Kitchen disaster with cleaver

[Bonnie Jean]

I have this piece of textured glass panel set into my Formica counter=20 right next to my stove. I don't think it is regular glass...maybe=20 tempered glass? Well, I was chopping up 30 pounds of raw turkey necks=20 and the panel broke into a million pieces. (I sure will do it on a=20 better surface next time.) Now I have to get this replaced. It was about =

20=BD X 16=BD x 5/16 inches. The glass was clear but had a papery backing= on=20 it. It is surrounded by a frame of sorts, that held it into the hole cut =

into the Formica, which I was able to pull out.

So, all you repair people out there...Where do I get glass like this? Is =

there a technical name for it? There is a glass place not far from me.=20 Would they do it or is this a special kitchen item?

Thanks for any advise offer, and happy holidays to all.

Bonnie in NJ

[Doug Kanter]

20½ X 16½ x 5/16 inches. The glass was clear but had a papery backing on it. It is surrounded by a frame of sorts, that held it into the hole cut into the Formica, which I was able to pull out.

So, all you repair people out there...Where do I get glass like this? Is there a technical name for it? There is a glass place not far from me. Would they do it or is this a special kitchen item?

Thanks for any advise offer, and happy holidays to all.

Bonnie in NJ

=============

You were chopping right on the counter, without a cutting board?

[RicodJour]

If it broke into millions of small pieces it's definitely tempered glass. The texturing is a little odd, but I'm sure it has to do with the function of that glass insert. It's meant to be a place where you can put hot pots taken from the stove onto the counter without burning the Formica. The texturing is probably meant to make the bottom of the pan not come into full contact with the glass - it would tend to hold the pot up on the raised contact points and keep the full heat of the pot from coming into contact with the glass all at once. Thermal shock can be a problem with glass.

As you've learned, it's not a chopping board. It's also not a slicing board or anything else that involves steel edges and cutting. Ask your glass guy, I'm sure he'll be able to help, or see if you can remove the insert from below and find a manufacturer's mark to order a new piece of glass.

R

[Bonnie Jean]

Yes (hangs head in shame).

[Jim Yanik]

Bonnie Jean wrote in news:R4ednSOvD7FRgy3eRVn- [e-mail]:

Chopping on a glass surface sure is hard on your knife's edge.

What do you make with 30Lb of turkey necks? (besides a big mess?)

[Jim Yanik]

"Doug Kanter" wrote in news:OcVrf.2043$ [e-mail]:

If it broke into small glass "crumbs",then it's tempered glass. Ordinary glass would break into larger dangerous shards.

I believe she considered the glass insert to be the "cutting board",it may have only been a cover for a (missing?)cutting board. (or filling the hole left from a removed glass cooktop!)

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It is tempered glass. Any glass place can do it for you, but it may be expensive. You may want to consider leaving it out and putting a piece of chopping block in it place. Just set a piece of maple in the recess. Cut it deeper with a router if necessary.

[Bonnie Jean]

LOL. Yes it is messy chopping them. But getting it by the case is inexpensive ($22.20 for the case). I feed my two pugs and one cat a 100% raw diet. In the morning the pugs get half a raw chicken back or a segment of turkey neck. At dinner they get a raw egg, sometimes with a pureed veggie fruit mush, and their supplements.

Me, I eat Twinkies for breakfast. Just kidding.

Bonnie

[Bonnie Jean]

Actually wood is a great idea. The reason why I never used a cutting board (I've done this a dozen times before) is because the board bounces around as I chop.

And my kitchen cabinets are a honey colored maple. I will see if a local carpenter will make something for me.

Thanks

[mm]

I don't know, but I bet you they would know if they would do it.

And they'd know better than we who would do it if they wouldn't.

