River table help needed

Re: River table help needed

John McGaw

I don't have anything definitive for you but if I was doing such a project (I thought about it but suspected it would be beyond my abilities) I'd start looking for someone local who does/teaches stained/leaded glass. At that it might be beyond the scope of someone who does tiny precise glass cutting but it certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

Re: River table help needed

John K Jordan

If you want tempered glass for safety reasons the better glass companies can cut any shape to your pattern then temper.

Re: River table help needed

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have had glass cut to shape to fit in frames of various shape. I have a daughter that does leaded glass. I don't know what a River Table is nor have you explained what glass cutting is needed. I can't help because I have no idea what you need.

Re: River table help needed

Clint Searl

Look for an outfit that can create a CNC file of the full size pattern and then water-jet cut the glass from that file. It won't be cheap. Or just have a local glass company hand cut from your pattern. That's what I did.

Re: River table help needed

Barry Irby

I have been looking at river tables for a long time. I have considered pouring epoxy into one but am skeptical about the long term durability. I have doubt the join to the wood will hold up for a long time and the surface of the epoxy will scratch and dull over time.

The alternate approach is to use a piece of glass cut to fit into a rebate you cut into the edges of the pieces. Some of them get crazy elaborate. If I did that I would want the piece of glass to be a sturdy sane shape and loose enough to be lifted out and cleaned. Some of them look like a river with odd tributaries and I would not want that. I did check and a local glass company can do it if you take them a pattern. I would want to take them the pattern and then double check the fit. I would leave the table unfinished until I checked the fit.

Right now I am at the point I would make the table, finish the top, and lay a piece of glass (preferably tempered) over the whole thing. Check out pencil edges.

PS, Clint posted while I was typing....

Barry Irby

I believe in a previous post he mentioned his table is more than a decade old (He was ahead of the trend) and that the glass is stuck in the top because the wood dried and shrank. It is quite fortunate it did not break the glass. It would be much better if the glass could be removed for Cleaning and shipping and to replace it if necessary.

(Clint, forgive me if I have misspoken.) OTOH, the admonition remains the same.

water jet glass cutting

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I met someone at a craft fair with a glass top table that had mortises in the glass that wood stuck through. How did they do that I asked? "Water jet" and it was cheap and quick, they reported.

Re: water jet glass cutting

John McGaw

Neat idea. Never would have thought of it but legs attached to the top with proud through mortises would be a clever feature with just spidery stretchers below.

technology enables new design

I did a poured plastic top around a lavatory...

Kneale Brownson

sink probably 40 years ago. Lots of hairbrush/water glass/pill bottle/comb/soapdish contact and it's still clear to see the wood grain beneath.