Roof chop: can anyone CUT my windscreen down?
Discussion
gtmdriver said:
In a similar vein does anyone know of any companies that can cut a flat glass screen for my Fugutive?
Autoglass can do it or try a search for commercial windscreen fitters or ring your local agricultural fitters they will know someone.Best to make a 1/4in plywood template.
dark cat
its quite hard to find people willing to cut curved glass, but this is how i did mine
using a old screen as a base, lay a fibre glass one up with a metal reinforcing bar across the middle (so you end up with somthing that looks like a roman sheild) - it needs to be thick enough to retain the shape of the screen when you pop it off the glass one when it has dried.
once you have this you can mark it with a pen and cut it with a jigsaw to the approx shape.
then, by holding the metal bar you (or a helper) can do the final trimming (you can even fit it into a seal to double check the fit).
once your happy with the template you can take it, and a handfull of laminated screens to the glass cutter.
because the template has the curve already 'cast' into it (rather than a flat card template) its easier for the glass cutter to work out whats what (or thats what the guy who did mine said)
the guy who did mine broke about two for every screen that came out ok, but mini screens are cheap! - mine had very tight corners though, and it was alwasy the last corner that broke!
for the flat glass i had made, i cut card templates than had it made in toughened glass as modern laminated is often too thick for the old rubber seals - the company who made mine do glazing and bus windows, so knew what they where doing - it was also far cheaper than i thought it would be - about 30 quid a piece
its quite hard to find people willing to cut curved glass, but this is how i did mine
using a old screen as a base, lay a fibre glass one up with a metal reinforcing bar across the middle (so you end up with somthing that looks like a roman sheild) - it needs to be thick enough to retain the shape of the screen when you pop it off the glass one when it has dried.
once you have this you can mark it with a pen and cut it with a jigsaw to the approx shape.
then, by holding the metal bar you (or a helper) can do the final trimming (you can even fit it into a seal to double check the fit).
once your happy with the template you can take it, and a handfull of laminated screens to the glass cutter.
because the template has the curve already 'cast' into it (rather than a flat card template) its easier for the glass cutter to work out whats what (or thats what the guy who did mine said)
the guy who did mine broke about two for every screen that came out ok, but mini screens are cheap! - mine had very tight corners though, and it was alwasy the last corner that broke!
for the flat glass i had made, i cut card templates than had it made in toughened glass as modern laminated is often too thick for the old rubber seals - the company who made mine do glazing and bus windows, so knew what they where doing - it was also far cheaper than i thought it would be - about 30 quid a piece
The laminated windscreen can be cut down, but the toughened rear screen can't. The side windows are flat so getting toughened glass made up to shape wouldn't be too difficult.
The main problem cutting the screen down is the large curve to the screen on a mini. Cuttig it top to bottom is a piece of cake as it's flat, cutting it across is much more difficult and likely to crack so a couple of goes might be needed.
The main problem cutting the screen down is the large curve to the screen on a mini. Cuttig it top to bottom is a piece of cake as it's flat, cutting it across is much more difficult and likely to crack so a couple of goes might be needed.
CoolC said:
The laminated windscreen can be cut down, but the toughened rear screen can't. The side windows are flat so getting toughened glass made up to shape wouldn't be too difficult.
The main problem cutting the screen down is the large curve to the screen on a mini. Cuttig it top to bottom is a piece of cake as it's flat, cutting it across is much more difficult and likely to crack so a couple of goes might be needed.
on my car i just used a laminated front screen for the rear screen - the guy just cut it to fit - problem solved! - cheap and easy!The main problem cutting the screen down is the large curve to the screen on a mini. Cuttig it top to bottom is a piece of cake as it's flat, cutting it across is much more difficult and likely to crack so a couple of goes might be needed.
A buddy who's done this a few times tells me the easiest way is to lay the windscreen down on the ground on 3 or 4 inches of sand so it's got a nice solid base all under it and supported all over. Then mark the shape with a felt pen and cut with an angle grinder.
As someone else said you'll break one in two or maybe three so don't panic if the first ones goes pop.
Of course wear loads of PPE
As someone else said you'll break one in two or maybe three so don't panic if the first ones goes pop.
Of course wear loads of PPE
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