tap it lightly with a hammer between the trim and divide. The trim will come free in the center first and will be held tight on the edges by the opposing trim. Once you have it loose, try to pull it away from the glass in the center and the edges should turn and pop out. Once done, remove the remaining trim.
You can get a precut pane of glass at a hardware. I generally buy the next size up and cut them on site with a glass cutter. To size, allow at least 1/16″ on all sides for movement. To cut, place the glass on a flat surface. Using a straight edge as a guide, score the glass ONE time. Apply some pressure when scoring but not so much that you crack the glass. Once scored, place the score over the sharp edge of a counter and with you hand spread out a little along the glass (four fingers along the bottom, thumb and heel of thumb along top) bend; should break clean. Plier helps if you have any uneven breaks that need to be cleaned up (though the pliers take some practice; initially you will do more damage), but that really should not happen on a small piece like this.
Once sized place the glass and trim. It helps to use a brad driver to push the nails in. You can use a hammer but you know the risk. You may have to caulk the trim as it may be a little nicked from removal.
This is a 15 minute job for someone who has done it before and has the tools.
If you are replacing an old piece of glass, I mean century old, I have some restoration glass here that I tried to give away on this site a month ago. It is glass with minor imperfections in it (some “seeds”, runs, a few small bubbles) like it was made a long time ago. It is yours for the asking.
BHS, call me between 8:30 and 9:00 am at 347-813-9635. I will be coming to Brooklyn in the morning and can put the glass in the car. there is only one bigger piece that will meet your 20×20 need (and I hope it even meets that; I’ll measure it in the morning). the others are smaller.
It’s free and I hate to leave it in my shop – I am a woodworker and it will get broken.
you can get a glass cutter at the hardware store. do not use a box cutter. mind you, cutting restoration glass can be a little tricky as it is uneven which can cause breaks to run in odd directions.
Steve
Glass cutters are cheap, a few dollars. Easy to use once you get the hang of it.
Steve, where are you located? I’d be interested in the old glass if it’s still available. I have a few roughly 20×20″ panes than need replacing in 90-year old windows, but only one immediately. The existing glass to be matched is quite thin–maybe 1/8″. Are glass cutters expensive? Can I use a box or exacto knife instead?
If it’s a french door, the issue might be a little more complicated. I don’t know if I just got unlucky and ran into two oddball doors, but when I replaced panes in two old french doors, (two different jobs) both the doors had been assembled in one shot so there was no glazing, or removable trim. I ended up making a template and VERY carefully routed out one side of the mullion and replaced it with wooden trim after replacing the glass. Doable, but a big pain in the neck.
I used Mega Glass on 5th ave and Bergen? for very small jobs on my windows. They were great.
If there is no glazing compound on one side of the door, you make have to remove the trim work. Sometimes it is hard to tell which side has trim work held on with brads and which side the trim is actually part of the divider, particularly if the door has many coats of paint. If it is an exterior door, usually the removable trim will be on the inside. Once ascertained, use a knife to score the layers of paint between the divider and trim. Then, using a sharp, stiff putty knife, pry at the trim – maybe even tap it lightly with a hammer between the trim and divide. The trim will come free in the center first and will be held tight on the edges by the opposing trim. Once you have it loose, try to pull it away from the glass in the center and the edges should turn and pop out. Once done, remove the remaining trim.
You can get a precut pane of glass at a hardware. I generally buy the next size up and cut them on site with a glass cutter. To size, allow at least 1/16″ on all sides for movement. To cut, place the glass on a flat surface. Using a straight edge as a guide, score the glass ONE time. Apply some pressure when scoring but not so much that you crack the glass. Once scored, place the score over the sharp edge of a counter and with you hand spread out a little along the glass (four fingers along the bottom, thumb and heel of thumb along top) bend; should break clean. Plier helps if you have any uneven breaks that need to be cleaned up (though the pliers take some practice; initially you will do more damage), but that really should not happen on a small piece like this.
Once sized place the glass and trim. It helps to use a brad driver to push the nails in. You can use a hammer but you know the risk. You may have to caulk the trim as it may be a little nicked from removal.
This is a 15 minute job for someone who has done it before and has the tools.
If you are replacing an old piece of glass, I mean century old, I have some restoration glass here that I tried to give away on this site a month ago. It is glass with minor imperfections in it (some “seeds”, runs, a few small bubbles) like it was made a long time ago. It is yours for the asking.
Steve
http://www.thetinkerswagon.com
Should be fairly easy to do it yourself. Get a piece of glass cut to size, remove putty from old light, replace.