Getting safety glass cut ??

[strum456]

Here is what I have learned about glass from doing street rods.

Laminated glass: Has a layer of plastic in it to hold it together. It can be cut to size easily at a glass shop and it is cheaper. This type of glass is typically used for windshields because the plastic layer holds it together if something hits it. THE DOWN SIDE: it cracks easily. If laminated glass is used in a door for example, if the door rattles it or flexes at all, it will crack.

Tempered Glass: Tempered glass must be cut before it is tempered. This means that only glass mfg. companies can cut it (glass shops cannot). Tempered glass is more expensive than laminated. It is normally used for automotive rear windows and doors. It breaks into small granules, but does not break as easily as tempered.

 

[Travelover]

If you can live with available sizes, you can buy tempered glass panels from a place like Ikea that are intended as shelves and doors.

Search result - IKEA

 

[like2wheel]

Another thing to consider; tempered glass is 4x as strong as regular glass.

So a panel of 1/4" tempered glass would be as strong as 1" thick glass without the added weight.

 

[jim_wilson]

Does anybody know if the glass used in factory tractor cabs (or even the aftermarket ones) - is tempered - or safety?

I've been doing some preliminary measurements - and it looks like I should be able to make the design I have in my head work. One route I've thought of using - is to just use some "factory" glass from existing Kubota cabs.

Looking up the pricing on Messicks for instance - I found that the front windshield for a B3000 cab - is less than $200. One of the all glass doors is like $298 for the glass - plus additional for the hinges and other hardware.

All of the aftermarket cabs would run in the $4000-$6000 range. I think even if I bought factory glass - and built my own cab structure - I could come in probably half of that - or less.

One of the problems I have - is that I want to be able to still get the tractor into my garage - thru a nominal 7ft high door. Measuring - it looks like I've got 83 and 3/4 inches of clearance there. So to be safe - I'm thinking the cab can be no more than 83" high.

The specs on the new Kubota B3350 and the B3000cab models - show them at like 84.5 inches high. I also measured the height from my head to the top of the existing ROPS on the B3200 - and it looks like I've got about 13 inches of clearance over my head - and the rops is at like 87" high from the floor. So - I would need to lower the rops by 4" as a starting point for the cab structure - or take the ROPS off and build an entirely new structure for the cab - but in either case - I've got enough space to work with to have the cab low enough to fit thru the door - and high enough for head clearance.

Looks like this place does custom tempered glass:

Buy Tempered Glass at best prices - Delivered to your home

Tempered glass might be the way I go - if that is the proper material to use for this application - and the costs are not outrageous. I'd like to somehow design this thing so the glass panels are easily removable for using the tractor during the summer. I don't plan on air conditioning the thing - and mostly want the cab for use when it's raining out - or during the winter.

 

[Hiltz]

So I've been contemplating adding a cab to my B3200. I've looked at a bunch of options - and there doesn't appear to be too many choices out there for the B3200 for a "hard" cab.

Plus - I've got an issue because I would like the tractor to still be able to fit inside my garage - thru a 7ft high door ( according to my measurements I've actually got a 83.5 inches I can drive thru)

Some of the cabs I've seen that might have fitted on the B3200 - looked like they were too tall to fit thru that 7ft door.

I'm pretty handy with the welder and custom fiberglass pieces - but what I'd like to build in a perfect world - is a cab that looks "factory" - which means using glass.

Is it possible to do this? I've looked around online and found a few glass places that seem like they would do custom cutting.

Any idea of how much the cost would be for something like this? Say for instance a flat front windshield that is 30 inches wide times 35 inches tall? (just to use as an example)

I'm thinking that if I welded up a good cab framework - I might be able to put together a glass cab for not too bad of a price - if I could get the glass cut - and find the assorted hinges and other hardware to put the whole thing together.

