Technical TECH WEEK: cutting curved windshield and other glass Update with new windshield

I'd use the thinnest diamond tile blade available, blades recommended for glass and porcelain tile.

The wide slotted blades for ceramic and travertine are coarser, cut fast and rough for that thicker material. They also chip the hell out of porcelain tile edges, I imagine theyll do the same with plate glass.

Lone Star Mopar is correct, tile blades also come in 4-5" and fit a grinder.

 

You can also get a wet bandsaw arrangement that runs a diamond-encrusted wire. Really opens up the shape cutting possibilities.....

 

Yep, I parted out a truck this winter and couldnt get the windshield out, but needed the dash panel. Put an old tile blade in the angle grinder and cut the windshield in half lengthwise in a few minutes. I was mainly concerned with destruction, but it cut clean across.

 

Hand held would work but keeping wet is a problem and straight cut. The blade depth is the thickness of glass plus a 1/16. I have beveled the glass that got cut off the small curve I cut.
I used the diamond blade for cutting tile not cinder blocks. much smoother cut.
Thanks for comments and get out and try it. It really is that easy.

 

Great idea thanks for the post.
Not sure this will work with tempered glass.

 

will not work with tempered glass at all. boom it's gone and your left with a mess.

 

Nothing that I know of works with tempered glass. You might be able to smooth up the edges with the wet belt sander that I showed but even that might be chancy.

 

Somebody please check me. I wanna make sure I haven't forgotten some particulars.

- Tempered automotive glass is the stuff that breaks up into small pieces.
- Laminated automotive glass shatters, but is held together with the laminated plastic.
- If my 1953 Chrysler's windshield is delaminating, then of course it's laminated and can be cut.

And a question:
Are the curved end pieces of my rear glass tempered... maybe as all old hardtops are?
Meaning they can't be cut?
And that's why it's always that those pieces are either replaced with another material or sunk into the package tray when chopping the top?

Thank you.

Edit:
Did a little research. Yep... thought so... the back lights are tempered. Can't be cut. Used to know that. I guess I've forgotten more than I'll ever know. LOL

 

'Tempered' or 'toughened' glass cannot be cut while it is in a tempered state.
A tempered glass piece can have the tempering reversed by being annealed (heated to approx. 900 to 1000*F and then cooled slowly over a period of around 5 to 8 hours). The glass can then be cut using standard methods. Once cut, the glass can be re-tempered by heating to over 1100*F, and then cooled very rapidly ("quenched") by high pressure air blasts. This is way out of the scope of DIY..................

 

Flat tempered glass is not unreasonable in cost. It is when the glass is curved that the price skyrockets. Think of it like 'one-off' tooling costs. An exact, fire-proof mold has to be made so the glass can be heated and 'slumped' to the desired shape..............$$$.......

 

There was a chopped '55 Chevy tudor sedan with Lexan windshield on a used car lot in San Jose, 1960-1962.
Syeal, asking price was $450. No takers, it was then seen in the 3rd row at Navarro auto wreckers...

 

I got the new windshield in today. I started with waxing table, taping glass and marking my cut. It went very well.

 

Once I figure out how to load a video I will show it being cut. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/video-1621546330.579966/

 

Easy post it on Youtube first then grab the address at the top of that page and just paste it into a reply done very easy.

 

thanks

 

Well let's see pictures of that car with the glass in it!

 

Ha , I 've been busy keeping people warm. Maybe late this year.