Securing Glass in a Wood Door

[yfs1]

Just looking for a bit of advice. Im working on my first project with glass inserts in doors (fairly large) and was looking for some guidance.

I built it as a shaker style door (Four sections of the frame joined by glue and biscuits. I then rabbited a groove on the inside back. I already have the glass which drops in.

Basically I am now thinking it might have been better to dado the rails and slide the glass in but its too late to go that route.

So... whats te best way to secure the glass initially and make sure it doesn't rattle. Does regular clear silicon have some adhesion properties?

I will be putting wood pieces in after the glass to hold it in but they will not be exceptional beefy (I didn't realize laminated glass was actually double thickness).

I learn with every new project (improving every time) so Im looking forward to comments!!

 

[BradNaylor]

Just looking for a bit of advice. Im working on my first project with glass inserts in doors (fairly large) and was looking for some guidance.

I built it as a shaker style door (Four sections of the frame joined by glue and biscuits. I then rabbited a groove on the inside back. I already have the glass which drops in.

Basically I am now thinking it might have been better to dado the rails and slide the glass in but its too late to go that route.

So... whats te best way to secure the glass initially and make sure it doesn't rattle. Does regular clear silicon have some adhesion properties?

I will be putting wood pieces in after the glass to hold it in but they will not be exceptional beefy (I didn't realize laminated glass was actually double thickness).

I learn with every new project (improving every time) so Im looking forward to comments!!

Hi yfs1,

Some of your terminology is a bit confusing. I presume you mean that you have cut a rebate on the back side of the door to drop the glass into.

The glass needs to be held in with a wooden bead, as you suggest. If the depth of the rebate is insufficient to accomodate a decent sized bead once the glass is in place, you have a couple of options:

1. Increase the depth of the rebate using a router and bearing guided rebate cutter. You will need to square up the corners with a chisel.

2. On the router table machine an 'L' shaped bead which holds the glass in place and wraps round the corner of the rebate and onto the rear face of the door. This bead is glued and pinned onto the back of the door right around the glass opening and mitred in the corners. This is my preferred method - I have used it many times and it makes for a very neat solution.

On big glass doors I would run a small bead of clear silicone around the edge of the glass before applying the bead. This will eliminate any potential rattle of the glass in the door.

Good luck.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Waka]

You should have no problem using a thin layer of clear silicon, this will hold it in place while you secure the wood trim, bearing in mind that you only want a very thin layer.

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you don't want to use silicone, there is a tape which is used to stop the glass rattling. It works really well and I think it was probably in common use before the days of stuff like silicone sealant. I've used it in the past but can't remember what it's called - it looks a bit like chamois leather. You just put it around the edge of the glass and it's concealed by the rebate and the beading. Any excess can be cut off after fixing with a sharp blade. You should be able to buy it at the same place you get your glass.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[jasonB]

The tape is called "wash leather"

If you do use silicone it should ideally be a low modulus one.

Jason

 

[Anonymous]

Hi yfr1

6mm dia manmade silk cord stapled in position. The glass placed on a thin layer of silicon followed by a thin bead of selicon with the cord beaded in the silicon and stapled.

The ends of the cord are sealed with clear tap before cutting to stop the ends from coming undone.

 

[The Bear]

Hi

I have a pair of French Doors just like you describe, 7 feet high and each 21 inch wide. I used silicon as most others described but be ware if you ever need to replace the glass it will be stuck like hell with even a thin layer all the way round. With toughened glass you will hopefully never need to replace it. For glazing you should use a neutral curing silicon, ordinary silicon is acidic and marks the glass. With care the silicon should be under the beading but if the layer is too thick you may push it beyond the beading

 

[BradNaylor]

An interesting solution Alan,

I'm not too sure that it's a success aesthetically, however.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Anonymous]

Some fifteen years past matron and I went to York for a long weekend. While there we had a tour round Fairfax House and viewed the Noel Terry Collection (chocolate orange terry) and being a nosey sort of guy I had a look inside the fine pieces of furniture and low and behold some of the glazing beads where / are in silk cord. So ascertaining if this forum of glazing was genuine I thought what was good enough for the old masters would be alright for me. And so all my small collectors cabinets I use this type of glazing bead and it works extremely well. When you think the thickness of the door is finished at 22mm and with the moulding taking up 50% plus the 4mm for the toughened glass the 6mm dia cord is ideal. Give it a go you have every thing to gain and northing to lose my fine fellow.

Alan

 

[billybuntus]

A thin bead of clear silicone works every time, if you do put too much on and when you press your beading into place it squeezes out DON'T try and clean it off immediatley as you'll be left with a right mess.

Wait until it dries then run a razor blade along the edge of your beading to cut the dried silicone and simply peel it off.

Thanks,
Steven

 

[woodbloke]

An interesting solution Alan,

I'm not too sure that it's a success aesthetically, however.

Cheers
Dan

I did wonder what the cord was doing in the rebate...not sure I like it either. I think my way would be to use a tiny dab of silicone in the middle of each side, just to secure the glass and stop it rattling and then a bead made from a contrasting timber in the rebate. If oak was being used as in Alan's case then maybe some American Black Walnut for the bead, secured with some tiny mirror polished brass screws - Rob

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Team

When I use timber glazing beads I use 21 gauge headless pins thus making the fixing almost invisible once filled with hot melt wax. At the end of the day it is personal choice and some times a timber glazing bead looks just out of place on such small section doors. As I say you can always try it you have northing to lose.

Alan

 

[BradNaylor]

you can always try it you have nothing to lose.

Alan

I thought I'd give it a bash, Alan...


...only trouble is, what do I tie my dressing gown up with now?


:wink: