[Sanders79]

Evening all,

I am currently designing my own AV cabinet. It will essentially be a wood box with (hopefully) some glass shelves. The trouble is, I'm struggling to find some glass that might be suitable. I have found plenty of custom size suppliers, but to keep the cost down I want to use an off-the-peg option.

Ideally I would like something other than plain, clear glass, e,g. coloured, etched etc.

Oh yes, and some sort of support for the glass to sit on would be great! I had visualised some sort of an aluminium frame, but any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Many thanks!

[mark_curd]

Ikea have a selection of grey tinted glass that they use on the top of there bedroom furniture, 3 sizes avalible. Cheap too

Here.....

Malm Glass Tops

[Sanders79]

Thanks Mark, any ideas how thick they are? I'm wondering if these would be up to the task of supporting a 20 kg amp, amongst other things.

[Dr Force]

Hi Sanders

Firstly i would consider the safety aspects, especially if you have kids. Plate glass (4mm/6mm can break easily and cause some very nasty injuries)

If its against a solid top then I would still make sure it was 6mm plate glass with polished edges (for obvious reasons) i have a pine unit with a peice of "anti-sun bronze" 6mm plate custom made at a glass and glazing place.............it cost £25

The glass in the link is tempered (toughened) so it would be ok in supporting an amp on a solid surface, but if its not then I would go for laminated as it does not explode into small peices if you catch the edge.

In short I would have a peice custom made in 6mm laminated in bronze.

[EVH]

I currently work in one of the largest Class A toughening plants (glass).

You'd be suprised at the amount of people who come in with custom templates. Mostly, cut from large pieces of cardboard, although we could cut and toughen it from a sketch and measurements.

My advice is to call a company in your area, tell them what you want it for and ask for suggestions. You may not immediately think of a hard or soft coat and get bitten with a scratch-prone product down the line (for example)

I've got a unit made from 6mm toughened (sprayed black) in work and it was fine holding a 46" TV, PS3 and Sky+ HD box. As The Force said, the toughened glass is weakest at the edges so providing you don't clip it with a hammer you would be fine. Most AV units would be 6/8mm top shelf, with 4mm lower shelves.

My opinion is that Laminated would be OTT, but there's nothing stopping you going for it. If you are going direct to the manufacturer, ensure they toughed to the latest standards (BS EN 12150 / BS 6206) and that they are reputable.