Glass table tops

[Crossy]

Whilst thinking how to proceed with our ongoing picnic set I had a brainwave. The table structure (varnished hardwood) actually looks pretty nice.

 

Soooo rather than hide it under a wooden table top, how about a glass top? But where to get one?

 

Anyone aware of companies making glass table tops in greater Bangkok, it's nothing complex, just a simple rectangular top about 2m x 1m, toughened and probably 12-15mm.

 

By the way, it's going in a roofed area so no problem with things dropping from the sky :)

 

Ideas, cost, thoughts?

 

[CGW]

We bought a few glass  tops for tables in Naklua a few years back, not expensive, big glass shop on the left hand side about 1.5km before roundabout.

Edited February 28, 2017 by CGW

[Crossy]

There's a distributor for AGC Flat Glass (Thailand) https://www.agc-flatglass.co.th/index.php/en/product/ฮีตสเตร็งเทน not far from us, but of course, no idea of pricing or email address so it looks like a fun phone call

 

 

[eyecatcher]

Energy green float is 21bt/ft2 and tempered from 45bt/ft2 obviously subject to thickness.

for a table top you need to pay attention to the edge detailing...bevelled, chamfered, rounded and of course how you intend to fix.

 

if you want to fix like a mirror say dome headed screws then having holes drilled in must be done by them

 

I dont need to tell you that tempered is a made to measure product but others reading may not realise that.

 

with a wooden base...how about a brown coloured glass, that would look classy. 

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by eyecatcher

[Crossy]

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of a coloured top, I was thinking of clear to show off my wood

 

At 1m x 2m x 12mm it's going nowhere (about 60kg), but since it's semi-outside (walls on two of four sides and a roof but the wind doesn't howl through) would fixing be wise do you think?

 

That means I would have to complete the base to sort the fixing points before ordering the top (because the holes have to be made before tempering).

 

It's all a bit rustic because of the somewhat random sizing of the timber.

 

And for those interested, glass weight calculator here http://www.glass-ts.com/glass-weight-calculator

[sometimewoodworker]

On 28/02/2017 at 5:20 PM, Crossy said:

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of a coloured top, I was thinking of clear to show off my wood

 

At 1m x 2m x 12mm it's going nowhere (about 60kg), but since it's semi-outside (walls on two of four sides and a roof but the wind doesn't howl through) would fixing be wise do you think?

 

That means I would have to complete the base to sort the fixing points before ordering the top (because the holes have to be made before tempering).

 

It's all a bit rustic because of the somewhat random sizing of the timber.

 

And for those interested, glass weight calculator here http://www.glass-ts.com/glass-weight-calculator

As a top for a wood slab there is no way that I would put screws through the glass, you would virtually guarantee the glass would break. Wood moves with the seasons glass doesn't.

 

Probably raising the edge of the wood by 3 to 6mm to locate the glass would work, we have an extra door panel that SWMBO thinks would make a nice table top but as it's an IGU I will have to capture the edges completely.

[Crossy]

Thanks STWW

 

No, it's not intended as a protector for a wood slab, it's actually a glass table top.

 

The idea being so the rather nice looking hardwood structure is visible and I can see what's snuffling around my feet (I spent a happy new Years Eve a few years back feeding what I thought was a dog under the table only to find later it was a rather cute pig).

 

I'm worried it may blow off being a large flat area, although as noted, it's in a sheltered area.

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

Thanks STWW

 

No, it's not intended as a protector for a wood slab, it's actually a glass table top.

 

The idea being so the rather nice looking hardwood structure is visible and I can see what's snuffling around my feet (I spent a happy new Years Eve a few years back feeding what I thought was a dog under the table only to find later it was a rather cute pig).

 

I'm worried it may blow off being a large flat area, although as noted, it's in a sheltered area.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. My preferred method of locating the top on the base would be, as I mentioned, just have a small recess.

 

If you have a 60kg glass top blow off then it would be the least of your problems, there would be little left of your house or any of the houses near you.

 

As long as the base is strong enough that it won't collapse under the weight the top is not going to move.

 

If you want to reassure yourself you can go to a glass shop and try to move any 1m X 2m piece of any thickness, you will soon decide no screws are needed

 

FWIW the IGU's I've got are near the size of you top but "Only" 45kg. 2 strong people can just lift them, the wind could never do it unless it was the kind of tornado that rips roofs of houses that we get here occasionally. 

[Daffy D]

Get a set of those sticky rubber pads that are used to put under furniture legs.

 

Take a pair of pads and stick them together on the non sticky side using hot glue, super glue or something similar.

 

Now you will have pads that are sticky on both sides. Sick them on the corners of the frame and lay the glass on top.

 

The pads will help keep the glass top in place and stop any wobbles should the top be slightly uneven.

 

  

[Crossy]

Thanks DD, it needs to have buffers anyway, I think I'll glue the non-sticky side to the frame so they're not too thick but that sounds like a plan :)

[grollies]

Can you rebate the inner top frame to the same depth as the glass thickness and say 1/2" width?

[Crossy]

The current "design" is more like this (only rather more solid and "rustic"). The support bars don't reach the edge of the top.

 

 

 

[wayned]

Not that I'm against glass as it looks nice and is easy to clean I have had a bad experience with glass table tops.  It seems that every time you buy a piece of furniture in Thailand they trow in a wrought iron table with a glass top.  Somehow I ended up with 4 end tables and two coffee tables with glass tops.  Over the past 18 years they have all been broken and have been replaced with slabs of polished granite.  No kids, many Golden Retrievers and clumsy old me!  The rubber pads are esential to not only level but to keep it from sliding.

[Daffy D]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

I think I'll glue the non-sticky side to the frame so they're not too thick but that sounds like a plan :)

Yea! that occurred to me about 5min after posting - Great minds and all that

 

Just another thought, you could take a photo of the frame from above, and get it printed onto a wood top screwed to the frame. All problems solved 

[eyecatcher]

the other alternative to fixing , and one you will see with a lot of glass tops, is a clear plastic disc, screwed down and the glass top drops onto the damp suckers.

 

suckers like those kids darts.

 

the glass holds on by surface tension

 

[Crossy]

31 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

the other alternative to fixing , and one you will see with a lot of glass tops, is a clear plastic disc, screwed down and the glass top drops onto the damp suckers.

 

suckers like those kids darts.

 

the glass holds on by surface tension

 

 

Any idea where to get them? Or is Ebay going to be my friend?

 

[eyecatcher]

13 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Any idea where to get them? Or is Ebay going to be my friend?

 

 

No not exactly. We had a circular wrought iron and glass top table and after a while the rubbers on a couple started to split, then of course it doesnt hold.

 

I recall going into Globals  Hafele kitchen centre as they are also used to stick things onto wall tiles but I was after 20mm diameter and they didnt have.

 

On a similar issue, I was in Home Pro last week and they have these new type of suckers for fixing all your shower utensil baskets to the wet tiles......without screws. its quite an ingenious system but i cannot recall the details of what it was.

I would try there also...Hafele and Home Pro