Repair of chipped architectural glass?

[Brice Turnbull]

So as a favor, I rewired some displays at a business in West Hollywood where I was installing lights they commissioned me to make.

As I was lifting them from laying on their sides to standing, one got chipped (from the torque?). One or two others have some kind of fracturing also, though I think that happened on their way from China.

Does anyone know what kind of company could repair these in place? I live in Colorado, or I would go grind and polish it with a dremel tool myself. I did not notice the chip before I left, they sent me the pictures after. The fractured joints I don't know what to do with - am open to comments on those also.

I have been calling custom mirror, aquarium, architectural glass, and windshield repair places and none of them do this or they don't return my voicemail.

I know this isn't hot glass, but I'm running out of ideas! Thanks for any thoughts.
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[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

Its very difficult to tell by the pictures whats going on- could you post sharper images on another web site?
What exactly did you do in handling them? Why do you say repair in place?
Without understanding more I can still say that a Dremel is not the tool to fix this.
Possibly a well equipped grinding shop with belt sanders flat mills and large polishing wheels

[Pete VanderLaan]

Michael is right but they need to be dismantled to address ( not necessarily fix) the issue. If the joints are glued, it was a problem waiting to happen in that the joints are way too small.

[Brice Turnbull]

Hmmm, OK. Thanks for the thoughts.

So to rewire them, I had to tip them on their side one at a time, and access the wiring at the bottom. Then tip them back upright. They were wrapped in 3 layers of bubble wrap, foam padding, and plastic wrap during this process. I was gentle with them, but laying them down by their tops must have put too much pressure on at least one of them. I thought they had steel corners, but after I unwrapped them I saw they are only glass.

I say repair in place because to move them will likely cause more damage. The glass tops are glued or epoxied to the steel frames.

The only idea I had to separate the pieces is to scrape at the joints using a utility knife of something, but that seems almost not possible. I recently took apart very small epoxied glass parts (like the size of a large marble on a 1/2" diameter post) and resorted to my glass bandsaw to cut them apart. Of course that wouldn't work here, and also it defaced the components I was working with.

Acetone didn't dissolve the epoxy on my small scale project, until I got the pieces apart. Then it did dissolve any remnant epoxy. Haven't thought of any other way to get them apart still intact.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Knowing what I know abut joinery in 1/4 inch plate, this was never a viable project. It's going to show, badly. Better off to cover those corners with an opaque tape.

[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

Knowing what I know abut joinery in 1/4 inch plate, this was never a viable project. It's going to show, badly. Better off to cover those corners with an opaque tape.

Or sandblast maybe

[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

Your pursuit in removing the epoxy - or is it UV glue? Wont get you anywhere unless you have access to a good grinding shop.
Doing the edges free hand - grinding, polishing- is close to impossible without jigs, guides on the grinding equipment.
Im afraid if I had to fix this, Id throw in the towel and order the precut/polished glass from a local glazier
Its still a lot of work gluing them
And note Petes warnings
Do you feel responsible for the damage?

[Pete VanderLaan]

I would consider getting a CRL catalogue and finding chrome plated material that will fit over the glass snugly and can be glued in place with a decent epoxy. I'm quite sure it exists. There are also shorter clips for plate that keep the glass from directly contacting other hard surfaces.

This was one of John Kuhn's larger problems with the big optical pieces- moving them around without damaging them. more when they were finished than in process.

As it stands, it's just seriously underenginered.

[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

Yes a good alternativ my concern is ithe damage might be seen from the inside

[Pete VanderLaan]

The chrome channel should be at least 1/2 inch high inside and out.

[Brice Turnbull]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I feel responsible for the corner chip, I think I did that.

I appreciate the thoughts on how to cover it, but they are not my display cases, there are 7 total that must all match, and I was hoping to hire someone to make the damaged area look presentable and then get on with my life.

Hearing from you two has helped me see what some of the options are. Thank you! I'll have to come up with a solution of some sort with some more thought.

Cheers,
Brice

[Charles Friedman]

I have done a lot of case work in my time. The glass is probably glued together with silicone glue. To remove the glass from the case frame, use pure essensual orange oil (not the food favoring). flood the joints and wait a few minutes and it will dissolve the glue and clean up easily. Do not let it rest on a painted surface. It will eat the paint.
To move cases like those, I would have ratchet strapped the lid and with a lifting board ( a kind of splint) to the glass and base before moving. And lift from the base part of the unit and never put any pressure on the glass.

[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

I really feel for you in this seat.
In a lot of situations like this insurance would cover it.
Yours or the client
Im afraid your wish of just paying someone to come in and fix it is not going to happen, certainly not in situation.
Petes chromed angles would work but the inside one’s would have to be thinner than the outside ones.
With a good metal working shop thats doable but a lot of work. But you could fix them where they are.
Charles tip on orange oil was interesting but again to repeat it will take a pretty qualified grinding shop and a qualified craftsman to pull this off. Doubtful you could beat just ordering new ones from China
Im afraid your up the creek on this.
One alternative would be professional painting the corners- think automobile lacquer

[Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig]

Im sort of interested in Charles answer:
Do you mean that the silicone is thin enough for the glass to make contact under stress?
Silicone is not, but are there other glues possible of ripping glass apart under stress? The only glue I know that would do that is animal glue as in glue chipping- but hardly on a polished 1/4” edge
I don't believe UV or epoxy would do it so this is glass against glass damage? Pete?

[Pete VanderLaan]

MOS Scale damage is done easily with two pieces with the same MOS scale rating. It would not have likely happened if the counter was softer than the glass. When it flexes, the amount of pressure radically increases and goes crunch. Hxtal is stronger than the glass is.

That's my opinion.

I mean, jeez, it's only glass.

[Charles Friedman]

Originally Posted by Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig

Im sort of interested in Charles answer:
Do you mean that the silicone is thin enough for the glass to make contact under stress?
Silicone is not, but are there other glues possible of ripping glass apart under stress? The only glue I know that would do that is animal glue as in glue chipping- but hardly on a polished 1/4” edge
I don't believe UV or epoxy would do it so this is glass against glass damage? Pete?

Michael
I believe the silicone glue used is soft enough that the glass was able to move inside the metal channel and chipped as it was levered up against the metal channel while tilting up the case from horizontal position to vertical. There is enough flex in the glue that can cause separation or damage that can be seen to the glass seamed edge farther up the glass lid.
Thin (color matched or mirrored)) metal trim pieces inside and out are the only way to go. Cover the damage up is the cheapest and fastest way to go.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, as they say.

[Charles Friedman]

[quote=Brice Turnbull;149645]Hmmm, OK. Thanks for the thoughts.
Then tip them back upright. They were wrapped in 3 layers of bubble wrap, foam padding, and plastic wrap during this process.


Brice, BUBBLE WRAP BAD IDEA! Bubble wrap has too many voids and weakness built into it. You are best off using (one layer only) padded shipping blanket, wrap around the whole display case and glass instead. It will fill the small gap (between glass and case) and give a more overall even pressure on the entire surface at once, when lifting or lowering. Use a thick plywood or non-flexing board, (maybe two narrow boards screwed to rigidize it) cut to the same size, as the case and glass. When tipping the case up or down, the board's bottom edge, takes the pressure off the case and glass.

[Charles Friedman]

Here are some old friends from the Getty. Extreme way to move big art. A little over kill for this project. Scroll down and look for the lifting board on the little obelisk.

https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/obelisks-on-the-move/