Removable Fasteners

That'll return more than a few interesting hits!

Wed, Jun 6, 2007, 12:30pm (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@boundvortex.com (Greg=A0Esres) doth mumble: I'm putting an extra thick sheet of glass in the inside of a window for an improvement in sound insulation. I'm thinking in a fire or an invasion by ninjas, I'd like to get out of the window pretty fast. :-)

Well, if I figured I'd be needing to get out a window in some event like that, I'd say a 9mm slug or two should do it - I keep a 9mm handy, because I'm anticipating a ninja invasion any minute now. Or, hang a large hammer on the wall next to the wndow - you coud make it decoraton by usng an antique hammer. I would NOT want to dork around turning wingnuts, or whatever, if that was my exit of choice in case of fire. IF you're so cheap you don't want to break the wndow, put hinges along one side, and keep it shut with sliding bolts or something.

Always remember, K.I.S.S. If you don't know what that means. you'd better find out fast.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

It's always better to give complete information.

The vinyl bulb weatherstripping would help seal between the frames and also isolate the two frames so sound wouldn't be transmitted through them - probably a minor consideration, but it's the correct thing to do acoustically.

The "sound panel" will be big, heavy and awkward to move. If someone is moving it in a hurry trying to escape a fire, I can easily see someone breaking the glass and having spurting arteries as they're trying to flee. That's probably not a good thing.

Patio doors have tempered glass as required by code. I'm not sure what your local code would require as far as safety glass. Tempered has to be cut to size then tempered, so it's more expensive than laminated safety glass - but either way, code or not, I'd want safety glass for this _emergency_ safety feature.

Hinging the panel would probably be the easiest and safest way to hang it. I'd consider breaking the panel up into two separate panels so they were lighter and easier to operate and less likely to break. You should also pay attention to the space required for the panel swinging out of the way.

Are there storm windows on the outside? That's probably the easiest and cheapest way to get some sound attenuation.

fasten one square wood frame to another

If you can inset the 3 x 5 glass-bearing frame into the other, would BULLET fasteners work for you? I am thinking eight of them would allow the two frames to maintain registry and absent freakish ind event "togetherness" too. By cutting finger grooves on the inside of the removable frame, you should be able to pull it out easily. Note, this approach would also work well with the magnetic suggestions - those RE guys are strong - bet four 1/2" guys would do it. If you fasten the "keepers" they sell for them a bit loose, the fit can be a bit "sloppy" (easier to move in and out) and still do the trick.

Note, insetting the 3 x 5 frame inot the other is key here. The considerable weight of 15 square feet of 1/4 glass might defeat the magnets alone. Butthe ability of the existing frame bottom to bear the weight would allow them to hold the thing flush to the inside frame.

If I should have read lore before responding to discover [more details about] your application, forgive me.

How about using bed rail hardware like this:

Lee

RicoJour wrote:

airtight seal around the windows. This is the reason I'm planning on an interior frame to which I will mount the frame with the glass. Seems like it would be tough to get a tight fit with the bed rails.

Thanks

Old saying in construction, "Fast, cheap or good. I can give you any two of the three. Can't give you all three."

A couple hundred dollars for a storm window that size is pretty reasonable. If you value your time at, oh, say right around zero, building it yourself will be cheaper.

Since you are concerned about the egress with the panel in place, the window in question must be a logical egress path. It would be myopic to create a hazard to save a few bucks. The only people that would get injured would be you and yours, or the people trying to save you and yours. Laminated glass will be cheaper than tempered and you can cut it yourself easily. Another benefit is that the glass panel stays intact when the glass breaks, where tempered breaks into a million little pebbles of glass.

A large single pane of glass is not a particularly good sound attenuator. Have you looked into using a double walled plastic (Kalwall is the big name in architectural double wall), or making a divided light frame that would accept smaller panes of safety glass?

Don't forget some "weep holes".