Technical Recommendation for custom flat glass.

Vintage gl*** USA in CT is making my 39 merc gl***. After going to every gl*** company around I found auto gl*** guys just install premade gl*** anymore and mirror and gl*** guys don’t have the auto green color. Just the very light green for shower doors. I was surprised I couldn’t find a gl*** guy in NJ. Not that I could find anyway.
I know the west coast has plenty of guys but I thought the shorter the shipping the better.

 

I second this. 5150 told me about this guy and I'm glad that I listened. Great work. He'll guarantee the gl*** even of it's broken in transit.

 

Seems many don't understand our situation on the east coast.

 

A waterjet will cut normal annealed gl***, but tempered/toughened gl*** is a whole different box of frogs. The tension induced in the surface of the gl*** pulls inwards to hold the panel together and make it stronger and more impact resistant. Once the surface is breached, as would happen when the waterjet pierced the gl***, it would be all over in an instant........ Gl*** everywhere. Glazier by trade, by the way.

Flat gl*** for automobiles is not overly difficult or expensive to produce, whether tempered or laminated. As has been correctly said, make accurate templates out of a rigid material of the same thickness as the gl*** will be. Take them to your local reputable gl*** guy (yep, the guy who does house windows) and get him to have them made. Remember, very accurate templates that have been trial fitted are the key.

 

Thanks for that info @twenty8, being Easter I hadn't got around to chasing up a water jet, luckily. Had already ***umed that 2 new door windows would be needed. Template was provided by my gl*** guy - who also owns an un-chopped 32-5W- and I never trial fitted it. Turns out it was the one of two templates he had for 32-5W's which was deeper. Moral is, trial fit everything as Murphy is watching your build LOL