I would think the papery backing was supposed to have been removed, but if it didnt' bother you, heck then it's ok.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[Doug Kanter]

Call local lumber places (real lumber places, not the big home supply stores) and ask if they have ready-made butcher-block tops. They're intended for people who want to make them into tables, and choose their own legs. But, there's no reason you can't use them on your counter instead of adding legs. Pick one that's heavy enough to not bounce around, but small enough to be able to get it into the sink for cleaning. Normally, you'll want to treat them with something called "salad bowl finish", a food safe kind of stuff sold in small cans. The lumber place should be able to advise you.

I'd suggest calling places like Lowe's or Home Depot, but you'll die of old age before you get an intelligent answer on the phone. You just have to walk in and see for yourself what they've got.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, It's so called hot plate where you can put down hot pots, etc while cooking. Our kitchen always had this and we never used glass type. Ours is tiles. Tony

[Bonnie Jean]

Tony I think you are correct. It was meant to put hot pots on, right from the stove. I don't think there ever was anything there but the glass.

[DanG]

I have had people set a hot pan or lid on the countertop and explode a chip right out of the top. I have on several occasions done a nice cut out with a custom cutting board installed to hide the damage. It is convenient for the next time they have a hot lid. I suspect that your glass insert may have been from a similar incident, though it does sound quite large.

A brazillion pieces says it was tempered.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

20½ X 16½ x 5/16 inches. The glass was clear but had a papery backing on it. It is surrounded by a frame of sorts, that held it into the hole cut into the Formica, which I was able to pull out.

So, all you repair people out there...Where do I get glass like this? Is there a technical name for it? There is a glass place not far from me. Would they do it or is this a special kitchen item?

Thanks for any advise offer, and happy holidays to all.

Bonnie in NJ

[Steve B]

My wife gets a ton of free samples from companies she sells for. We now have GLASS cutting boards. Pretty Christmas scenes, homey pictures.

I HATE THEM. They screech. You can't really cut through things without sawing. She loves them, and there are about three out at any time. Me, I have to go search for the wooden one, or the poly ones that she has hidden from view.

I would throw the damn things out in a second if I thought I could get away with it.

Cutting on glass?

What's wrong with this picture?

Steve

[John McGaw]

Bonnie Jean wrote: snip...

Don't worry about what sort of glass it was. By the act of destroying it you have already proved that glass is _not_ what you want in such a location. Besides, glass will ruin the edge of any knife in short order. If you really want a cutting/chopping surface in that location then a great substitute would be high-density polyethylene. Any plastic supplier will probably have it in stock or will be able to order it in short order. If you desire you can even order it online from various suppliers. One is:

I'm not connected with this company and have never dealt with them. I'm just offering them as an example.

On the other hand, if you need a place upon which to place hot pans without damage to the countertop a metal fabricator in your area can easily make a stainless steel, or some other metal, insert for the recess. It would still ruin a knife if you tried cutting on it but at least it wouldn't explode in the process.

[Doug Kanter]

It's murder on your knives, but if the Mrs hasn't noticed yet, she probably never will.

[Steve B]

"Doug Kanter" wrote

I have MY knives, and she has hers. Fortunately, she doesn't like MINE. I only have about four. A 16" roast cutter with a flat blade about 1 1/8" wide with a round nose, a Chinese minicleaver that is good for chopping and cutting most anything, a Henckels 12" chef, and a boning knife.

She doesn't like them because they are always sharp as a razor. She is afraid of them. I keep them sharp with an EZ Lap diamond stone. They even have a special compartment in the drawer unlike hers that are all on top of each other.

Hers are not very sharp. Hence, she really uses, likes, and prefers the cheap serrated Ginzu style knives. Works for me. She likes to saw, I like to cut. She'll pick the serrated blades every time.

Steve

[RicodJour]

Have you tried one of the ceramic knives? If not, you should. Very nice.

R

[George E. Cawthon]

You should! Just look in the yellow pages for glass or windows. Take a piece of the glass and the frame to any glass shop and tell them you want a new piece that fits the frame. Any decent glass shop will know what the glass is and be able to get a same size piece.

If it is tempered it has to be made to that size and will probably cost a bit. The other option would be to find a tempered glass cutting board of approximate size and then have a frame made that fits the board and the counter.