Glass salvage for aquariums?

[Druu]

Anyone do this? Whenever I'm on craigslist looking for tanks, I usually see cheap or free windows or glass doors. I don't know the thickness, but I imagine it should be thick enough to cut some smaller grow out tanks out of.

This is the one I found today, two plate glass sliding doors for free. My concerns would be: 1) thick enough? and 2) how do I cut it?
Seems like I could get a couple of grow out tanks for the cost of picking those up and $6 for a tube of GE-I silicon. I don't mind spending the time on it, should be fun anyhow.

http://louisville.craigslist.org/zip/912336508.html

 

[syndicate]

dodgy

 

[johnptc]

glass doors are often tempered............if you try to cut them they will shatter

 

[RayzrsEdge]

glass doors are often tempered............if you try to cut them they will shatter

i would listen to john, ur best bet is to have them cut by a professional

 

[Modest_Man]

i would listen to john, ur best bet is to have them cut by a professional

Even pro's can't cut tempered glass.

The way to check if the glass is tempered or not is the tempered glass has spots where the glass was hung for the heating and cooling process, if you can find two little spots along the edge where the glass was hung it's tempered.

If the glass is annealed (means not tempered) you can get a "glass cutter" which actually just scratches the glass and then you break it. There are a lot of how to articles on glass cutting on the internet.

I've never done it myself, but have tossed the idea around and learned a lot about tempered vs. annealed when I replaced the bottom of my 210 gallon glass tank.

 

[Musd]

hey if its free it can't hurt to try... you could start small depending on the thinkness, and work your way up using trial and error.

 

[jpstodwftexas]

Sliding Glass door panes will be tempered glass, it can't be cut.

I would recommend using it in an application where it does not need to be cut.

 

[IKeepPacu]

keep looking and find yourself some more doors around the same size. you got killer start for a tank. use what ya got as front and back, then just find sides and a bottom piece.

we have plenty of grow-out tanks. build us a monster to admire

 

[dominicolas]

HOW THICK IS IT?

 

[syndicate]

Even pro's can't cut tempered glass.

The way to check if the glass is tempered or not is the tempered glass has spots where the glass was hung for the heating and cooling process, if you can find two little spots along the edge where the glass was hung it's tempered.
.

this is bad advice dude i used to work in a glass factory the glass is not hung on anything the machine has rollers witch the glass just lies flat on it not only that glass is the most solid liquid eg if that door is 20 years on and started as a 10mm piece it might only be 7 mill at the top and and 12 at the bottom i wouldnt use old glass period