Glass door help

[Gail O'Rourke]

Ok...here's the story, I am making a cherry double vanity and matching linen cabinet. 28" wide by 45" tall... the linen cabinet has two tall doors which I cut today, in them I am going to insert glass. Normally I do my glass doors the same way I do panel doors, stile, rail and insert. I usually order 1/4" glass.

SO, I cut the doors and get the panel size, call the glass store and find out the price for faux antique glass.... 2 8" by 35" panels are going to cost me $122.000....ok, not a huge deal, the upcharge for the glass was $60 on the estimate, so I am not too hugely off...but it is only 1/16" thick.

Is this thick enough for doors?
What do I do with the stock to fit the 1/16th instead of a 1/4 inch panel? ($7.00 a bf, ran them twice after wasn't happy with the first - so not willing to recut if don't have to)

My thought was to assemble the door without glass and then rabbet out the back and insert glass and pin it in place, but with what?

Does this make sense?

Thanks for the help.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Gail,

I would probably rabbet out the back side of the style and make some quarted round to match the cabinet (same wood) and pin the quarter round as you suggested. I suppose that option #2 would be to make some 1/16" shims to insert with the glass with the shims on the inside...

[Jack Easton]

The rabbit is a good way to go. And you don't have to use pins -- you can get retainer clips, they come in many different styles and colors and materials. Here is but an example of one: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11269

[Richard Wolf]

I'm a little nervious about the 1/16 glass. I ran into that problem with some kitchen cabinets. The problem is if they get slambed the glass could break. If you go this way you may want to try glazer points.
The problem with nailing trim to hold it in place is you usually miss with the nail and break the glass, but thats me.

Richard

[Joe Unni]

Gail,

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My glass guy says even 1/8th inch is too thin. A bathroom gets a lot of use and I would hate to see a door get closed with a little too much force and KABOOM - someone gets hurt. Remember the liability factor.

It might be worth spending (actually eating) a couple of extra bucks and get 1/4" faux antique glass. My guess is that you'll save yourself a humongus headache.

My two cents.

Good luck,
-joe

[Mike Cutler]

Gail.
I like the rabbet. It's the way that I set an antique stained glass panel into two interior doors. It allows you to do all the milling work and set the glass last, thus avoiding potential damage.
Here is a pic of how I did it. It may not be exactly what you are looking for, but it might help spur an idea.
Mark Singer used a similar approach on his "Balboa Doors" project. I didn't see the finished product yet. It might be worth the time to peruse that thread..
I also think that 1/16" is not thick enough, but I don't have a lot of practical experience to refer back too.
Here is the pic of the backside lower corner of the door with an inset atainsed glass panel.

[Russ Massery]

Gail, I had same problem I use a another piece of glass with a small dab of silicone in each corner.The other piece of glass help stiffen the first piece. The doors have been together for over ten years with no problem. The idea came from my glass guy. BTW do you own a pin nailer? They work great for this.

[Steve Clardy]

I always use 1/4" glass. Nothing less.

[Alan Turner]

Gail,
A word of caution if I might. Bathrooms can be slippery places. In my area, I believe that tempered glass would be required for safety reasons. If someone slips and goes through the glass, even at 1/4", there can be serious injury. Glass in bathrooms, just like in entry doors, needs to be tempered or safety, IMHO.

[Alan Turner]

Gail,
A word of caution if I might. Bathrooms can be slippery places. In my area, I believe that tempered glass would be required for safety reasons. If someone slips and goes through the glass, even at 1/4", there can be serious injury. Glass in bathrooms, just like in entry doors, needs to be tempered or safety, IMHO.

[Phil Phelps]

..I would check the code in your area. You may need to use tempered glass. A word to the wise.....

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Gail,

I have used 1/8" glass many times. As long as the glass isn't very big (and yours isn't bigger than a normal window) you'll be fine. Once you immobilize the glass in the panel, everything will be okay. I rabbett out the back of the panel slots and use another piece if trim to mount the glass (think small panel molding).

I've yet to have a call back on any of my glass panel dors in the last ten years.

[Alan Shaw]

Gail

In my area the code requires the use of tempered glass in any base cabinets and/or any tall cabinets.

Alan

[Lamar Horton]

Whatever size glass you go with, you can keep it in place but rabbeting out the back of the frame then get some scrape material and run it through your stile cutter then rip the cove profile off the piece so you end up with a small quarteround or whatever profile your cutter produces,this will match what you have on the outside of the frame. Then you can use your brad nailer to tack into place.

[Brian Hale]

For securing glass panels in doors, i prefer the rubber panel retainers from Lee Valley (search the site for item # 00S24.30 ). They come in clear, brown and white and the big advantage is they keep a constant pressure on the panel so there are no rattles and they're easy to remove for replacing the glass.

You can see how the clear one look here.... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=22700 The shot of the hinge shows it best.

They require a 1/8" groove which should be fairly easy to put in your doors.

Brian