float glass?

[Anonymous]

can anyone point me in the right direction where i can purchase some float glass to tune up my planes and the best dimensions like length, width and thickness as i really don't know where to start.

Cheers,
Derek.

 

[frank]

derek try yellow pages look for glaziers dont just get from the first one the price can be a bit daft for off cuts , i was asked for ££ s went to another one and paid a few bob .hope this helps .

 

[Gill]

Hi Derek

I went looking for float glass a couple of years ago and was met by quizzical looks everywhere I went. I even drew a blank on a popular UK woodworking forum (not this one) so I used 18mm MDF instead. It seems to be doing the job okay.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Derek

I went looking for float glass a couple of years ago and was met by quizzical looks everywhere I went. I even drew a blank on a popular UK woodworking forum (not this one) so I used 18mm MDF instead. It seems to be doing the job okay.

Gill

Does the MDF not start to go funny when it gets wet from the water used with the wet and dry?

Cheers,
Derek.

 

[Alf]

Hi Derek

I went looking for float glass a couple of years ago and was met by quizzical looks everywhere I went. I even drew a blank on a popular UK woodworking forum (not this one)

Too right it wasn't this one: the evidence :wink:

Float AND glass in the search might be beneficial, Derek. If you've got a jointer or table saw handy, that'd do just as well, fwiw.

Cheers, Alf

 

[johnelliott]

What you want is a piece of granite such as is used for kitchen worktops. Try your local stonemasons for an offcut, should be very cheap, and at 30mm thick not inclined to slide around while you're using it

John

 

[Drew]

Derek

float glass is just another term for window glass (so called because in its molten state the glass is floated on a bed of molten tin to give a highly polished finish on both sides of the glass). Any decent glazier will give you a small offcut or at least charge very little for it.

Drew

 

[Anonymous]

If you want the float glass for plane fettling, you don't want an off-cut! You'd be looking at a piece around twice the length of the longest plane you plan to fettle. This is assuming, of course, that you include sole-flattening in the description of fettling.

The bit I have, which I've snugged into a torsion box constructed frame, is about 2' long, bout 8" wide, I think.

Any old glazier will do you some though - 6mm thick should do you.

[edit - see this wreck post for a semi-jokey, semi-serious insight into fettling...about 3/4s of the way down, you'll actually see Spokeshave recommends 3 times the length of longest plane]

 

[Anonymous]

Derek
I tend to use an old engineers surface plate that I got from a rather nice chap on the forum :wink:

I have also used a piece of MDF, a piece of kitchen worktop and an old mirrror (care not to break it :shock: )

All of the above worked fine

 

[Gill]

Too right it wasn't this one: the evidence :wink:

I'd forgotten about that thread :lol: ! I learned a lot about glass but didn't find anything that helped me to get sharp tools. The MDF did work though. I'm not sure about how it might have been damaged by water - I never used water until I started working chisels on the Japanese water stones.

Incidentally, all this has been written in the past tense because it became superfluous once I acquired a mechanical sharpening system.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

Derek

When I used MDF, I used a little water on the wet 'n' dry without problem. You don't need to flood it, just a thin layer of soapy water is enough

 

[Anonymous]

Been their with the mirror and guess what i broke it i have been using my hearth but it is starting to discolour so i am looking for another method.

Derek.

 

[DaveL]

I had a nice double glazed panel from a door that worked well.

Notice the tense

 

[Anonymous]

Derek

When I used MDF, I used a little water on the wet 'n' dry without problem. You don't need to flood it, just a thin layer of soapy water is enough

Why soapy water i heard that before but never took much notice.

Cheers,
Derek.

 

[johnelliott]

Derek

When I used MDF, I used a little water on the wet 'n' dry without problem. You don't need to flood it, just a thin layer of soapy water is enough

Why soapy water i heard that before but never took much notice.

Cheers,
Derek.

The soap is there as a lubricant, helping to ease the cutting action. Ordinary handwashing tyoe soap seems to work best.

John

 

[Anonymous]

I have only tried washing up liquid but will definitely give hand soap a go - much cheaper

 

[Guest]

If you keep all the little pieces of soap that are no longer usable ,put them in a screw-top jar with a little water you will soon have a thickish jell. Dip in the tool to be sharpened and away you go.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Derek,

I got my bit of float glass from my local glaziers. I got 6mm (¼") to keep costs down and made a 'box' of 18mm mdf base (keeps it flat so I don't crack it) with a 4mm mdf frame (about 3mm wide) glued all round the 18mm so the glass doesn't go flying off onto the floor in use, another 4mm frame and some 12mm mdf make a lid to cover it when not in use (and so things bounce off when dropped on to it!). A couple of dowels fitted underneath and holes drilled in a handy height shelf (and the workmate for taking offsite) and it just slots in wherever you need it. Nearly forgot - a 20mm hole at the front of the 18mm mdf to stick your finger up to poke the glass out to flip it round to use different grits on both sides - when drilling the dowel holes for the bench/ workmate make sure it overhangs slightly so you can get your finger in this hole.

Col.