What is best practice for making a glass top

R

rajseth

Learning FW
Feb 6, 2007
106
0
0
central NJ
:help:
What do experienced people do -
1 - buy the overpriced VersaTop?
2 - go to the local glass shop and get glass cut?

PS. I need the top to be escape proof.

if DIY is the answer - what is the easiest way to make the glass movable for feeding, pruning, tending to the tank? I have a 55G, and will have a 125G.
seems like making the top single piece would give a piece of glass that is 24 x 12 - a little cumbersome and prone to breaking, no? If you do 2 pieces, then the problem is the joint between the two pieces of glass - how to hinge it? by the time one buys the aga 'hinge', might as well buy the versa-top!
 
jmhart said:
You can buy plastic hinges from a lot of places, plastic shops especially. Only a buck or two. Then you can glue them on using gorilla glue. From there just use a glass shop for glass.
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Ah! Thanks. Duh!

Actually, I guess I could just gorilla glue a long strip of acrylic (2" x 1/8") along the joint too!
 
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I just buy the tops made for the tank (in my case Perfecto, not Versa Tops as they wouldn't fit right). I like having the hinges and the handles ready for me and not having to stress about getting the right measurements to the glass cutters and making sure they did it right. Maybe I'm just lazy. :)

As for escape proof, I recently saw a great DIY thread on Ultimate Bettas about cutting that plastic craft mesh from Walmart or any place that sells crafting supplies to fit whatever hole you need covered. I can't find the thread right now, or I would post the link.
 
i just have glass cut at my local glass shop and usually they have left over pieces (scrap) that will fit and you can get it really cheap.
 
Measure what you need, get them cut, buy the hinges and back pieces from Big **'* and do your own thing. Then go to WallyWorld and buy matching handles (knobs) for your covers and cabinet (if it has doors) and away you go. BTW...don't buy the expensive rear view mirror glue to fix the knobs to you glass just silicone or hot glue them.
 
pjrichar said:
lowes or homedepot, has the glass and will cut if for you..

glass shop can be expensive..
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lowes and the home depot only have untemperd glass in small thicknesses. def dont get that unless you want to risk breaking it and having huge pices of glass cut your hand and arm open. temperd is the way to go for glass that you will use and move constantly.
 
iamvictor2k said:
lowes and the home depot only have untemperd glass in small thicknesses. def dont get that unless you want to risk breaking it and having huge pices of glass cut your hand and arm open. temperd is the way to go for glass that you will use and move constantly.
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Actually, non tempered is what you want. Commercially made glass tops are non-tempered. When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into many pieces. Non-tempered glass will just crack. I've cracked a couple of glass tops and it was as simple as removing the two cracked pieces, having another piece cut, and replacing it.

I'd say it's cheaper too, but that's just my assumption, I've never actually priced tempered glass.
 
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