Sanding tempered glass? Yes-No?

[hotrodA]

After all the headaches in getting my 32 Sedan glass cut, (only five months)
I started the install on my sedan with Bob Drake felts and channels..

RR quarter went in perfect, rolls up and down just like OE.

LR quarter so tight in channels it will stay up by itself without the regulator.

The two door glasses will both go up but only about 3/4 of the way and wedge tight in the channels equally.

The glass was cut to OE glass patterns and I checked all four against the patterns and to each other for consistency.

What gives? It's like the front glass angles are a little off or too long there. The rear edge is square to the bottom edge.

Anyone ever had tempered glass sanded? Searched and found conflicting opinions from No to Yes, but not over 1/8".

Yes, I should have made a masonite pattern. No, I should not have trusted the glass man. Am I just stuck with it and need to have new cut?


BTW, STAY AWAY FROM VINTAGE GLASS LAWRENCEVILLE GA

[swedishsteel]

Your local glass shop can trim it. I had similar problem. Took a bit to figure out exactly what/where it needed to be cut trimmed, but I marked it with a Sharpie and took it to the glass shop and they did what needed to be done to make it fit. Mine was in a '36 five window.

[deuce_roadster]

Are you sure there is nothing that has the channel bent? Was there ever any damage to that side. Perhaps the glass channel is not completely into the metal. Also are you sure the metal piece at the bottom is located correctly and not on backwards? The old Ford ones I have seen have an inside and outside due to the bevel that mates with the regulator.

If everything is as it should be, like swedishsteel said, a competent glass shop can trim it, either with a laser or a belt sander.

[95476]

I had the same problem on my last 2 projects.
The glass was cut to the original patterns that I supplied but was too tight when installed in the door.
It turned ot that the repop channel kits were a bit thicker than OEM.
On my last build I had the glass cut 1/8th smaller on the edges and had no problem.

[Drbrown]

Talking OE glass .... Think there may be some confusion here regard terms describing types of glass. Ford only used "tempered" glass for it curved windows i.e. the rear one. They had it made by an outside company. The rest of the "flat" glass is "safety glass" which is two layers of plate glass laminated together with a vinyl-type material. Some modern cars do use a true "tempered" glass that shatters in tiny pieces when impacted.

[RalphM]

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I had some new glass that was tight in my 31, I took a thin 5/16” piece of hard wood about four inches wide and placed in in the channels and tapped the felt down/ in with a hammer.
It helped it go up and down better.
But to answer your question, yes you can sand the glass, just be careful of heat build up. I used to work in a shop that did auto glass and light sanding of the edges was done quite often, on a vertical belt sander.

[DavidG]

Are your horizontal steel channels that retain the glass at the bottom edge originals or reproductions and are you sure that you centered the glass properly in those channels? They could be causing the hang up in the doors if one edge is too close to the edge of the glass.

[Deuce Man]

as Drbrown said this is not tempered glass. It is surely laminated safety plate. This glass can be sanded or ground, that is how they round the edges, Why not bring your glass to a local glass shop and have a little sanded off? Rich

[Tony, NY]

A few years back I had a guy on the HAMB cut me glass from templates for my chopped Model A coupe. I had the option of laminated safety glass or tempered glass. He had a local source for the making of tempered glass. I chose the regular safety glass. I don't think tempered can be sanded successfully (not shattering).

[34pickup]

My glass man told me that tempered glass has to be sanded before its tempered because afterwards, its finished and can't be sanded at all. I had a glass made that didn't fit and he said he would have to make another one.

[hotrodA]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, it IS tempered, NOT laminated. The glass guy only offered tempered for side glass. Hence my request for help.

The bottom channels and rubber seals have good clearance on each end, thanks to DavidG's earlier advice.

The vertical metal channels that hold the felts are attached to the factory bracket mounts inside the door. Doors are pretty nice, NO indications of being damaged.

BOTH front glasses go up the same amount and wedge tight, as shown in the pics. That is why I'm thinking they're too long. The angled front edge is acting as a tapered wedge.

If either glass is freed up, it goes up and down in the channels by hand, as it should.

Looks like the ONLY exact method is making the Masonite pattern to fit, and having glass sanded or new made.

Any further things to check before going through this?

[51 MERC-CT]

Are they truly wedged tight on both sides.
In the past when I had similar situations, I found that the glass was tight only on one side.
In those cases it was just a matter of loosening the regulator screws and raising the window which in effect rotated the regulator. Then with the window fully up tighten the regulator screws.
If this is not the problem then if the situation allows, a wooden block inserted in the channel along with gentle persuasion using a hammer has corrected some problems.
I suspect that if the glass goes up and down without the regulator attached, the regulator/s are out of rotation.

[hotrodA]

Thanks.

The glass binds up at the position shown raising them by hand. With or without regulators.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by hotrodA

Thanks.

The glass binds up at the position shown raising them by hand. With or without regulators.

