We're replastering our lounge and I want to add 3 or 4 thick curved
glass shelves fitted into a corner with no visible supports.

The glass shelves will be a quarter-circle (ie a 90 degree segment)
with an outer radius of approximately 75 cm and the inner corner cut
out at a radius of approximately 15 cm to provide space for the
cables. I'd also like to embed some high-intensity blue LEDs in the
slot so that they illuminate the glass from within.

What I'm thinking of doing is creating a slot in the plaster for each
shelf to slide into by fixing 2 parallel wooden batons to the
underlying brickwork on each side of the corner so that the lower
batons support the weight of the shelf and the upper batons stop the
shelf from tipping forward.

Does this sound feasible?

I want these shelves to support my AV equipment and the heaviest unit
is the amplifier which comes in at about 13 kilos! So I think that I'm
going to need some pretty thick glass! My 'wets finger and holds it in
the air estimate' was to go for at least 25mm glass.

Does anyone know how to calculate the required thickness of glass (or
at least have some experience to provide a better guesstimate)

Any idea of the costs for getting glass cut to size/shape? Any
recommendations for suppliers (I'm near Brighton)

All suggestions gratefully received.

Perry

Perry Gunn wrote:

I want these shelves to support my AV equipment and the heaviest unit
is the amplifier which comes in at about 13 kilos! So I think that I'm
going to need some pretty thick glass! My 'wets finger and holds it in
the air estimate' was to go for at least 25mm glass.

How do you figure that? Our bathroom scales have a (toughened) glass
platform 8mm thick, and a maximum capacity of 150kg.


Does anyone know how to calculate the required thickness of glass (or
at least have some experience to provide a better guesstimate)

I think that this is the least of your worries - I'd be surprised if you
had any problems with 6mm glass. Much more of a problem is going to be
supporting the glass. How deep do you intend your battens to be? I would
think you need at least 20mm support on both sides. Are you plastering
to that depth?



--
Grunff

On Wed, 18 May 2005 15:42:56 +0100, in uk.d-i-y Grunff wrote:

Perry Gunn wrote:

I want these shelves to support my AV equipment and the heaviest unit
is the amplifier which comes in at about 13 kilos! So I think that I'm
going to need some pretty thick glass! My 'wets finger and holds it in
the air estimate' was to go for at least 25mm glass.

How do you figure that? Our bathroom scales have a (toughened) glass
platform 8mm thick, and a maximum capacity of 150kg.

I know that when I wanted some rectangular shelves shortened a few
years ago that they can't cut toughened glass and I thought that
thicker untoughened glass would be easier to get hold of


Does anyone know how to calculate the required thickness of glass (or
at least have some experience to provide a better guesstimate)

I think that this is the least of your worries - I'd be surprised if you
had any problems with 6mm glass. Much more of a problem is going to be
supporting the glass. How deep do you intend your battens to be? I would
think you need at least 20mm support on both sides. Are you plastering
to that depth?

I was planning to cut out some of the brick and recess the batons into
the brickwork

Perry Gunn wrote:

I know that when I wanted some rectangular shelves shortened a few
years ago that they can't cut toughened glass and I thought that
thicker untoughened glass would be easier to get hold of


The glass is cut to size first, then toughened. TBH, I doubt you need
toughened glass for this application.


--
Grunff

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Perry Gunn wrote:

I know that when I wanted some rectangular shelves shortened a few
years ago that they can't cut toughened glass and I thought that
thicker untoughened glass would be easier to get hold of


The glass is cut to size first, then toughened. TBH, I doubt you need
toughened glass for this application.

Grunff


Or glass that is called something like pre-tensile I think. A glazier will know
what you need, ask for advice in there. The pre-tensile glass isn't toughened,
but I think it's heat treated to bond any false laminations that might cause it
to break in a bending load situation.

Don't quote me on this, but it's something I heard about many moons ago while
doing the same sort of job as Perry is.