<VV> Curved float glass, no Corvair

[Ron]

Very informative!  Thank you.
RonH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Davis" <jld at wk.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 12:20 PM
Subject: RE: <VV> Curved float glass, no Corvair


> Float glass is cooled very slowly; then cut (scored and broken) in to 
> specific sized based on the intended use.  Float glass pieces for 
> windshield are normally 8 x 4 foot sheets; for house windows it is 8 x 12. 
> Standard shipping sizes are 12 by 20 in packs of 50 lites.  Typical float 
> is 13 foot wide  There is a float plant in Japan that has a ten meter wide 
> float. As edge of the sheet is pinched by the pull rollers, it is not 
> optically good.  About 6 inches on each edge is removed at the plant    If 
> curved glass is needed it the float glass is heated to the sag point then 
> placed on a mold and allowed to air cool, tempering the glass.  The glass 
> is cut to the mold by a hot wire cutter, while it is at the sag point, 
> which smooths the edges.  There are two different molds for sandwich 
> curved glass, inner and outer. The sandwich glass is assembled with the 
> glass cold, then heated to the plastic point of the center filler in an 
> autoclave or vacuum chamber to remove all air between the glass.  Flat 
> side lites are usually cut to the right shape, again with a hot wire, then 
> tempered in tempering oven, hanging vertical.  If you look carefully, you 
> can see the clamp dimples in the lower edge of the glass.  If the side and 
> back lites are curved, it is done by molding.
> As an item of interest: float glass furnaces take 30 days to start and 
> then operate for 10 year continuously.  The line is  shut down and after a 
> 60 day cooling period the furnace is broken up  The entire line 
> replaced/rebuild, furnace replaced and then the line is restarted.  Bulk 
> glass is usually shipped is special bottomless trucks.  The trucks back 
> over the glass pack and hydraulics lift the glass into the trailer where 
> it is clamped in place against one side.  A safety floor is then put into 
> the trailer under the glass to protect it from road damage    When I lived 
> in Shreveport, LA,  Libby glass had a fire in the plant necessitation 
> furnace shutdown.  It took one year to restart the plant.  I watched 20 
> guys in space suits with jack hammers trying to bust up the 34 x 8  foot 
> glass puddle left in the floor of the furnace.  It make a lasting memory.
> Jim Davis
>
>
> At 12:17 PM 5/18/2005, N. Joseph Potts wrote:
>>I'm trying to figure out how you make a curved piece of glass by floating 
>>it
>>on some liquid.
>>
>>Joe Potts
>>Miami, Florida USA
>
>
>
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