Loco Cab Glazing

[weary]

I am looking for very thin glass to glaze a couple of locomotive cab windows 32 x 38 mm (1 1/2 x 1 1/4 in.).
I considered using microscope cover-slip glass, but cannot find it in sizes large enough - unless you know of a source of suitable glass or have an alternative suggestion.
I have some 1mm thick perspex(?), but would prefer glass.

Phil

[Deleted]

Hi Phil

You can certainly get thin glass, 1mm shouldn't be to difficult. I do have a company details that I will try to sort out tomorrow for you. I used this particular company to supply thin glass panels that were used for the 'Batman Begins' film, they were used for the carriages of the 1/3rd overhead train that crashed ending up in an underground Carpark, some may remember the scene. Anyway these particular panels had to be toughened glass so that they smashed in a scale like fashion. Mind you for toughened which would be a good idea in the H&S world have to be at least 2.5mm thick, or at least they did back then, technology has moved on a little now, did you know it's possible to get glass as thin as .2mm today?? The point to all this rambling is that if you search the web you will find what you need, however I'll try to find the company details of who I used for film work.

Pete

[chris vine]

Hi Phil,

I think cover slips will be too thin for you, but you can certainly get large microscope slide glass, just google it.

however it is quite tough and can break easily. For my engine, with LNER curved shape glasses, I made a couple of pieces of thick brass to the shape and sandwiched the glass between them. Then I could chip it away to the right size. Punk I know, but it worked!

Chris.

[Deleted]

Phil

I got my 2" x 2" x 1mm! here. Lovely stuff!

rangerink.com/?product=inkssentials-memory-glass%E2%84%A2

I have more than I need, so send me a PM.
JB

[jma1009]

phil,
i have used perspex up to now, but would like glass in my next loco which has round spectacle plate windows in circular brass rims. a friend who was an optician's technician said he could cut me them at 20p per each...unfortunately he lost his job before he made them for me.... so i would like to have a go at making my own... so any tips please ?
cheers,
julian

[GWRdriver]

An interesting thread, I'll be interested to see where it goes. I need to make a couple of approx 2"diam x 2.5mm glass lenses for the "spectacles" of my 2X TICH but using the foolproof techniques I've found on the WWW, so far I've managed to ruin them all. I've cut quite a bit of glass, including for leaded glass window work, with no problems yet somehow a nice clean circle eludes me.

[AndrewP]

I cut circles out of slices of stone all the time using home made core bits. Copper pipe of suitable size solder in an end cap and spigot for chuck, then true up on the lathe if necessary.
Support sheet of glass all over (I use a thermo setting compound called Jet Set) on the mill in a waterproof container, just cover with water, spoon in 80 grit silicon carbide grit and peck away with the core bit on a slow speed.
Works well with cheap diamond core bits that wear the diamonds off in two minutes flat as well.
It's not difficult to make a copper "bezel" if suitable pipe is not available, brass would probably work too.
Andy

[yorkshireman]

I have used Glass Slides as used in Pathology labs.

look here: www.emsdiasum.com/microscopy/products/histology/slides.aspx about 1/2 way down...

Large Glass Slides
71860-01 75x38mm Glass Slide, 1mm Thick and
71862-01 75x51mm Glass Slide, 1.2mm Thick

These are a bit hard to come by, unless you are in this business.
The sizes 25x75, 75x38 & 75x51 mm are standardized worldwide.

Johannes

[springbok]

there is a chap selling these spectacle windows on fleabay at the moment
Bob

[DennisR]

Hi - searched fleabay to no effect! What's it listed under please?

[iansabey]

Last time I needed thin glass I bought a cheap picture frame from a car boot sale. 50p if I recall and I got two 3" circles from it. I've also used old CD cases for similar thickness plastic.

There are some good videos on YouTube about cutting circles in glass.

[chris vine]

Ha!! I have just remembered a trick:

It was a bit of a memory lapse this, and I didn't use it for Bongo's spectacle plate glass however...

If you have a grit blasting cabinet, you will be able to cut them out quite quickly. Just mask off the area you want to keep with simple masking tape, or insulating tape. you could cut out the shape with a craft knife.

Then just blast away with the grit gun. it will only take a minute or two to cut clean through the glass. The masking tape will be completely unaffected.

I learnt this trick when making mirrors as christmas presents. mask up, cut out the design for etching (grit blasting) and leave a small circle where you want a hole right through to hang it up!!

Cheapo presents inc!

I think it could work really well with microscope slide glass because it the stuff I had was very tricky to cut in the usual manner. I think it must be toughened as the cut runs off in all directions....

Chris

[jma1009]

thanks for the tips guys re circular glass cab windows. surely it is possible to cut round a template with a glass or tile cutter and snap away the unwanted portion? must admit that in my 70 year plus library of ME's i dont recall reading of a method to produce same, though if ive missed a description i would be pleased to hear from anyone!
chris i dont have a grit blaster, and andy ive heard of the copper grinding process but surely there must be an easier method? otherwise i will have to find a new optical technician...which reminds me ive got an eye test for new spectacles this week so will ask!)
i must admit that on my 5"g GWR Armstrong Goods 0-6-0 loco i purposely made the circular cab spectacle windows vacant as same permitted easy access to some rather otherwise inaccessible union connections on the manifold and steam brake/vacuum brake fitting inside the cab with a spanner! scale hinged cab windows were a bit beyond me at the time as was a method of accurately making the 'glass' to fit to same.
cheers,
julian