Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with glass

Save my ornaments from getting smashy

pised — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:54:58 -0800

How can I protect vintage glass Christmas ornaments? I have a couple of old, very beautiful and very delicate ornaments that I love and want to preserve. (They're the last two still intact of probably a dozen or so from my mom's childhood.) I'm pretty sure they're glass because I remember some of those dozen shattering after falling off the Christmas tree. Is there anything I can do that will make them stronger and less prone to breakage and won't destroy the paint still on them?

What's this plastic garbage called, and can I replace it and not the whole door?

SpecialK — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:51:16 -0800

I'm moving out of a house I'd rented, and my dogs at one point had eaten the plastic "trim" pieces that are on the outside of the back door, which is your average metal-framed swinging with a big full-length dual-paned glass window. the damage isn't really to the door or the glass; it's to this stupid plastic trim that's around and within the glass that makes up a grid of squares. I don't know what this trim is called. Bonus question: Can I just replace the trim and not the door? Home Depot was, unsurprisingly, unhelpful.

Where can I find a large glass goblet in Austin (or online)?

theRussian — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:32:42 -0800

Where can I find a large glass goblet in Austin (or online)? So, due to an unfortunate Snuggie accident, I broke the bf's favorite drinking glass - a huge glass goblet. Seriously, this thing held about a liter of liquid, and pretty much had this shape.

I've looked around a little, but can't seem to find anything online or the few places I've looked locally. I'm in Austin, so if anyone has any suggestions of where I could find something like this, I promised I would replace it and want to make good on the promise.

How dangerous is this glass in my hand?

shelayna — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:26:45 -0800

I think there's a piece of glass in my hand. Is this a bad thing? A few days ago I broke a glass on the kitchen counter. It shattered into millions of tiny little shards. I stupidly swept them into the garbage with my bare hand. I then, more stupidly, brushed my hands together to get rid of any pieces- forgetting that these were bits of glass that could hurt me. Well, one did hurt me- and I wasn't sure if it had entered my hand or not, but now I'm pretty sure one tiny piece did.

It's the palm of my hand, in the skin below my fingers, right between the index and middle finger. It looks like a little pimple, slightly raised and pink. If I push on it a certain way, it hurts. The little cut the glass made has already scabbed over, so if there were no glass in there, I don't think it would hurt anymore. It doesn't hurt unless, like I said, I press on it.

If there is a piece of glass in there, how bad would it be to just let it be there for a while? I really don't have time to go to a doctor for a few weeks- but of course, if it's an emergency, I'll do it. Can I let this go for a while, or am I in imminent danger?

Not-so-Fantastic Plastic

Miko — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:19:55 -0800

Can you help my household kick the plastic habit? I've been reading all sorts of creepy things about plastics lately, and really want to stop using them as much as possible, especially for food storage and heating.

I've been using Pyrex refrigerator dishes for leftovers for a long time, and have a bunch of old-school Thermoses that still work well. I've become aware of round metal "tiffin" containers, but haven't bought any yet. We store a lot of grains, beans, and spices in canning jars in the cupboards.

Beyond that, I'm still searching for solutions. Things like: when I want to pop a bowl of dough or something in the fridge with an airtight cover, what can I use? Are there reusable sandwich bags or food wrap of some material other than plastic? What about sandwich-shaped containers? What can go into the freezer and provide a real seal - as for frozen pizza dough, leftovers, etc?

A lot of cosmetic products come in plastics, too. Any ways of getting around that?

Thanks all.

Help me find an odd magnifying glass.

dogwelder — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:16:17 -0800

Help me find an odd magnifying glass. A guy at the coffee shop was reading with a magnifying glass, but I'd never seen one like it. Just a chunk of glass, no frame. 3-4 inches in diameter. about an inch think, with a convex top that rose another half inch or so. THe man using it must have had horrible vision, so I was thinking it might be available through a medical supply house, but I can't find it.

On the plus side, the view I get with a cracked mirror is pretty funky.

pemberkins — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:42:48 -0800

What's the best way to fix my driver's side mirror? Due to an unfortunate combination of my early morning stupor and the parking space from hell, my drivers' side mirror is smashed. The actual assembly is completely fine - most of the glass is still attached, even, it's just all cracked.

My first thought was to just replace the glass myself. However, I've already tried to purchase replacement glass for my car (a 2006 Honda Civic) from two places. In both cases, the order went through okay, and then I received a message a couple days later saying that the piece was out of stock.

So here I am, a week after the fact, and I still have this broken mirror to deal with. Does anyone know of a reliable place where I can get replacement glass? Or, do you think it would be better to find a mechanic/body shop/Honda dealer to replace it for me? (Keep in mind, I don't need the whole assembly replaced, just the glass itself.)

Bonus: If I get the new replacement glass myself, what would be the best way to get all the old glass off without doing myself an injury?

