Finishing Around Glass

[FatOldOwl]

I’ve got a question regarding glass in woodworking projects.

I’ve been asked to make several more wine cork display cases for friends and coworkers, and each has a piece of 1/8” glass seated in a small dado in sides. The first couple I made, I just taped the glass with blue painters tape the best I could, finished it with danish oil or wipe-on poly, removed the tape, and scrapped what finish had dried on the glass with a razor blade. This worked out ok, but I was very time consuming.

Is there any better ways to handle this? I can only get the painters tape so close to the edge, and a little finish always dries and has be to removed from the glass. Any one out there with experience finishing around glass that may have some tips?

I thought of prefinishing the sides, but everyone loves those miter splines and so that’s out of the question. Thanks.

David

[Beechwood Chip]

I think the usual trick is to set the glass in a rabbet instead of a dado. Finish everything, then set the glass in from the rear and hold it in place with glazier points or a little strip of wood held in with brads or glue.

[FatOldOwl]

I think the usual trick is to set the glass in a rabbet instead of a dado. Finish everything, then set the glass in from the rear and hold it in place with glazier points or a little strip of wood held in with brads or glue.

I've considered trying it that way, however I do like the look of having the glass integrated into the box. I'm also not sure I'd like the look of the rabbet in the front, maybe a way of sliding it in from the back, but I already have a rabbet in the back to except a piece of 1/4 ply or mdf. I currently have 14 I'm working on, for now I guess I'll just tape the best I can. Maybe the I'll make a few prototypes with a rabbet and see how they turn out. Thanks.

David

[Beechwood Chip]

I don't have Sketchup at work, so I'll try to describe what I was thinking.

The front has a 1/4" lip that extends in to the box, and the back as a 1/4" rabbet. after finishing (and separately finishing the back), you slide the glass in from the back and fix it in place with strips of wood glued or tacked in place from the back. Then, attach the back panel the way you do now.

You can either do a face frame to hold the glass, or you can remove all the material from the front lip to the back.

If that's confusing, I can do a sketchup drawing when I get home.

--- Chip

[runningwood]

You can apply finish carefully before glue up after covering joint areas with blue tape, then glue after finishing.

[FatOldOwl]

I don't have Sketchup at work, so I'll try to describe what I was thinking.

The front has a 1/4" lip that extends in to the box, and the back as a 1/4" rabbet. after finishing (and separately finishing the back), you slide the glass in from the back and fix it in place with strips of wood glued or tacked in place from the back. Then, attach the back panel the way you do now.

You can either do a face frame to hold the glass, or you can remove all the material from the front lip to the back.

If that's confusing, I can do a sketchup drawing when I get home.

--- Chip

Chip, that's kinda what I've been thinking, could be a real pain, but certainly worth a try. Removing the material to created a lip in from could be done on the router table, with a little sanding to clean everything up, then another rabbet for the back. The extra work may be less than scraping and cleaning the glass. Thanks for the input!

David

[FatOldOwl]

You can apply finish carefully before glue up after covering joint areas with blue tape, then glue after finishing.

That method has certainly crossed my mind, but I've never prefinished anything before gluing it together. I could even just prefinish the inside and then tape the glass and lip after glue up and be left with only the outside of the box to finish. I think I may try this on a couple of the ones I'm working on to see how well it works. Thanks.

David

[Beechwood Chip]

Removing the material to created a lip in from could be done on the router table...

Could also be done with a table saw if you've got the cut capacity. If I were doing it on the table saw, I'd use a tall featherboard to hold the piece against the fence. It would be like re-sawing, but you'd leave a little bit at the top.

[FatOldOwl]

Could also be done with a table saw if you've cut the cut capacity. If I were doing it on the table saw, I'd use a tall featherboard to hold the piece against the fence. It would be like re-sawing, but you'd leave a little bit at the top.

Now that's an idea! Setup properly, that would be probally be quicker and easier than routing it all out, it's likely to be cleaner as well.

David