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05/28/2015, 11:24 AM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
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need help cutting thicker glass
so ive got an old 55g tank that i took apart, not holding water anymore. i saaw this really nice size tank at my lfs, its 36x12x12. well i have a light for that surprisingly, so why not, and i dont want to spend the 250 they want on the tank when i have glass laying around my house. so i tried it, scored it, i can not break this bast***. it bends and will not break, i dont know what the deal is. i am using a good score and oil. have a square edge and i cant get it to save my life. anyone have experience cutting thicker glass? its only 3/8ths thick. could it be that the glass is old and not even worth risking cutting? or im not scoring it correctly? i made sure i went overr the edges like the directions said.
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05/28/2015, 02:05 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 2,997
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Typically every pane on a 55 gallon tank is tempered. The strength from tempering is why it's not breaking, but rest assured when it does it will shatter into a million pieces.
It probably didn't shatter from scouring because it was a weak tempering job by the factory. |
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05/28/2015, 05:31 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
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Makes very good sense. The end peice didn't shatter but I guess I'm not willing to pick up all that glqss. I'll just buy the tank. Thanks
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05/28/2015, 05:47 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 100
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Are you using anything under the glass as a lever point? I just made a frag tank out of an old 55g with 3/8" glass as well. It was hard to snap but nothing too bad. I used a small dowel under the glass close to the score line.
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05/28/2015, 05:47 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 2,997
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Depending on who made/how old the tank is it may not be tempered. But I know almost every 55 theses days are tempered.
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05/28/2015, 07:25 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cypress, Texas
Posts: 1,904
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When i cut up a 75 i used score and tap to get it to break. It was also 3/8", which seems thick for a tempered 55, so it may not be tempered.
With scoring and tapping you hit the glass opposite the score with something (like a hammer) to propagate the break along. You could probably do it without, but the amount of force needed (at least for my full 4' pieces) is more than i could do. The better you are aligned under the score the better the break will be, but it may never be as straight as a snap, at least i would assume so. |
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05/28/2015, 07:40 PM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 352
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The best cuts I get on .25" glass is by scoring, flipping over and tapping, flipping back over, securing the score line at the bench top edge with clamps & 2 x 4. Then, snap the piece off when the opposite section is clamped in place.
I would inspect the glass to determine if its tempered first by following the test instructions with polarized glasses and LCD screen, (something along those lines).
__________________
Slowly Building: 38 Gal. DT Cube | DIY Sump | DIY Stand |
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05/28/2015, 11:00 PM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
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It's tempered. Had to test it out. If it was I had no use for it anyway. Tried it in my garage on a sheet. Only a few pieces escapes. But definitely lots of glass
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05/29/2015, 12:49 PM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 3,907
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kind of impressive to see a piece of tempered glass shatter, isn't it!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 120 gallon, coast to coast overflow w/beananimal overflow. Waveline DC 10000 II return pump, 40 gal sump, Octopus XS200 skimmer, T5 lighting |
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05/29/2015, 08:48 PM
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#10 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
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Quote:
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