Re: Re: Re: Is safety glass exspensive?

Posted by llamas on December 03, 2002 at 05:41:10 from (192.62.141.192):

In Reply to: Re: Re: Is safety glass exspensive? posted by R Wyler on December 02, 2002 at 17:59:45:

Lexan is the trade name of General Electric for their range of polycarbonate sheet material. Polycarbonate sheet is a generic material sold by different makers under different brand names. It's commonly used for bullet-resistant panels.

It's an extraordinarily tough material suitable for glazing applications, and would be a fine choice for your tractor cab windows - much better than glass. It will not shatter like glass can - even safety glass. It's much easier to work with than glass, you can cut and shape it with ordinary woodworking tools. It has only one real drawback, and that is that it scratches rather easily and can become cloudy over time. The Lexan sold for glazing applications has UV stabilizers in it (to retard the clouding) and usually some form of scratch-resistant coating (GE's trademark is Margard), but there's no denying that it doesn't resist dust and sunlight as well as glass does.

Polycarbonate glazing (not necessarily Lexan brand) is sold in smaller sheets in home centers eg Home Depot. Make sure that what you are getting is polycarbonate - nothing less will do. Acrylic and polystyrene are weak and dangerous and should not be used for large glazing panels. If Home Depot doesn't have it big or thick enough, I'd suggest US Plastics Corp - they will sell to you over the Net, and their service and prices are very good.

It's not cheap, but it will be much cheaper than buying OEM safety-glass panels (if you can even find them) or having safety glass custom-made.

I've replaced several windows in the cab of a grey-market Fiat with 1/4" polycarbonate, it worked out great.

HTH

llater,

llamas

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