The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds. I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...648,43649&ap=1

On Sun, 25 May 2008 19:07:15 -0500, "Upscale"
wrote:

The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds. I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...648,43649&ap=1


Lexan is probably stronger for the same thickness, but is also more
expensive. You need to discuss this with a supplier - material
thickness needed for X weight over Y span.

John

On May 25, 8:01 pm, John wrote:
On Sun, 25 May 2008 19:07:15 -0500, "Upscale"
wrote:

The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds. I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...&cat=3,43648,4...

Lexan is probably stronger for the same thickness, but is also more
expensive. You need to discuss this with a supplier - material
thickness needed for X weight over Y span.

John

You may want to consider some design techniques with Lexan.

Two ideas that come to mind a

A) Arrange for a support along the 19" span at the back side of the
shelves even if this means providing a vertical column in the shelf
design at the back. There are ways to make such things look rather
slick in a design. I've even seen taught vertical cables used.

B) Consider hot forming a front side lip on the Lexan that acts as a
right angle stiffener.

- mkaras

In article ,
says...
The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds. I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...648,43649&ap=1


I can virtually guarantee that 1/4" plexiglass would bend very
badly, if gradually. I built a case for a turntable from that
stuff once and it could not support the weight of the (heavy)
turntable for long until it deformed. You may need to glue some
vertical supports underneath to strenghen it. No idea what
thickness would be sufficient for the weight you have there,
but I think it'd be hefty.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

Peter Huebner wrote:
In article ,
says...
The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45
pounds. I'd like to have all the components supported by some type
of lexan or plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products
are the strongest and able to exist as a 19" span and be able to
support this 45 pound AV receiver using brass shelving supports and
sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...648,43649&ap=1


I can virtually guarantee that 1/4" plexiglass would bend very
badly, if gradually. I built a case for a turntable from that
stuff once and it could not support the weight of the (heavy)
turntable for long until it deformed. You may need to glue some
vertical supports underneath to strenghen it. No idea what
thickness would be sufficient for the weight you have there,
but I think it'd be hefty.

Tempered glass is probably a better bet if you want that look--it will
either carry the load or break but it's not going to sag noticeably,
public-education notions about "supercooled liquid that creeps slowly"
notwithstanding. But 1/4 inch is going to be too thin regardless.
Lexan has about 60 percent of the elastic modulus of MDF, acrylic
about 80 percent, glass is about ten times higher (all _very_
approximate).

The Sagulator http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm will let you
easily calculate approximate sag for many kinds of wood and for
glass--it doesn't have acrylic or polycarbonate, but if you use
"MDF-LD" I don't think you'll be too far wrong for those materials.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"mkaras" wrote in message
...
On May 25, 8:01 pm, John wrote:
On Sun, 25 May 2008 19:07:15 -0500, "Upscale"
wrote:

The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds.
I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest
and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV
receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...&cat=3,43648,4...

Lexan is probably stronger for the same thickness, but is also more
expensive. You need to discuss this with a supplier - material
thickness needed for X weight over Y span.

John

You may want to consider some design techniques with Lexan.

Two ideas that come to mind a

A) Arrange for a support along the 19" span at the back side of the
shelves even if this means providing a vertical column in the shelf
design at the back. There are ways to make such things look rather
slick in a design. I've even seen taught vertical cables used.

B) Consider hot forming a front side lip on the Lexan that acts as a
right angle stiffener.

- mkaras

Actually, Lexan (polycarbonite) cold forms...Pexiglas (acrylic) uses heat
for forming.

Lexan doesn't like heat...looks like a sheet of hard pudding...like my
ex-wife used to make.

Mike

"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week delivery
time. I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't
quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than everyone
else.

On May 28, 2:06 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week delivery
time. I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't
quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than everyone
else.

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
sales. i
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted
gray
even. you can use a silicon carbide belt in a beltsander (with a very
light
touch) to break the sharp edges. do that on a windy day, standing
upwind.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/ChaniArts

"charlie" wrote in message
...
On May 28, 2:06 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was
quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week
delivery
time.

The two week delivery time is because the glass has to get cut before it
gets tempered. You can't cut tempered glass.


I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't
quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than
everyone
else.

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
sales. i
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted
gray
even. you can use a silicon carbide belt in a beltsander (with a very
light
touch) to break the sharp edges. do that on a windy day, standing
upwind.

Repeat: You can't cut tempered glass.

Dave in Houston

On May 28, 2:37 pm, "Dave in Houston" wrote:
"charlie" wrote in message

...

