where do you get your glass from for your builds? US

[ccTroi]

i'm interested in building glass enclosures. where do you guys get your glass from? do you have someone to custom cut the dimensions you need? if not, how do you cut your glass?

here is a versicolor pic for your indulgence

 

[viper69]

Local glass suppliers

 

[ccTroi]

Local glass suppliers

do you have them custom cut to the dimensions you need? or do you cut them yourself? if so, how?

 

[viper69]

do you have them custom cut to the dimensions you need? or do you cut them yourself? if so, how?

Custom cut

 

[Sterls]

Just call your local glass shop with the dimensions you need. When I've ordered you have options like tempered/not, whether they smooth the edges, etc.

 

[ccTroi]

Just call your local glass shop with the dimensions you need. When I've ordered you have options like tempered/not, whether they smooth the edges, etc.

what are the options you choose when you order? how much can i expect for a glass enclosure that is 11"x11"x12"?

 

[Sterls]

what are the options you choose when you order? how much can i expect for a glass enclosure that is 11"x11"x12"?

I haven't ordered glass for an invert enclosure, only for reptile enclosure builds - which were a lot bigger. I paid between $100-$200 for (2) 24"x48" tempered panels with frosted edges a few months ago. For an invert build I'd still get the edges champhered for safety, but don't think tempering would be necessary.

I'd assume the glass for a smaller build would be around $50-75 but that's a total guess. Just call a local shop for a free quote.

 

[ccTroi]

thanks guys. excited for this

 

[LizardStudent]

You can cut them yourself if you have a glass cutting tool with oil, cut-proof gloves, etc depending on how crafty you want to get. I would recommend watching some tutorials and the like first before just messing around with it to not waste your materials

 

[ccTroi]

i attached the design i made of what i'm going for. white is glass at 3/16". yellow is acrylic at 3/16".

the lid acrylic piece will be removable. it will be held in place with angle plastic fixed at the back and both side walls, and the front/door will act as its lock.
as for the front/door, a hinge system is the simplest solution, but i prefer the front to be removeable. the only thing i can think of that i can achieve this is to use angle plastic for the front/door. any suggestions on how to go about this?

 

[Hoxter]

i attached the design i made of what i'm going for. white is glass at 3/16". yellow is acrylic at 3/16".

the lid acrylic piece will be removable. it will be held in place with angle plastic fixed at the back and both side walls, and the front/door will act as its lock.
as for the front/door, a hinge system is the simplest solution, but i prefer the front to be removeable. the only thing i can think of that i can achieve this is to use angle plastic for the front/door. any suggestions on how to go about this?

You could go for European style of glass enclosures and have front door opening a guillotine style.

 

[ccTroi]

i've contacted local glass businesses, and the quotes for cut-to-size glass i've gotten from them are often more than triple the price compared to buying glass from home improvement stores and cutting them myself. i plan to build several dozens of enclosures. i've considered taking apart aquarium tanks and reusing the glass by cutting them to size. 5.5gal, 10gal, and 20gal tanks use 1/8" thickness. i tried to disassemble an old tank last night, but i need more practice lmao

i have all equipment needed for cutting glass, and i want to use either 1/8" or 3/16" thickness for the enclosures i have planned. home depot and lowes only carry 3/32" (~2.38mm) thickness. has anyone used 3/32" thickness glass for an enclosure build? is this too thin? thoughts? the largest of my enclosure dimensions are 12" x 10" x 10" (lwh) and 8" x 8" x 12" (lwh)

 

[Hoxter]

Do you know what type of glass did they give you price for? What we use in Poland is the cheapest float type glass that's .
We don't really do anything with it, except for making sure the edges can't cut fingers but that can be done at home.

has anyone used 3/32" thickness glass for an enclosure build? is this too thin? thoughts?

In Europe most commonly used is 4mm thick glass. I think 2.38mm might be not enough for enclosure to be sturdy enough and survive weight of substrate and other stuff you put inside.

 

[ccTroi]

Just an update.

I purchased several 48” by 12” glass which I can cut to make at least 6 enclosures total. I’m waiting for materials to arrive (metal, channels, and angles). I’ve yet to decide the opening mechanism. I plan to use metal hinges (stronger silicone bond than acrylic hinges) on the front (vertical or horizontal opening?) for the terrestrial enclosure and a guillotine-style removable front for the arboreal enclosure. Openings of future enclosures will likely be uniform as the different front openings of these first enclosures will give me a feel for what works best for me. I plan to keep a removable top lid for great access to the spider and maintenance. Initially I thought of using acrylic as the lid but will be sticking to glass due to cost. Ventilation will be perforated metal (1/2” piece at front and 1” piece at top) and style similar to European type enclosures.

terrestrial 12” length by 10” depth by 10” height. Floor space looks perfect for my first occupant, a full-grown B. hamorii. The 10” height looks too tall, but this opinion will surely change as I plan to incorporate a slanted substrate layout that is shallower at the foreground.
arboreal 8” length by 10” depth by 12” height. I’m pleased with the 10” depth seeing it built in person compared to the design on software. This will allow me to incorporate a styrofoam background and/or position a cork bark piece at a lower incline without compromising floor space. The 12” height looks perfect. The majority of aboreal spiders I plan to keep and breed will be Asian tarantulas so a 12” height is more ideal than my initial design of 10”. I’ll likely build a 10” height in the future just to see if I like it.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed. Open to suggestions!