Tempered Glass Cannot Be Cut
I learned yesterday that once glass has been tempered it cannot be cut. It will shatter instead. I didn't necessary learn this the hard way, but it could have been much easier.
When I measured the glass for our sauna, I wrote down the actual measurements of the wood panels I was to be covering, and then subtracted a bit for the mounting hardware. Unfortunately, when I placed the order, I accidentally gave the larger measurements. So after picking up the panels on Wednesday, I found they were all just a little too big. I called the shop and asked if they could cut the glass. I failed to mention that the glass was tempered, so they said "sure."
I got up a half-hour early yesterday so I could leave as soon as the girls were on the bus to take the glass and have it cut. After driving 20 minutes through Ft. Worth rush hour traffic I was educated on the uncutability of tempered glass, and had to drive back home with nothing to show for my efforts. Except for the advice "if you can't make the glass smaller, make the hole bigger."
I got a router for Christmas in 1999, and although I was very excited about it I never actually had an opportunity to route anything until yesterday. I chose to trim a quarter inch off of the ceiling of the sauna where the wall panels attach, and this worked very well.
Routers make a lot of sawdust, and routing upside down above eye level sent that sawdust all over my head. But for some reason I think the sensation of a shop vac pulling on my scalp is kind of cool, so wasn't all that bad. Once I found a dust mask.
In the end, the sauna modifications went OK, if not smoothly. The only glass I had to vacuum up was the an empty quart jar that had fallen off a shelf (that's Tile Floors 5, Mason Jars 0). I think adding the glass will make a big difference in the sauna's usability. I won't know for sure until Kara comes home tomorrow, but from what I can tell it should work.
And now I'm looking forward to a slightly less adventurous weekend, full of boring stuff like laundry and dishes, and maybe a quick game of Cootie.
When I measured the glass for our sauna, I wrote down the actual measurements of the wood panels I was to be covering, and then subtracted a bit for the mounting hardware. Unfortunately, when I placed the order, I accidentally gave the larger measurements. So after picking up the panels on Wednesday, I found they were all just a little too big. I called the shop and asked if they could cut the glass. I failed to mention that the glass was tempered, so they said "sure."
I got up a half-hour early yesterday so I could leave as soon as the girls were on the bus to take the glass and have it cut. After driving 20 minutes through Ft. Worth rush hour traffic I was educated on the uncutability of tempered glass, and had to drive back home with nothing to show for my efforts. Except for the advice "if you can't make the glass smaller, make the hole bigger."
I got a router for Christmas in 1999, and although I was very excited about it I never actually had an opportunity to route anything until yesterday. I chose to trim a quarter inch off of the ceiling of the sauna where the wall panels attach, and this worked very well.
Routers make a lot of sawdust, and routing upside down above eye level sent that sawdust all over my head. But for some reason I think the sensation of a shop vac pulling on my scalp is kind of cool, so wasn't all that bad. Once I found a dust mask.
In the end, the sauna modifications went OK, if not smoothly. The only glass I had to vacuum up was the an empty quart jar that had fallen off a shelf (that's Tile Floors 5, Mason Jars 0). I think adding the glass will make a big difference in the sauna's usability. I won't know for sure until Kara comes home tomorrow, but from what I can tell it should work.
And now I'm looking forward to a slightly less adventurous weekend, full of boring stuff like laundry and dishes, and maybe a quick game of Cootie.
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