Glass query

[flh801978]

I have a job to make a friend a coffee table to display a large lump of coke !!! The black stuff type
Its a special piece to celebrate a lifetime working for the coke industry.
Its 3ft x 1ft x 1ft ish
The table is going to be 4ft long x 2ft wide
My plan is to cut a 3ft x 1ft hole in the table top and rebate to fit glass
Question is does it need to be toughened and what thickness would be ok?
Maybe grandchildren to be aware of in the future

And then I'm making a box arrangement under the top with glass sides again what thickness? And is toughening recommended?

 

[yetloh]

You definitely need toughened glass and I would go for 6mm. You could probably go down to 4mm for the sides but again, have toughened - a necessity for any situation where children might be in close proximity. Laminated would be equally suitable but probably more expensive without any real advatage.

Jim

 

[RobinBHM]

There may be a minimum size for toughening, about 250mm x 100mm from memory.

Small pieces of glass warp a bit when toughened, so if the sides of the box are small, realise the glass pieces may not be perfectly flat.

Either ask for a furniture mark or no toughening mark, as a big kite mark on each piece woukd look ugly.

 

[flh801978]

Thanks for the replies guys

How big a rebate on the top is best to aim for? Will 10mm be ok?

The sides are likely to be 3ft x 1ft and ends 1ft square

 

[dickm]

toughened would be better than nothing, but remember that it only takes a tiny press with a sharp point into toughened glass for it to shatter, albeit into non-dangerous small pieces (my daughter's favourite way of teaching her students about the dangers). Laminated would be much better if you can get it.

 

[tomatwark]

Glass in furniture has to be safety glass, either toughened or laminated.

You will want to ask them to put a furniture mark on it instead of the usual round circle you normally get, it is a etched line along the edge and is a lot less noticeable.

I would go for toughened as you will need to have the edges polished and laminated glass is normally supplied as cut.

It may be worth thinking about going for 8mm, not so much for strength as it looks a lot more of a quality job.

I always us 8mm for shelves as the edges look better polished.

 

[flh801978]

Thanks Tomatwark

I have a coffee table that i've had 20 years with a glass inlayed top but its supported on printers type
Its 6mm and had lots dropped on it abuse from children etc

Is that ok for me but if I was selling item not ok?

Ian

 

[flh801978]

So toughened will be ok and legal but laminated better?
Can i have laminated edges made safe? I'm rebating it into the timber top
Ian

 

[tomatwark]

Toughened tends to be cheaper than laminated, you probably an get laminated ground to se the cut edge but I would go for toughened.