Kustom fans-Chopped windshield question

grumpy · December 20, 2004, 10:53:42 PM

Hi all! Happy Holidays

I'm playing with a chopped and hardtopped 53 Plymouth currently, and I need to figure out a windshield.

I've asked this elsewhere, and want to hear your opinions too.

Anyone schooled on doing their own, or know where I can get one done on the coast closest to Ohio?

The car is chopped 7 in front and 8 in the back. Pretty severe.

Well, Thanks in advance

MrMopar64 · December 20, 2004, 11:18:31 PM

Quote from: "grumpy"Hi all! Happy Holidays

I'm playing with a chopped and hardtopped 53 Plymouth currently, and I need to figure out a windshield.

I've asked this elsewhere, and want to hear your opinions too.

Anyone schooled on doing their own, or know where I can get one done on the coast closest to Ohio?

The car is chopped 7 in front and 8 in the back. Pretty severe.

Well, Thanks in advance

Any "GOOD" glass shop with a guy that knows what he is doing should be able to cut it......
When I did mine (took off 5 inchs) the shop cut the first one I took them Then I chopped a Chevy Luv for a guy the original was broken so we bought a new one well that one ran so we bought another new one same thing after 3 new we went to the junk yard bought a used one and they cut it with no problem
So I'd say the old glass cuts better than the new

MM64

WZ JUNK · December 21, 2004, 01:55:26 AM

Quote from: "grumpy"Hi all! Happy Holidays

I'm playing with a chopped and hardtopped 53 Plymouth currently, and I need to figure out a windshield.

I've asked this elsewhere, and want to hear your opinions too.

Anyone schooled on doing their own, or know where I can get one done on the coast closest to Ohio?

The car is chopped 7 in front and 8 in the back. Pretty severe.

Well, Thanks in advance

I have cut laminated (windshield) with a sandblaster. Is the rear window tempered or laminate?

This is a poor picture but you can see the round hole in the tinted section of the windshield. The last time I posted this picture I took a lot of heat for making a hole in a windshield but I just wanted to see if I could do it.

grumpy · December 21, 2004, 04:18:53 PM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"
Quote from: "grumpy"Hi all! Happy Holidays

I'm playing with a chopped and hardtopped 53 Plymouth currently, and I need to figure out a windshield.

I've asked this elsewhere, and want to hear your opinions too.

Anyone schooled on doing their own, or know where I can get one done on the coast closest to Ohio?

The car is chopped 7 in front and 8 in the back. Pretty severe.

Well, Thanks in advance

I have cut laminated (windshield) with a sandblaster. Is the rear window tempered or laminate?

This is a poor picture but you can see the round hole in the tinted section of the windshield. The last time I posted this picture I took a lot of heat for making a hole in a windshield but I just wanted to see if I could do it.

Don't you have to have a kickbutt blaster to do that?

I'll call around and see what the local shops say.

Thanks all...

WZ JUNK · December 21, 2004, 06:17:04 PM

Don't you have to have a kickbutt blaster to do that?

I'll call around and see what the local shops say.

Thanks all...[/quote]

I use an $80 Harbor Freight type that holds one bag of sand. It takes about a half an hour of blasting to do a winshield. I usually cut through front each side to the plastic between the layers. I use 3M double stick molding tape to tape off the good side of the glass at the cut and then cover the rest of the glass so that the sand will not ruin it. Practice on an old winshield that you can dig out of a dumpster at most glass shops.

rooster · December 21, 2004, 06:53:47 PM

John, what kind of sand? Very interesting post!

grumpy · December 21, 2004, 10:04:53 PM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"Don't you have to have a kickbutt blaster to do that?

I'll call around and see what the local shops say.

Thanks all...

I use an $80 Harbor Freight type that holds one bag of sand. It takes about a half an hour of blasting to do a winshield. I usually cut through front each side to the plastic between the layers. I use 3M double stick molding tape to tape off the good side of the glass at the cut and then cover the rest of the glass so that the sand will not ruin it. Practice on an old winshield that you can dig out of a dumpster at most glass shops.[/quote]
Ok. cool.
Do you have to keep the glass cool somehow? The sand doesn't overheat it?
Any other pics of previous cuts?
Thanks a ton..

WZ JUNK · December 21, 2004, 10:34:45 PM

Quote from: "rooster"John, what kind of sand? Very interesting post!

I have been using fine silica sand but someone recently posted that it is no longer available. I have been using out of surplus sand that I had in stock but I am about out, so I will see if I can still buy silica sand locally.

Just get some glass and mess around with it some.

grumpy · December 23, 2004, 10:36:45 PM

Quote from: "WZ JUNK"
Quote from: "rooster"John, what kind of sand? Very interesting post!

I have been using fine silica sand but someone recently posted that it is no longer available. I have been using out of surplus sand that I had in stock but I am about out, so I will see if I can still buy silica sand locally.

Just get some glass and mess around with it some.

Thanks John.
I will try your idea. I'll call for some silica sand, and see if it's available.

andavo1 · December 26, 2004, 12:08:12 PM

Interesting... I have been in the glass industry for about 12 years now and I have cut down quite a few windshields using more traditional methods - a glass cutter.

I have never heard of cutting it with a sandblaster, but I am definately going to try it. I have access to a virtually unlimited supply of scrap windshields.

Possibly the use of carborundum (silicon carbide) as the abrasive agent would work more efficiently, although you would have to use extreme care not to allow it to contact the part of the glass you want to keep - it scratches the glass instantly with almost no pressure.

Just a thought, and thanks for the idea I'm going to test it out.

threefive · December 26, 2004, 02:11:59 PM

if you can't find silica sand at your local supply store try your local foundry or foundry supplier as that is what they make the core sand out of., you know that gritty stuff you find in your engine water passages.

Phil55 · December 26, 2004, 03:56:27 PM

Try your local ACE hardware. I get silica sand there all the time....

grumpy · December 26, 2004, 10:17:27 PM

Quote from: "Phil55"Try your local ACE hardware. I get silica sand there all the time....

I'm going to look into this.

Is there a heat issue with sandblasting?

Should I cover the entire glass area with duct tape except where I need to blast?

WZ JUNK · December 26, 2004, 11:15:31 PM

Quote from: "grumpy"
Quote from: "Phil55"Try your local ACE hardware. I get silica sand there all the time....

I'm going to look into this.

Is there a heat issue with sandblasting?

Should I cover the entire glass area with duct tape except where I need to blast?

I usually use some heavy tape near the cut and the regular wide masking tape further back. I mask the area next to the cut with 3M double stick tape. The softness of the double stick tape is not attacked by the sand. Probably other tapes would work.