Then if the situation allows, it would appear, attempting to massage the area with a wooden block may be the next resort (other than having new glass made)
You may also want to look for a new glass man.

[motordr]

I just went through this on my 30A Coupe. I found that the glass was too thick, almost 1/4”. I replaced it with tempered glass from Bert’s Model A that was closer to 3/16” thick and they now slide up and down nicely.

[bill3337]

For all its worth, I had slightly less than 1/8" sanded off my tempered glass for my '37 rear side windows.

[hotrodA]

Thanks!

The EDGE of the glass is wedging against the inside BOTTOM of the vertical felt channel. There is clearance between the sides of the glass and the sides of the felt channel.

I'll try the wood block massage first. That's a great idea!

Meanwhile the search for a glass company who can sand it continues.

As for finding a new glass guy: I will NEVER, EVER USE VINTAGE GLASS, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. AGAIN!!!

[rich b]

I used a piece of 1/4" flat bar and a hammer to "tune" up the tracks and fuzzy's in a similar manner as the wood piece previously mentioned.

In the past I have found masonite patterns to be pretty useful when doing windows. Considering that stuff may have "changed" in the car itself; the glass thickness and dimensions of the fuzzy channels are different too; best to make an operating pattern.

[34pickup]

If the glass will go up and down in the side channels without binding when freed from the bottom metal channel attached to the glass, then the metal channel holding the glass must not be attached in the right position.

[hotrodA]

34pickup.....
Thanks for the suggestion, but BOTH glasses go up and down in the vertical channels by hand or with the regulators, UNTIL they both reach a point about 3/4 of the way up, then getting progressively tighter if they're forced upward. Felts are well fit in the steel channels, which are tight against the brackets spot welded inside the door. The bottom channels were installed to clear both the front and rear felts, as they do......thanks to a heads-up from DavidG on here.

[DavidG]

I find it a bit odd that your glass supplier would only do tempered glass for the side windows. '32 side glass window channels were designed for up to 1/4" thick glass as the deluxe models had laminated safety glass in all windows (the standards were only equipped with a laminated windshield and the side windows were plate glass, but laminated side glass was an extra-cost option for all of the standard models). In other words, the same glass was used in the side windows as was used in the windshield when so equipped and no tempered glass was used originally. That's why I find your glass supplier's requirement unusual, to say the least.

[hotrodA]

Yep!

Dealing with VINTAGE GLASS, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA was a learning experience.
Urging others to not make the same mistake. I was naïve and didn't do my due diligence.

[Drbrown]

All the glass in my '47 is laminated and original LOF (Libby Owens Ford). Got the marker bugs and bubbles in the edges of the laminate to prove it ! The rear window is "Herculite" tempered due to curved surface.

My local glass shop does laminated. Some shops insist on tempered because they get the higher price and less liability.

[Marvin/TN]

Don't believe you can cut, sand or other wise change the shape of tempered glass. Regular auto safety glass yes.

[hotrodA]

Cut and sanded a Masonite pattern today. Curious to see what changes are required to make it fit, if at all. Just pissed that after all the delays and BS that I put up with, I have to spend more money to fix this screwup.

STAY AWAY FROM VINTAGE GLASS, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA!!

[Charlie Stephens]

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Originally Posted by DavidG

I find it a bit odd that your glass supplier would only do tempered glass for the side windows. '32 side glass window channels were designed for up to 1/4" thick glass as the deluxe models had laminated safety glass in all windows (the standards were only equipped with a laminated windshield and the side windows were plate glass, but laminated side glass was an extra-cost option for all of the standard models). In other words, the same glass was used in the side windows as was used in the windshield when so equipped and no tempered glass was used originally. That's why I find your glass supplier's requirement unusual, to say the least.

I believe the logic of the supplier (and maybe the law) is that laminated safety glass is used for the windshield so a stone won't shatter it and go into the cab along with all of the glass fragments. The side windows are tempered so if you are trapped in the car they can easily break the windows with a single blow of a sharp object.

Charlie Stephens

[hotrodA]

You've nailed it! Makes perfect sense.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

I believe the logic of the supplier (and maybe the law) is that laminated safety glass is used for the windshield so a stone won't shatter it and go into the cab along with all of the glass fragments. The side windows are tempered so if you are trapped in the car they can easily break the windows with a single blow of a sharp object.

Charlie Stephens

My door glass is tempered because my outside door handles have been removed.
And this allows for an emergency access into the car, But tempered glass became the norm with the introduction of curved side glass. Any safety factor was just a secondary consideration.

[Karl Wescott]

Too many people today are used to tempered glass where with the window half down you can reach out and use the glass as a handle to close the door. Especially on a 3 window or tudor this will likely crack safety glass.


For a driver or a street rod imho tempered is a clear choice. A true restoration needs OEM style safety plate.

[GB SISSON]

As for the original question about sanding tempered glass (or any glass), I would wear a good mask or respirator. I have various belt sanding devices in my wood shop, but I can only imagine what that dust from ground glass looks like under a microscope. Bad for lungs I think.