Brass Windshield Glass Setting Channel

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2009: Brass Windshield Glass Setting Channel
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brent in 10-uh-C on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 10:07 am:

We are working on a late '15 windshield prepping to install new glass and I notice Snyders offers Glass Setting Channel, and states it is for 1915-1922. Langs also offers it but for the '15-'16, and calls for a different type from '17-'22. Does anyone know what the difference is between what each vendor is selling?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR. on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 10:53 am:

I suspect that the 17-up part is nickel plated.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Adam Doleshal on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 11:30 am:

And from what I hear, you may be disapointed in the reproduction glass setting channel... I've had a couple people tell me that good, used, original channel is better.

Also, don't forget that modern safety glass is just a bit thicker than the original glass and makes for a pretty tight fit when using original style channel.

Anyone here have feedback that has actually ordered and used the new stuff?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 12:29 pm:

I bought some for my '13 45 years ago, and it was ok then. I wonder how hard is is to get that stuff nickel plated?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Noel Keefer on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 12:48 pm:

I was unable to get 1/8" glass installed inside of he brass insert withoput ruining it.
I settled for 3/32". Most auto glass shops won't install the 3/32". I took the glass to the shop and simply had them cut it and installed it myself.
Noel


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brent in 10-uh-C on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 07:30 pm:

Well, after reading some of this I started to panic and thought I would call one of the vendors of which I have a strong business relationship with to ask what the feedback with this channel had been. He said he had not received any, --neither Good nor Bad.

My next thought was they never sell much of it so if they only sell one or two items a year, not hearing anything might be a skewed either way. He looked it up and they average selling more than one set a week. That was an encouragement with the thought that if they are selling over 50 units a year, knowing Model T folks as I do, someone WOULD have complained by now!! :-) He went on to tell me that to his knowledge, his supplier was the only one that had the roller dies to manufacture the brass channel, ...AND these same people had been making it for decades. That helped me with the decision making some.

Next I called the glass company in which we get all of our vintage car glass from. What I found out was that glass is actually measured in millimeters with a plus/minus factored in. What we call 1/8" Safety Glass is actually 3.1mm thick (with a 0.1 +/-), ...and it is the thinnest available without spec-ing out and having a special run made by the glass manufacturer. What I also discovered was plate glass would have likely had a greater variance in thickness back then due to manufacturing processes.

Something that was interesting to me is I can have the glass waterjetted (laser cut) to an exact pattern and then tempered. Tempered glass would actually be more resistant to rock and flying debris (over laminated glass that chips/stars) but they said it would have slight distortion when you looked across it at an angle. I asked "Like old plate glass?" The answer was "Yes, very similar except when you are looking directly through it." If someone was building a car to look very authentic but wanted to be safety minded, tempered is definitely an option that would look old. The only other downside is some glass is tempered with different types of shielding gasses that cause the glass to take on a color when there is a glare and when viewed through certain types of UV protection sunglasses. He said it was luck of the draw because the same supplier has sent some that did not give off a color in glare, and others that gave off a blue or an orange tint.

Anyway, just a FYI type follow-up. Thanks everyone for your feedback.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Von Nordheim on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - 10:06 pm:

I ended up buying a 1/2 sheet of glass that is used for making VW bug windshields. It is thinner than stand 1/4"??? glass and fit in the original channel with out a problem.
A local glass shop that cut the glass to fit & installed it was where I ordered the 1/2 sheet. They did not have enough call for the thinner glass and had only a small piece left over from other jobs. There is enough glass in a 1/2 sheet to make 2 windshields. I saved the remaining in case my windshield gets broken.


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