How can I tell if my auto glass was repaired?

snorlaxx — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:50:39 -0800

How can I tell if the crack in my car windshield has been repaired? You would think it would be obvious.. but apparently it's not. My car windshield got hit by a small rock which made a really small ( the size of 4 or 5 matchheads ) "star" fracture. I took my car in to an auto glass repair place and picked it up later. It looked EXACTLY the same, so much so that I questioned the repair. The tech came out and said he used a syringe to inject a resin into the fracture and heated it up with the UV light thing. He said they don't always clear up visually like they do in the ads on television. I've run my finger over the fracture and it still feels.. well fractured.. Shouldn't it feel smooth? Also the area around the fracture wasn't clean. I would think they would clean the work area? What signs am I looking for to tell if they really did the work? I feel crazy because as he explained it to me and pointed at the fracture I couldn't see anything different from when I brought it in.

Did the cut on my hand damage my pinky?

whitedoor — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:13:56 -0800

I cut the lower half of my palm with a piece of shattered glass this afternoon. The cut was about 1/4" long, fairly deep, and about half an inch under the base of my pinky. I applied pressure, washed the wound with plenty of soap and water, and applied peroxide before putting on a band-aid. The bleeding has stopped and the edges of the cut seem comfortably closed up, but I experience a dull pain when I bend my pinky finger. The rest of my fingers feel fine, but I can't fully bend my pinky due to the pain. I've buddy-taped it for now, but I'm curious as to whether this is just my body's response to the pain from the cut or whether I might have damaged a nerve.

Glass Storage

dreamphone — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:53:47 -0800

Best small glass dishes (with lids) for refrigerated storage? Looking for your recommendation: I need glass storage of various smallish sizes to store leftover bits of food (mainly toddler-sized portions, say from 1/4-cup to 1-cup sizes). Anyone have good small glass storage with lids that fit and don't get unusably misshapen by the dishwasher? Thanks!

Looking for a documentary from the 1970s - "Glass India"

abirae — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:33:20 -0800

I keep hearing about a documentary from the 1970s called "Glass India" - about glass blowing in India. Does anyone know where to buy it or download it?

Art! Now with heavy machinery! (But preferably not.)

elfgirl — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:54:33 -0800

Drilling holes in glass. Little ones. How do you do that? I have about 10lbs of scrap stained glass. I'd like to use it for art projects, but for some of the ideas I have I'll need to be able to put 1/32" to 1/8" holes in the glass. The only suggestions I've found online are for water cooled drill presses, which cost more than I was hoping to lay out.

Is there any way to do this with a Dremel? What is the best way to do this that doesn't require heavy shop equipment?

This has been driving me mad...

vernondalhart — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:54:18 -0800

What governs the pitch of a glass as you rub your finger along the rim? Clearly, if you put more water in a glass, the pitch goes down, contrary to what I would naïvely expect. I would assume that what produces the sound is the vibration of whatever glass is lying above the level of the water; thus more liquid would mean shorter rim which should, by this train of thought, be a higher pitch. But this isn't the case.

I've seen the explanation once that this is because a glass is like a tuning fork: The heavier the "fork" is (i.e. the more water in it), the deeper the pitch. But this also can't be true: I've tried filling a glass partway, and adding a few coins into it, and the pitch doesn't change. So this explanation doesn't wash.

To compound this, there's the fact that if you tilt a partially full glass (and so the water runs up the side), the pitch drops accordingly. So it seems more to be a function of "how high the water is" in the glass, in some sense.

So what it is? What produces the pitch you hear? Bonus points if you can describe a relatively simple experiment to show why your answer is the correct one.

Looking for crafty suggestions for a huge glass bottle

primer_dimer — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:27:03 -0800

Looking for crafty suggestions for a big glass bottle I've just scored a big glass bottle that was being thrown away at work. I think technically it's a tapped demijohn - it's a big cylindrical bottle about 12" across and about 20" high, with a bung at the bottom. It looks a bit like this but with the tap. It's previously been used to contain 10% ethanol.

What crafty thing should I do with it? I'd love to have something living in it to look at - maybe one of those moss terraria that are so popular at the moment? How about turning it into a micro fish tank, but with just plants and maybe snails - I'm pretty sure it's not big enough for fish. Is this easy to do? Could I just scoop up a load of mud and algae from a local pond, fill 'er up, and see what happens? Would I need one of those air bubbler things? As you can see I'm pretty clueless about all things aquatic...

Can glass become more brittle over time?

biwa-shu — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:03:26 -0800

Does glass get more brittle as time goes on, especially if not used? I've heard that glass, stemware, china, etc., will get more brittle if it is not used regularly. Is there any truth to this?

Can you identify these window parts and suggest a source for them?

odinsdream — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:12:14 -0800

Can you identify these window parts and suggest where I could purchase equivalents? May be specific to the UK. This window is from England and dates to approximately 1930. I'm not sure the arm hardware is that old. The anti-burglary catch thing definitely isn't.

Pictured below is the good hardware. The other side of the window is missing the arm and the latch. I'd like to find equivalent hardware that I could use, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

Additionally, I'd like to purchase whatever key originally came with the anti-burglary catch. It appears to simply be a recessed circular pin with one smooth side. You give it a twist to release, a spring returns it to the original position.