On May 28, 2:06 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was
quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week
delivery
time.

The two week delivery time is because the glass has to get cut before it
gets tempered. You can't cut tempered glass.
I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't

quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than
everyone
else.

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
sales. i
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted
gray
even. you can use a silicon carbide belt in a beltsander (with a very
light
touch) to break the sharp edges. do that on a windy day, standing
upwind.

Repeat: You can't cut tempered glass.

Dave in Houston

dining room tabletops aren't tempered, so i'm not quite sure what your
statement is referring to.

i submit that 1/2" glass isn't going to be broken with normal means.
without special breakers, one would be hard pressed to break .5", let
alone .75", thick glass. i've scored that thickness glass, placed a
dowel under the break, and jumped on the end without having it break.

On May 28, 3:43 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"charlie" wrote in message
can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted

Possibly, but one of the greatest detriments to my using a wheelchair is not
being able to get around easily to get to things ~ like yard sales. All in
all, it's easier and much less time consuming to just buy something. I don't
like it, but there it is. It is a confirmed fact that's it's considerably
more expensive to have a disability than not. I wouldn't have thought much
about it before being in the chair, but it surely hits me right in the
forehead now.


have your neighbor look for things? i have a set of people who look
for kilns and other glass or ceramic related items in local yard
sales, and they call me up if they find anything interesting.

thick glass is pretty heavy and you do need special tools to cut and
handle it, so yes, it'll be easier to purchase it premade directly.
otoh, a stained glass store may be able to cut down a tabletop if one
was delivered to them by a helpful assistant. i doubt that the glass
shop you approached would do this; they'd want to sell you the new
glass instead of recycled.

btw: another good place is craigslist. i see glass shelves (and
tabletops too) on my local frequently that come out of store closings.
perhaps something close enough in size would do.

"charlie" wrote in message

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted

Possibly, but one of the greatest detriments to my using a wheelchair is not
being able to get around easily to get to things ~ like yard sales. All in
all, it's easier and much less time consuming to just buy something. I don't
like it, but there it is. It is a confirmed fact that's it's considerably
more expensive to have a disability than not. I wouldn't have thought much
about it before being in the chair, but it surely hits me right in the
forehead now.

Upscale wrote:
"charlie" wrote in message
have your neighbor look for things? i have a set of people who look
for kilns and other glass or ceramic related items in local yard
sales, and they call me up if they find anything interesting.

It's a possibility and maybe I'll look around a bit. In all honesty though,
I'm not sure I want to. At least not for supporting my new 45 pound AV
receiver that cost me over $1800. I'd have a coronary if the thing dropped
through some recycled glass because I was too cheap to buy the tempered
stuff. Of course, the rest of the components aren't near as heavy, so what
you suggest may be a viable option.


These guys have lexan in 1/2" thick sheets:

http://www.professionalplastics.com/LEXANSHEET9034

A 12" x 48" runs $112, but you could get several shelves out of it. I
would think 1/2" in a 19" span would do the job, particularly since the
feet of the receiver will be close to the support pegs. If it sags
slightly over time and gets on your nerves, flip it over.

"charlie" wrote in message
have your neighbor look for things? i have a set of people who look
for kilns and other glass or ceramic related items in local yard
sales, and they call me up if they find anything interesting.

It's a possibility and maybe I'll look around a bit. In all honesty though,
I'm not sure I want to. At least not for supporting my new 45 pound AV
receiver that cost me over $1800. I'd have a coronary if the thing dropped
through some recycled glass because I was too cheap to buy the tempered
stuff. Of course, the rest of the components aren't near as heavy, so what
you suggest may be a viable option.

On Wed, 28 May 2008 14:17:10 -0700 (PDT), charlie
wrote:

On May 28, 2:06 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week delivery
time. I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't
quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than everyone
else.

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
sales. i
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted
gray
even. you can use a silicon carbide belt in a beltsander (with a very
light
touch) to break the sharp edges. do that on a windy day, standing
upwind.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/ChaniArts
As long as it's not tempered - which MOST glass table tops are (and
the MUST be to be legally sold here)

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Wed, 28 May 2008 19:00:10 -0500, "Upscale"
wrote:


"charlie" wrote in message
have your neighbor look for things? i have a set of people who look
for kilns and other glass or ceramic related items in local yard
sales, and they call me up if they find anything interesting.

It's a possibility and maybe I'll look around a bit. In all honesty though,
I'm not sure I want to. At least not for supporting my new 45 pound AV
receiver that cost me over $1800. I'd have a coronary if the thing dropped
through some recycled glass because I was too cheap to buy the tempered
stuff. Of course, the rest of the components aren't near as heavy, so what
you suggest may be a viable option.

