Glass in a frame question

[Peter Tremblay]

Hello all,

I recently got a painting (stretched canvass on a frame) that I want to "frame" in a unique way.

I'm going for a floating glass frame. Something like this.



Here is a picture of the painting.



I want to use this glass as the back glass



I was drilling the top two holes in the glass and the second hole I put two hairline fractures in the pane. Both of the fractures radiate into the center of the pane. This is very wavy and delicate glass and this is the first time that I've drilled holes into glass.

I practiced on a piece of scrap but this stuff is very delicate.

So my question is can I or should I epoxy this glass to some type of backer board to keep it from breaking further? Should I just put some type of tape on the back to reinforce it?

The painting has small screw holes in the back to mount it. The painting has four mounting points in the corners but I think I might just stay with the two mounting holes and not test my luck.

What do you think about some type of backer board?

Is that a good idea or should I just leave it as is?

[Phil S.]

Father Peter-

I have two sheets of very thin mirror as doors to the medicine cabinet in our bathroom. They were replaced when one shattered and dropped shards of glass all over the floor. When I had new mirrors cut I asked the glass purveyor if they were able to reinforce the sheets somehow and they had a material that looked like super wide strapping or fiber tape they put on the back of the glass. I'd check with glaziers in your area and see if they have something similar. I'd also frame the glass so it is supported all around. I'm not clear on what you'd like to accomplish, but if the glass is already fractured I think you'll want some sort of additional support to keep it from breaking further.

Phil

[Cooler]

I used to have a picture framing shop and I've framed many floating frames.

The technique is simple. You need two sheets of glass of identical dimensions.

You mount the art on one piece of glass.

You make spacers (usually out of mat board) that are fastened to the inside of the molding to hold the front surface glass in place, and then you mount the rear surface glass.

It makes a much nicer presentation (and makes a much simpler job) if you use a generous margin mat behind the front glass. That hides all the mechanical parts that go into the frame. About 2-1/2" to 3" is good.

You cannot use a wire hanger for this as the wire will show. You need to use strap d-rings, one at each side mounted to a picture frame hanger: http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/123frame_2270_11286051

Ask any questions. I will try to help.

[Cooler]

Note: On the top photo of the floating image, the image is mounted to the rear glass and the front glass is not touching the art at all.

[Peter Tremblay]

I really appreciate the help but after reading and rereading I can't figure out what you mean.

Sorry.

I was going to mount the art directly to the green glass.

Build a frame with a grove (same technique as frame-and-panel)

Or I was thinking of using rabbet and put the glass in that rabbet with some blocks to hold the glass.

The frame was going to be screwed together and not glued in case I needed to replace the glass.

Now that the glass has a minor fracture I'd like to reinforce it with some backer.

[Cooler]

To mount to the rear glass, use E-6000 adhesive or a good silicone adhesive.

Once the glass has started to crack I don't know anyway to arrest the progress. I would not have tried to drill the glass. I would have used the adhesive.

You could lay a bead of adhesive along the length of the crack to try to arrest the progress. I have no idea if this will work or not.

With clear glass we never used a backer board. For the green glass you may want to. But you will have to pick the color carefully. It will affect the appearance of the glass. They make foil covered mat boards (gold or silver) and they may add to the luminosity of the green glass.

[Peter Tremblay]

Thanks

I did put some thin CA glue onto the crack and very slowly flexed the glass just a bit to get it into the crack. I'm not sure if it worked or not.

The glass is so dark that I don't think there will be much change to the color if I were to put most things behind it.

[Sawdustd]

Cooler -- Out of curiosity, why will the glass continue to fracture if the glass is supported?

[Cooler]

I don't know why it does it but I've seen cracks grow.

I would not adhere the backer board to the glass. There are very few materials that will expand and contract with temperature at the same rate as glass. And glass does not get seasonal expansion or contraction. If I were to support the glass I guess I would use silicone adhesive and bind it to another sheet of glass. At least that way you won't have differing expansion rates.

It may be that that glass cracks that I've seen that grow are due to temperature changes. I know in one case for sure it did. I had a small crack at the base of my windshield. As soon as I turned on the defroster the crack grew right before my eyes.

This article might help: http://chicagowindowexpert.com/2009/06/2...-breakage/

[Peter Tremblay]

That's a valid point but this will be in a picture frame in my room.

I know that wood moves with humidity but at most we're talking a 10 degree temperature swing in the house. Glass and plastic are not effected by humidity are they?

If I were to mount it to 1/4" acrylic would there really be so much movement to break the glass?