clear silicone 'buttons' between tabletop glass and metal tabletop, source?

[dave]

wife and I went to 'big box' store today and purchased a nice light aluminum table for back porch use, but same table has what I'd call an 'openwork' surface, aka a decorative 'open' fretwork-like design lots of stuff in life can 'fall through', the tips of pens on paper JUST one example for 'starters'. we'd like to place a round glass .375 in thick tabletop on same table (also already purchased). problem is: the tabletop is intentionally made "crowned slightly"; tabletop's .250 in higher in the center than outer edges. so I'd like to find a source for .250 inch thick clear (or "near clear") silicone "buttons", or whatever these things are normally called. searches of google seemed no help...anybody know who makes these items in 'thicker thicknesses'? and what ARE these dang things 'called' anyway? alternately, I could cut them with a razor knife from 1/4 thick clear silicone sheeting, but can find no source for that, either...also would like some in .125 inch thick, or near, for mid-way between center and outer edge...

wide open here to alternate ideas - the table has some weird factory-applied finish which wouldn't lend itself well to having any other color 'buttons' between the glass and table 'frame'...

thanks in advance

[Jeff Wisnia]

You should be able to cast your own disks out of RTV silicone. You could probably get by with regular clear GE silicone caulk.

Just find some metal or plastic tubing (maybe just PVC pipe)with an appropriate diameter, cut off rings the correct height spray the insides with Pam and fill them with silicone. in a day or so they'll be set and you can pop them out of the molds.

I'd shoot for a thickness closer to 3/8" so you can accept a little set of the silicone.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Art]

Ace hardware sells packgages of clear plastic discs for glass on wood tables..... you could stack them to make your thickness I would think or make sandwiches of 2 with silicone in between.

[Curmudgeon]

you can buy 'em at the same big box store you got the table at. They're around the cabinet hardware area in both felt and clear silicone styles.

[Chet Hayes]

That's good to know. I needed some thin ones a few years ago, and didn't know where to find them either. I bought a piece of clear carpet runner protector stuff and punched them out from that. I have a set of punches used for making holes in gaskets, etc, so it was easy to make them nice and round.

[Charles Spitzer]

they're called bumpons.

[Jeff Wisnia]

Good idea, but he may have to bend the rules and cheat just a little by writing them on a letterhead that looks like he's in an appropriate business to be needing them. He'd ask for a few samples. That link looks like the place sells only to OEMs, in large quantities.

Computers can be very make handy for creating letterheads for just such "schnoring" efforts.

If he gets what he needs he can always toss a little extra in the collection plate to atone for his little "sin".

Jeff

[Charles Spitzer]

that was just the first link that came up in google that i used for an example of what they look like, and how to dags for it. there's a ton of places that these can be bought in quantity few.

[Ian Stirling]

Obtain clear silicone caulk. Make a big blob of it. Now, take two 1/4" sticks. Drag a ruler or something (wetted often) over the caulk, across the sticks, so that you've got a small sheet. Simply cut out with scissors. It's fairly translucent at that thickness.