Arm: Closed, from the top - Another one, also closed - Open.
Latch: Closed - Open.
Anti-burglary catch: Front - Side.

How to safely clean this stinky food container?

cadge — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:36:07 -0800

How do I safely clean a very stinky glass dish with plastic Tupperware-style lid that sat out on the counter for days after holding smoked mackerel? I have a glass dish with a plastic Tupperware-style lid that I used to store smoked mackerel in the fridge last week.

After the mackerel was finished, I didn't get around to washing the dish, which was mostly empty but still had oils and small fish bits in it. It sat out, sealed, on the counter, for several days (and a couple of those were very warm days).

I just opened the dish to wash it and it was really, really rank (more so than I've ever smelled it). Are there extra steps that I should take to safely clean this container and continue to use it (and avoid any foodborne illnesses)?

Should I make a glass ceiling?

TedW — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:26:27 -0800

What should I do with a bunch of glass shelves that I came across? Yesterday I stopped by a store that was winding down its going out of business sale, and I noticed a stack of tempered glass shelving from the display cases. I asked about it and they said "take them, we are just going to throw them in the trash when we close for good in about an hour". That was too good to resist, so I loaded up my trunk with about half the shelves they had stacked up only to get home and find my wife doesn't care for glass shelves (they show up too much dust). So I now have about 30 glass shelves of varying lengths and widths and would like suggestions on what to do with them. Ideas that involve cutting, drilling, or smashing them are perfectly acceptable; for example, a couple of them got chipped on the way home and the nice conchoidal fractures made me think that some of them could be sacrificed for me to teach myself knapping. A few of them may actually end up as shelves, but what are some other suggestions?

Looking for unique glass cup

JennyJupiter — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:22:43 -0800

My fiance's favorite water glass is cracked. I want to replace it and possibly buy a whole set. He has had this glass for years. His dad gave it to him, and it was from his grandparents. No one knows where it was purchased.

Here is a picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64344070@N00/

The glass is 7 inches tall. It has no markings indicating a manufacturer.

If you have glasses like these, where did you get them? Any suggestions about where to search will also be greatly appreciated.

Stained Glass Supplies in Twin Cities, Minnesota

schnee — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:48:26 -0800

Best places to go for stained glass supplies in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area? I used to do a lot of stained glass projects around ten years ago. I'm starting back up again and need to restock supplies.

I know there is one store in the Northtown area (or used to be - it's been a while since I've been out there).

Shattered Like My Heart

sourwookie — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:57:04 -0800

My iPhone 3G screen is shattered but still works. I need to get the glass replaced pronto. What are my options? --I'm about seven months away from my renewal period.
--Only the glass is shattered: the screen still displays and responds.
--There is no one local to do it.
--If I am to believe what others have told me, Apple won't do this, unless I want to pay full price for the phone.
--These guys come recommended. Any opinions?
--Would I be able to pop my SIM card out and stick it into a gas station phone while it's away?

So, Mefites, What would you do?

All I want is a few cheap glass bottles!

aspo — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:10:24 -0800

I live in the Bay Area, where can I buy small (~250 ml), screwtop glass bottles? I'd prefer not buying online because shipping charges are huge and I'm not looking for a bulk order. I live in Berkeley. I've been looking all over for simple glass bottles. Aside from mason jars the only glass bottles I can find are fancy ones at places like Crate and Barrel and cost 5 dollars a pop. Where can I get a case or two of simple, cheap, bottles? I found cal-glass in Oakland but they aren't set up for individual sales and have a 500 dollar minimum. Surely there's SOMEWHERE that sells bottles.

Help me make tiny windows.

Thin Lizzy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:54:07 -0800

Help me make my own window panes for a dollhouse. A while ago I saw a product online for making your own dollhouse glass. It came in a jar and you spread it out on a cookie sheet and baked it. It claimed to look like scaled antique glass when you were finished. Now Google has failed me and I can't find this product again. Does anyone know where I can get it? Has anyone used it before? Is it as great as it sounds? I really don't like the acrylic that usually comes with window kits and I'm don't want to get into cutting real glass, but I'm open to other suggestions as well.

Glass Collectible Experts: What is this marking on this decanter?

MMALR — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:43:34 -0800

Glass Collectible Experts: What is this marking on this decanter? I have a decanter set that has Federal Glass Company glasses with it with the Federal Crest on them. The decanter has what looks like an Oval shape with a Ring around the top half of the oval, somewhat like an early 1900's woman with a hat on, but obviously more primitive than that. Photos included

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

Wine glass with a heavy trunk instead of a slender stem?

hyperfascinated — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:28:43 -0800

Where can I buy a fat-stemmed wine glass? I love these flutes and these martini glasses - is there a similar wine glass out there somewhere?

The closest I've been able to come is these footed coolers, which are neat but not terribly wine-glassy.*

*Bonus question: Would it be too gauche** to serve wine in what appears to be a water goblet / beer glass?

**Bonus bonus question: or is there some legitimate oenophile reason why wine glasses in this style don't exist?