How to grind shsrp edges of glass?

[Yama-Niyama]

I'm about to make a foffee table from a sheet of glass. How does one dull the sharp edges (without the use of expensive tools)? Oil stone, perhaps?

Thanks

Frank

[Bob Minchin]

Your glazier is best equiped to do this. For a table top you should be using 6mm minimum thickness and the glass should be tempered. I think they use a leather wheel impregnated with diamond abrasive. I'm sure an oilstone will take the edge of ok but it will be difficult to get a presentable edge. Could you put it in a wooden frame?

Bob

[MrCheerful]

stone,

I trust it is safety glass? You can just grind the edges with wet and dry paper, but be really cautious of your hands. A glass shop will do the job really well, cheaply and safely.

MrCheerful

[Chris Hodges]

Aluminium Oxide paper will do it (Or Silicon Carbide). Not sure of the finish quality though. Gloves, goggles and a mask probably aren't over the top either.

[Brian]

MrCheerful,

Unfortunately you cannot cut or grind the edges of TEMPERED "safety glass" AFTER it has been tempered.

The cutting and grinding of safety glass has to be done BEFORE tempering as this process sets up stresses in the glass that are "held in" by a very thin surface "skin" and once this skin is penetrated - the glass shatters into hundreds of very small pieces.

There is an exception when using LAMINATED safety glass. This can be cut and ground after manufacture but its use in furniture is limited where the edge can be seen because of the plastic reinforcing interleave which prevents the glass shattering into pieces.

Brian

[Frank Watson]

Bob, Thanks for the tips. Yes, I do intend to drop the glass into a hardwood frame. The dulling of the edges will be more for the sake of anyone who takes the glass out in the future than anything.

Thanks also to the other commenters.

Frank

[Brian]

Then I would suggest that the damage was very light and you used nothing harsher than something like jewllers rouge - or very lucky - as once that "skin" is penetrated, the stresses are relieved and the glass shatters as it is designed to do.

Brian

[N. Thornton]

Hi. Yup, I dont think its smart to use float glass in tabletops. If you must cut costs you could use laminated glass, but really not float. What happens if someone sits on that doesnt bear thinking about.

Regards, NT