The only difference is the tempered glass would be in about 10,000
peices insted of just a hundred - - - - .
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Upscale wrote:
"Doug Winterburn" wrote in message
A 12" x 48" runs $112, but you could get several shelves out of it. I
would think 1/2" in a 19" span would do the job, particularly since the
feet of the receiver will be close to the support pegs. If it sags
slightly over time and gets on your nerves, flip it over.

The receiver is about 17"x17" so 12"x48" isn't wide enough, but I'm still
considering something similar. The greatest benefit is that it would be much
lighter.


They do have other sizes, up to 48" x 96".

"Upscale" wrote:

Sure, I know that. A little online research showed polycarbonate to
be
exceptionally strong, so I'm trying to find some place local to me
in
Toronto that has it.

SFWIW:

While very strong, Lexan will scratch and price will be tied to crude
oil.

Might take a look at 1/2" laminated safety glass, cut to size with a
water jet.

That way, edges will be polished.

HEAVY, but very strong.

Have fun.

Lew

"Doug Winterburn" wrote in message

A 12" x 48" runs $112, but you could get several shelves out of it. I
would think 1/2" in a 19" span would do the job, particularly since the
feet of the receiver will be close to the support pegs. If it sags
slightly over time and gets on your nerves, flip it over.

The receiver is about 17"x17" so 12"x48" isn't wide enough, but I'm still
considering something similar. The greatest benefit is that it would be much
lighter.

"Doug Winterburn" wrote in message
They do have other sizes, up to 48" x 96".

Sure, I know that. A little online research showed polycarbonate to be
exceptionally strong, so I'm trying to find some place local to me in
Toronto that has it.

clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 May 2008 14:17:10 -0700 (PDT), charlie
wrote:

On May 28, 2:06 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
"Myxylplyk" wrote in message
You want clear shelving with no sag and heat resistance. (Stero equip.
throws some heat)

tempered safety glass, pencil polished edges

And expensive. For tempered safety glass, 20.75" x 17" x 3/8" I was
quoted
from $50 per piece all the way up to $135 per piece with a two week
delivery
time. I'm going to check out the $50 guy tomorrow. I'm hoping he didn't
quote me the wrong price considering how much cheaper he was than
everyone
else.

can you cut thick glass? look for old dining room tabletops in yard
sales. i
just bought a 4'x6'x.75" tabletop for $20. not a scratch on it. tinted
gray
even. you can use a silicon carbide belt in a beltsander (with a very
light
touch) to break the sharp edges. do that on a windy day, standing
upwind.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/ChaniArts
As long as it's not tempered - which MOST glass table tops are (and
the MUST be to be legally sold here)

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

in the US, only outside patio table glass tops are tempered. normal dining
room tabletops are almost never tempered. i've never run into one, never
heard of one, and i've cut up a lot of them. for that matter, would you want
a dining tabletop to shatter if you dropped a knife on the edge? i tend to
doubt it.

On May 25, 7:07 pm, "Upscale" wrote:
The new receiver for my entertainment centre is 20Kg or about 45 pounds. I'd
like to have all the components supported by some type of lexan or
plexiglass or similar product. Which of these products are the strongest and
able to exist as a 19" span and be able to support this 45 pound AV receiver
using brass shelving supports and sleeves?

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...&cat=3,43648,4...

Visit or call a mid-level furniture store (c.f. Ashley in the
midwest) and see what they have for entertainment centers. Assuming
you are talking about standard width receiver, then standard width
entertainment centers should have standard width glass (around
21-1/2"). It's likely that they can sell you replacement glass for a
given model of entertainment center. If the glass is a little
narrow, then trim the left and right edges with wood. Just an
idea.... doesn't cost more than a couple of phone calls.

hex
-30-

"hex" wrote in message
Visit or call a mid-level furniture store (c.f. Ashley in the
midwest) and see what they have for entertainment centers. Assuming
you are talking about standard width receiver, then standard width
entertainment centers should have standard width glass (around
21-1/2").

I ended up buying a full sheet of tinted 3/8" acrylic. Once the total square
footage of shelving exceeded 50% of a 4x8 sheet, it was cheaper to just buy
the full sheet. I asked about lexan and the salesman was confident that the
acrylic would support my 50 pound receiver with the dimensions that I gave
him. Total cost including cutting, and polishing of the front side of the
shelf sections with taxes included was $339.00. Not cheap, but considerably
cheaper than the lexan would have been and most certainly lighter than glass
would have been.