Question Antique glass

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M

Matoaka

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
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Albuquerque, NM
Can anyone enlighten me about antique glass? (Glass that is wavy, with air bubbles... West Wing always used it on their set for the window panes in the Oval Office doors... too much trivia?) How it was made? And can it be cut on a traditional wall-mounted glass cutter? Customer wants us to cut hers, but how would we replace it if it breaks?

Thanks...
 
Susan...how did you know that about West Wing's use of antique glass? Is there a W.W. Trivia Book? Would LOVE it if so.....that is one of our favorite shows.

Re: cutting antique glass yourself...personally, I would not take the risk but will anxiously await other responses. Perhaps someone has made an afternoon out of experimenting with just that task! An antique store is the only place I know for replacement; call ant. store owners as they would know people that specialize in such.
 
It can be cut with a standard glass cutter. However, not knowing the molecular condition of the glass, it would be wise to cut in only at THE CUSTOMERS OWN RISK I.E. if it brakes, no replacement will be implied or offered.

Reproduction glass is still being made in Europe, its called cylinder glass, since it made by blowing a cylinder of glass and then cutting and unfolding flat. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it!

BTY, you can get it at Rochler woodworking shops and on line, as well as several other glass suppliers.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10833
 
I cut this all the time. Never used a wall mount cutter, as it might be thinner than what you are used to and you can go easier with a hand held.

I do reproductions of antique reverse glass painting, among other things and use this. Yes, on the customer's risk.

I keep a supply of it on hand from antique items reframed with conservation glass.
 
I cut it all the time on my wall cutter. With the proviso that due to the bubbles and all that if it breaks I can't replace it. There are many house dismantlers that can sell it to you or your artists.

I know I saw some in VT, both White River and Burlington at the salvage shops. I don't know if my landlord has any OldHouseParts.com but they have everything else for old houses!

I got a call out of the ble last year, a guy had 100's of sheets of 20 by 30 antigue glass. The price wasn't bad, but I never did get any.
 
I love that old glass and cut it often ... anytime a customer comes in to have his/her art reframed and the old frame has that great glass I ask them if they want it back and if not I save it for myself... love it. really. I do... yep.

a brief history ... informative stuff. http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html
 
Thanks to all for info and suggestions. Always amazed at the collective knowledge and number of problem solvers on this site.
 
Does old glass get more brittle over time, or was it made differently, or what? I did some restoration work on a 100-year-old house I lived in a few years ago. When refurbishing the windows I found that I'd often break the old wavy glass while trying to get it out of the window, and I *know* I wasn't leaning on it that hard...
 
You can find "reproduction" antique glass at stained glass supply shops in clear and other colors. It's wavy and has the bubbles, and I have used it in many stained glass projects, and it cuts like butter.

The real antique glass was made by hand-rolling the liquid glass on a flat surface. Not sure if that's how the repro stuff is made. I just looked at one of my projects with repro and can't really tell the difference from the real.
 
I always save old glass and use it where I can on antique samplers and such. Finding a large piece is quite difficult though.
It may look dull and dirty and is usually coated with several decades of nicotine deposits, but shine it up with fine wirewool and it has a look quite unlike modern 'perfect' glass. No problem cutting. Even cut a pice of 1mm thick once.
 
I have a stock of antique glass, after 22+ years of buying and selling antique frames. I usually cut it down to standard sizes and store it alongside the other types of glass. I don't use it much, though, UV filtering takes priority over authenticity, especially on antique items. I cut it using a hand-held glass cutter and rarely have a problem. Just yesterday I cut down some antique mirror for a small antique frame, it came out great!
 
It does seem more brittle

jim_p said:
Does old glass get more brittle over time, or was it made differently, or what? I did some restoration work on a 100-year-old house I lived in a few years ago. When refurbishing the windows I found that I'd often break the old wavy glass while trying to get it out of the window, and I *know* I wasn't leaning on it that hard...
Click to expand...

I don't know if it gets that much more brittle with age, but I suspect it was not formulated and annealed with the consistency that modern glass has, and was probably more brittle or weak to begin with.
 
I was once told that glass has a molecular composition that is always "in flux". And that repeated tapping or knocking of the glass with weaken it, unseen. Eventually, one tap too many will cause breakage.

Don't know if that is true, but I can say - as a bartender in a previous life - that one tap too many and you have to dump the entire ice bin and start over.... right in the middle of Happy Hour. :faintthud:
 
Susan I've had that problem too! and how about when you grab the coffee pot and the bottom stays on the warmer! You get a whole pot of coffee on you.

I was glad the bar glass was tempered as there weren't any shards to lacerate my hands when I jammed them into the bar washer!
 
Well I am really late on this but I use restoration glass in many of my mirror projects. Cost is about $10 per sf and yes both old glass and restoration glass can be cut with traditional cutters.
 
Welcom to the Grumble, AntiqueMirror! And thanks for the tip!
 
No problem I silver and sell a lot of G & A (that is one of the most popular) it is known as German Antique but there are many more but G & A really looks authentic. Speciality glass shops can get it for you for about $11-12 per sf and it comes in 40"W x 60"L sheets. I use it alot for cabinet glass inserts.
 
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