Conservation Glass, Which side is up?

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C

Classic Art Bob

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Jan 18, 2010
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Stratford, Ontario
I have an unmarked piece of TV Conservation Clear, how can I tell which side should face artwork? :confused:

Warnings aside, what will happen if I score the wrong side?

Or if I face the wrong side toward the artwork, does it really make a difference?
 
Use a blade and scratch in the corner: If it scratches, it's the coated side.

The coated side should face the art. If not facing the art, the optical coating will be scratched off due to negligence, bumps, cleaning etc.
 
The scratch test - scratch the very edge of the glass with a sharp blade - more resistance on the coated side.

If you score the coated side your glass cutter may skip and the glass may not snap along the line, or even shatter.

If the glass goes in the frame the wrong way round you'll lose no UV protection - you're just leaving the least scratchproof (easily scratched) side facing out.
 
Yes Bob, it will make a difference.

Take a razor blade and lightly scratch the corner of the glass. If it drags on the blades it is the coated side which will go toward the art.
The coated side is highly scratchable and therefore must go on the inside.

The non-coated slide is slippery and is on the outside of the frame.
 
If you score the wrong side you will get a really lousy and rough score.

If it is installed with the coated side out reather than facing the artwork, UV the UV filtering capability is not affected, but it can be easily scratched during later handling and cleaning.

The most reliable, foolproof and unambiguous test is to scratch the glass on the very edge where it will be under the rabbet. If you hear an awful scratching noise and see a scratch left behind, that is the coated side which goes inside toward the artwork.

Edit: Good lord we're fast!
 
look at the edge of the glass...see the little wavy grooves on one side ( you may to angle it into the light to see it )...the side opposite the the rougher looking edge is the coated side.
 
Scratching is th eeasiest and fastest way to find the coated side. And if you do scratch a piece of CC Glass (accidentally :) ) circle the scratch with a magic marker. Nothing worse than cutting a piece of scrap glass and then finding the scratch dead center over the image :)
 
Also, never trust the printing... more often than once
I've received CC glass with the printing on the wrong
side. I check every piece now when fitting and actually
wish they would just leave off the printing so I wouldn't
have to swab it with acetone to remove when necessary.
 
I used to get TV Conservation glass that would be edge-marked North Side.

That was always a major puzzlement.
 
I have recently discovered that the breath test is the fastest and easiest way.

"Huff" onto the uncoated side and get a solid pattern - "huff" onto the coated side and a spidery artistic looking pattern will appear. easy peasy.
 
Dave said:
Also, never trust the printing... more often than once
I've received CC glass with the printing on the wrong
side. I check every piece now when fitting and actually
wish they would just leave off the printing so I wouldn't
have to swab it with acetone to remove when necessary.
Click to expand...

Thats really interesting. I dont check if it has the words printed on it, but I will change my ways after reading this post. Thats for the tip!
 
Framar said:
I have recently discovered that the breath test is the fastest and easiest way.

"Huff" onto the uncoated side and get a solid pattern - "huff" onto the coated side and a spidery artistic looking pattern will appear. easy peasy.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is my favorite method. Too bad it doesn't work on museum, too.

And it's fun. Like magic.
 
I prefer to cut the coated side, as not to potentially scratch or damage it by rubbing against the back of the fletcher cutter. Though I do have a suede backing to help with that in general.
 
Lex87 said:
Oh you beat me to it.. All these people picking, poking, scratching, and wheezing on their glass and it's all really simple! ;)

We had a new guy figure this out the hard way, I'll go see if we still have pics of the mess he made. *face palm*
Click to expand...

Except the OP stated the glass was not marked. You
get that with offcuts and smaller lites sometimes.
 
Jim's 'read the edge' post wasn't about the letters. His
link showed a cross-section of the glass, and the difference
between the way the edges look from the side.
 
Framar said:
I don't have a wall cutter - I use a piece of foam core on my table top for hand-cutting.
Click to expand...
Mar, I used one of those self healing mats with a grid and I really like how it works. I was careful not to slide it around since I also used it to cut mats and foam cor but even a little wiggle now and again never scratched the glass. And I never had to measure and mark, just used the grid and a straight edge.
 
I've never had a wall cutter or seen a reason to get one. We have always cut by hand and I haven't had enough wall space for one anyway. Huh, I'll venture a guess that I may be in the minority here.
 
I have two different wall cutters but never have used them for cutting glass. I usually just cut right into the frame... quicker and easier and no measuring involved.
 
CAframer said:
Yeh ... but it's like my butt ... it's easier and quicker to scratch it than to try to look at it real close up :D
Click to expand...

Somehow I doubt we'll ever see that in any TruVue marketing material, but that's gold right there.
 
Don't be so sure about that, Dave. We got our
new 'Andrew's Butt' glass samples from Tru Vue
last week, and already our sales of museum
are up eighty percent. :icon21:
 
shayla said:
Don't be so sure about that, Dave. We got our
new 'Andrew's Butt' glass samples from Tru Vue
last week, and already our sales of museum
are up eighty percent. :icon21:
Click to expand...

Shayla I would think that the sales of the Non Glare would be up ;) The Museum Glass doesn't offer the eyes enough "protection...".. I dare say that an opaque covering would be preferable.
 
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