Trimming Windshield Glass to Fit

W

Will Kimble

Senior Member
I spent the afternoon putting my windshield glass (from Mac's) into my windshield frame - '30 tudor sedan. I had trouble getting the top of the frame back on, but persevered and was able to get things lined up enough to put the screws & bolts back in with some gentle persuasion from a rubber hammer. Once I started trimming the rubber seal, it became apparent that the bottom of the glass wasn't the right shape as it was held firmly in the middle but was loose on the ends. Now I am thinking that if it fit the bottom of the frame correctly I wouldn't have had such a hard time reassembling the top.

My question - can I trace the correct shape to the bottom of the glass and sand it with a spindle sander? Or is this something I have to take to a glass shop to have trimmed? Would it be better to make a nice pattern and get a new piece of glass cut?

Thanks,
Will Kimble
 
If it were mine, I'd start by taking the windshield and the frame to a reputable glass shop and ask them if they could cut or grind the windshield to fit the frame.
 
You can grind or sand glass, but it has to be done wet, to avoid producing nasty-to-breathe silica dust. I would let somebody with the proper tools deal with it.

But I have seen different attitudes towards "unusual" work from different glass shops. One local shop (that did a lot of auto work) quoted me a price more than twice as high as I eventually paid to make window glass for my sedan.

Doug
 
Before you spend MORE money, have you contacted Mac's AND what did they say/do to make it right? Just wondering.
Paul in CT
 
It's not possible to cut a thin sliver from safety glass.
I use an 80 grit emory flap wheel in a drill to edge glass.
It takes quite some time to remove 1/16"
Be carefull the emory tool doesn't jump the edge and skate across the glass :eek:
High speed grinding will create heat & may crack the glass.
Before ordering a Model A windshield I create a cardboard pattern and carefully fit it to the frame first, placing several small pieces of the everseal tape into the groove to gauge sufficient clearance. 40 grit paper on a block is usefull to get the pattern exact. The pattern takes about 1.5 hrs to make.
Now it's you glass shop's job to make it exact.
I've found that as the price of glass goes down...care & workmanship follows. ;)
 
few things on model a is not the fun stuff to me glass is one of them the glass guys are special people and have the tools,I took both trucks to local glass man with the install kits I cleaned windshield frames and painted,he said he had much better guides did all for less than I could order glass and I had no patterns called me in a couple hours wanted me to pickup trucks people wanted to look at them and they had work to do
 
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