Well, a top plate of sorts. The original inspiration was to use it for a funky little open-frame design I did a while back that Mike fell in love with, but he's been thinking of utilizing it for other purposes. Only problem is that most of the glass is rather too thick for what was originally intended.

Here are a few photos.

It was really just something I cobbled together out of scrap wood and spare parts to use as a simple volume control on the test bench. I didn't have any 6-32 nuts on hand so I just used some T-nuts.

Anyway, Mike saw it and really liked it and thought the basic design could be scaled up a bit and make a suitable chassis for a relatively inexpensive commercial product. He didn't like that the open frame was so well, open so I came up with the idea of routing an 1/8" groove on the inside of the front and rear panels that would run between the dowels so some 1/8" plates of some sort of material could be inserted. To keep with the open frame concept, Mike thought about using glass and went to a local glass shop and got some samples.

Anyway, yeah, I like the smoke glass too. Ideally though I'd like to find that same type in more of a bronze tone.

Oh, and while I'm here, here are the photos of the phenolic laminates I told you about. The one on top is the cotton phenolic (Garolite LE) which uses layers of loosely woven cotton fabric impregnated with phenolic resin. The one on the bottom is the paper phenolic (Garolite XX) which uses layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resin.

I'm sure you've seen examples of the latter as it was commonly used as copper clad printed circuit board material before the glass epoxy boards became the norm. It's still used for making terminal boards, screw terminals, etc.

Personally I like the cotton phenolic the best.

se

I work in stained glass and drilling holes in glass is not difficult. It is a matter of having the right bit and a little patience.

There are carbide spade bits that are O.K. but slow. Then there diamond bits, the one I use is like a large dental burr. It puts drilling glass on the same footing as bitchy stainless steel .

For a one off you can take a peace of tubing, file a few notches in the end and run it in a puddle of valve grinding compound. Works but very slow.

Next time you are going up to the mountains stop at Warner Crivellaro. WWW.WARNER-CRIV.COM. They are right behind the ABE airport. A large warehouse/show room of every kind of glass imaginable and how to work it. Be amazed.

Have you looked at Micarta? A knifemakers, handle material. It is a phenolic made from paper, linen or canvas and available in a range of colors...John

Your right outside of Philly in Norristown... right?

If you ever want to do a field trip up to ABE let me know :=))

What's your first name?

re: micarta... I will google them shortly and explore....

sunds like you have a fair amount of experience in working with glass.

I have been particularly attracted to the glass (shown in SE's pic) with the chicken wire... want to do some mixed media cases with wood and glass... and justapose the "positions" of each according to wood color, grain, and density and the type of glass and it's color and etc.

the pieces that SE photographed were samples I picked up from a small mom and pop glass company in philly. Many of the pieces are 1/4" thick (which is fine if it was used for the front facia)... but I would like to find some of this same glass but in 1/8" thickness. Do you know of any good urls for larger selection of this type of glass?

thanks again,

msl

I an looking to make an adjustable head for a spotting scope and I need a recommendation for material.

I need a 3"x4"x4" or so hunk of plastic. I have seen a gray industrial material that I think wound be perfect but I don’t know what it is.

I need to ‘machine’ this on my drill press with not much more then an end mill and a cheep X,Y table

A fairly hard non slippery plastic that I can tap to say , ¼ 20 without cracking (with due care)

I think plexiglass may be too prone to cracking, nylon may be too soft Delrin would be OK but this will need to clamp to a ¾ or 1" shaft and stay put. May still be OK but I wish I knew what the gray stuff is

Thanks in advance for your help…John

John, by the way.
The wired glass doesn’t do it for me, maybe it reminds me of high school too much ;( Anyway the reason it is ¼ " is that it is two sheets of glass with the wire fused between. It will be a bitch to cut, as a matter of fact you can’t "cut" it you need a diamond saw( about $350).

There is a lot of patterned glass out there, look at Pilkington (check out the reeded 9970-51). Look at glue chip and glass by Shott ( I don’t have a URL and I am not quite sure of the spelling but this is a solid lead)

Next look at bevels, these are 5mm thick and can be had in clear, a few colors and glue chip. You need a few in hand to appreciate these.

Now the wide, wide world of art glass. These start with Opal glass that starts Creamy white, like clouds, everywhere and any thing. As you add touch of color. This is the sort of glass you see in Tiffany style lamp shades and go from there .

Past here is pure Art

the problem is not trying to find a peace that will work, but trying to narrow down the possibilities…John

got the samples you sent me. the cotton board is really great looking.

msl