Jim, just my 2 cents. I built a cab a couple of years ago for my JD 790. The post should be on here w/pictures. I used 1/4 inch plexiglass I was able to buy at 1/2 price from a suplus warehouse close to me. This stuff is really tuff. Any scratches (whichhas been few) I simply buff out. I was able to cut it myself with a router on slow speed. Saved me alot of money not only the price of the plex but also in the fact I was able to do all the labor of cutting. On my cab there was 2 pieces that had to be bent because of a compound angle. This was easily accomplished as I simply heated the pieces over a propane barn heater. Good luck with yours

 

[Depmandog]

One of our bathroom showers has an exterior window. Tired of plastic curtains, I took a piece of frosted glass had the glass company drill some mounting holes. They insisted on tempering the glass because of the location I was going to be using it. They sent it out and for a $50 charge tempered the glass.

So this gives you some other options, using regular glass, cutting and fitting it yourself and then shipping it off to have a tempered.

 

[PILOON]

I made my own cab some years back. First I fabricated a fitted frame using 1.5" sq tubing. Next I got emergency escape windows (c/w seals) from old school busses.
I bought 16 gauge panels to cover both front and rear cab areas and proceeded to cut out suitable openings to fit the windows using the seals that were recovered.
I then simply attached the window bearing panels with 1/4 self tapping screws as I did not want all that welding preferring nice sheer cuts and no grinding etc.
The windows fitted well with minimal spaces where it counted (like 2" at sides and top). I chose galvanized sheet so as not to have rust as face it, a tractor is a working tool and it will get scratched. My sides (and door) use that HD plastic that they use on convertible rear windows and have lasted some 15 years.
Note that my tractor lives outside.
My cab roof is the same 16 gauge galvanized sheet stock with eyebrows front and rear and folded over rain drips on the sides.
Were I to make another cab about the only change I'd make would to slant the front and rear outwards to create a more modern look but as it is it has proven most practical.
The recycle yard was happy to donate the glass as it has no recycle value to them. Free is a nice price.
I did buy the under seat heater that buses have a few of in the back area and that has worked out well as well.

 

[muddstopper]

The question was asked, is factory glass tempered or laminate. The answer is both, just depends on the company. I usually endup replacing some of the glass in our equipment each year because of vandalisim. Kids like to throw rocks. I usually have the local glass company comeout and make measurements and they precut the glass before bringing it out to the job site. When replaceing the glass, I usually get the laminated. the tempered glass will shatter into a million pieces which just allows the vandals direct access into the cab of the equipment. The laminated will hold together and is quite tuff to break completely out, which limits access. Nothing worse than a rock thrower turning into a thief as well. Also, it usually takes a few days to get the glass since most of the glass places have to order it first. The broke laminated still provides some protection from the elements while the tempered just leaves an open hole and a big mess in the floor of the cab.

 

[PastTense]

If you agree Travelover has the right idea with precut tempered glass panels, look for a store fixtures place like:
Tempered Glass Shelves

So instead of a 30 by 35 front windshield, you might have two pieces of 16" by 36" by 3/16" glass at $11.50 each plus shipping. I would order several more panels than I thought I needed for spares and breakage.

 

[smiley]

As others have said about cutting safety glass, the laminated is no problem. We cut a lot of it back in my hot rod days when chopping tops. Just score both sides very well and tap the line with the ball end of the cutter and usually it would crack right down the line. Usually had to turn it over and do the other side too, then cut the plastic with razor knife. It was easy to get large flat windshields back then so it was no big deal if you broke one. Just go to the junkyard and get another one for a dollar or two.

I made my own cab some years back. First I fabricated a fitted frame using 1.5" sq tubing. Next I got emergency escape windows (c/w seals) from old school busses.
.

Hi Piloon,
I guess we not only like the same stuff but think alike too. An escape window is exactly what I used for the windshield on my cab for Max. It wasn't out of a bus though but was an RV window in a Verizon service truck. It has an added advantage in that half of it slides open so that on a nice spring day you can even have a little breeze in your face.
I slanted mine bottom inward to prevent snow build up.