It's a New World
Old habits die hard, but we have found it beneficial to re-train ourselves in cutting and handling optically coated glazing products. The results have been worth the effort, in my opinion, because we should have been doing it this way all along.
When we started promoting Museum Glass, we experienced a
consistently high rate of flaws. But we sell so much of it, we had to learn how to handle it. With some careful study of our handling techniques, we learned that
we were creating most of the flaws we found after the lite came out of the box. Sure, there is an occasional "real" flaw, and if we find a flaw in one sheet, we are careful to inspect every sheet in that box. Yes, it's possible to get a bad box. It's rare, but it's possible.
Here are a few of the changes we've made:
Inspect early and often -- We carefully inspect every glazing sheet before we cut it, and again before we close the frame (during flub inspection). The plan is to detect a flaw as early as possible, because every minute of labor on flawed glass is wasted. Sooner is better.
The
cloth gloves eliminate fingerprints not only on Museum Glass, but on all other glazing sheets as well, so we don't have to clean most of our cut glass anymore. Whatever time may be needed to inspect and clean small marks is surely offset by the improved cutting & handling techniques that eliminate routine glass cleaning.
Place glass directly in the frame -- We used to stack lites on a table or lean them against the wall. Now we take them directly from the glass cutter to the frame, eliminating most of the handling. Frames are stacked with glass in them, separated by board scraps.
Scratch elimination -- Our wall cutter was making hairline scratches in the coatings, which stopped when we started placing the interleaving paper in the wall cutter behind the glass, like a slip sheet. We were causing scratches in handling, too, by unconsciously scooting across tabletops, stacking cut lites, and other handling errors. But no more. I can't tell you the last time I found a hairline scratch.
Smart storage -- New glass stays in the box, of course. We used to store off-cuts standing up, stacked against the wall, which inevitably caused scratches. Now our off-cuts of optically coated glass are wrapped in the interleaving paper, sizes marked for easy reference, and stored standing up. Off-cuts smaller than 8" on the short side are disposed.
Less cleaning -- We do not clean glass or acrylic at all, unless it's necessary. When it's necessary, we apply Premium Clean to a microfiber cloth or cotton diaper, scrub the spot(s) away, and buff until it's dry and streaks are gone. With the right materials and a bit of practice, anyone can clean Optically coated glazing quickly and conveniently.
We
stopped seaming unless the glass is to be used in a metal frame, because seaming requires cleaning off the glass dust. Metal frame glass still gets seamed, and then cleaned.
Shut Up -- Well, not really, but a slight spray of spittle from casual conversation can make small, silvery spots on the optical coating. We never think about that when we're chatting in the shop, do we? Overspray from glass cleaner or other liquids could have similar effects. The spots are usually about the size of a pinhead or bigger, and they may be found in bunches.
Rick
Rick
Rick