# How much does it cost you to get glass cut? rant



## fleshatomb

How much does it cost you to get tops cut for you tanks?

i was making one out of plexiglass, then i screwed it up. and took it as a sign that i should get a glass top any ways for my 30 gallon hex. 

So i went there today, with my plexi piece i cut as a template for them. I need it cut in half, and a 7/8" hole drilled for my humidifier. 

After some uncertainty if they could actully drill that hole or not. they said they could but the total piece would cost $58

:shock: 

They said they could also make it out of 1/4" plexi (if lowes/home depot had plexi that thick i would have said nevermind. but they only have that super thin stuff).

So i got the 1/4" thick plexipiece is only $31 :shock: wil be ready by the end of the day or sometime tommarow.

Are these normal going rates? or what?


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## joshsfrogs

I have found a great difference in the quotes I get for glass. The best I have found is $4 per square foot and $15 to drill holes. He even does quantity discounts on the glass as well (I just got 36 lids done and he charged $2.65 a square foot).


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## Guest

I got charged $56 last year for 4 rectangular 1/4" thick glass plates. Two 12 x 18 and 2 were 6 x 12


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## fleshatomb

Yeah they said it would be $25 for them to just drill the hole. (almost double what your guy charges)

I was really expecting $35 to be steep. lmao. and it turns out thats what plexi will cost me. and it will probably warp. but, i had plexi before. i used weather stripping too so it wasnt really an issue. I sitll think $31 for the plexi piece thy are cutting right now is high. but whatever, my opinion, lol. 

BTW joshsfrogs. I need to leave you some vendor feedback. lol. You got some greatstuff at great prices and super fast shipping. like herpative for $7 i think it is.. its $12 at petsmart! when i saw that i said ill wait a few days i was gona make a order with you soon any ways, lol.


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## housevibe7

The glass place where I live is about about 4 a square foot and 6 per hole. So when I got the glass cut for my 55, 2 pieces each 11.75 x 23, it was only 20 something for the glass but ended up being over 60 because of the 7 holes I had drilled in it. That was for 1/4 inch.


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## Alan

For 1/8" clear glass I pay:

16x14" @ $8.75 ea
19 x 11.5" @ $8.35 ea
9.5 x 16.5" @ 6.25 each in quantities of 10
15 x 11.5" @ $6.65 ea
20 x 11.5" @ $12.50 ea
15 x 11.5" @ $6.65 ea
21 x 11.5 @ $9.15 ea

The costs you are being charged for cut plexi is loaded with labor. Try to find a friend with a table saw with a sharp blade.


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## fleshatomb

lol. cutting plexi isnt hard. if scaring it and breaking it doesnt work, then i always got my dremel  my best friend. i jsut didnt know where to find 1/4" thick plexi so i had them do it. 

hm, well i think im being ovr charged, but it doesnt seem _that bad_ from what you all have said in most cases. 

Well. when i get this piece of plexi ill have to make a cut in it for my unusual PVC pipe to come out the top. (for my false bottom).


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## rbrightstone

Look up a plastics dealer in your nearest large city. There are a couple here that sell all kinds of plexiglass, lexan, sheets, blocks, etc. I pick up larger scrapes at good prices. Also, some of that cost added up because of the shape, and multiple cuts, instead of just 1 or 2.


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## defaced

This is why I taught myself to cut glass and drill holes. 1) I don't like waiting for materials to build a tank, 2) I'm not interested in paying for something that's easy enough for me to do. 

For my plywood tanks I got six each of 14x14.5x.25 pieces and 14x14x.125 single strength glass and the tab if I remember correctly was like 60 bucks.


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## RBroskie

not to jack this thread but, question, do glass cutters have a machine for cutting the thicker sizes of glass, 1/4in and above, or do they score and break it? i bought some plexi and did the score and break method and it turned out ok but not as clean as i would have liked. i would definately like to learn some glass cutting methods an become familiar with the tools used. any websites you guys can suggest. :?:


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## defaced

I'm sure they have something on the order of a press to initiate the break, but you have to score it. As for websites, this one (link gives an ok run down of the mechanics of it, but honestly, the only way you're going to get good cuts is to practice - alot. If there's enough internist, I'll do a pictorial how-to and post it up. 

About that website, don't do step 7 if you're starting out. Get a pair of running pliers. 

There are four tools I use when I cut glass:
Carbide glass cutter
Square
Running Pliers
Cutting oil


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## pigface

I got the glass for my rack tanks off the window guy that does our glass at work . Enough for 8 tanks all 1/8" except for 1/4" for the bottoms almost 60 pieces ( two pieces were cut wrong but he replaced them no questions and gave me the bad pieces ) cost me $ 300.00 cut to my specs . 

You can cut 1/4 " with the score and break method , it just takes a little more pressure to get it to seporate . Glass shops probably use the same method for cutting 1/8 and 1/4 .

It's not real hard to learn to cut or drill glass it just takes a little practice and paitence , just take it easy and don't force or rush the process . Get your self a decent glass cutter a streight edge and a square and work on a nice flat surface .


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## Dancing frogs

Thicker glass is actually easier to work with. In most cases...


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## Raymond

I get glass cut at the local hardware store (ACE). 

It usually costs around 3 dollars combined for the two pieces required to do a 10 vert, and 5 dollars or so for a lid to a 20H. 

I can't complain.


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## RBroskie

that sounds great mike, i for one would be very interested in a tutorial.


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## sbreland

Can't believe nobody has mentioned it yet, but if you can handle having 1/8" glass instead of 1/4", Lowes will cut it for you. They won't do all kinds of weird shapes, but if you just need squares or rectangles, they charge a whopping $.25 cutting fee (and most forget to add it on so it ends up being free) and the glass panes are pretty cheap too. I got 8 pieces of glass cut this past weekend for $21.


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## Android1313

> If there's enough internist, I'll do a pictorial how-to and post it up.


Mike, thats something Id be interested in, having done my own glass cutting for most of my tanks, it would be cool to see how you do yours. Also like to see a good, detailed post on drilling glass, as I need a few holes done, and would rather do it myself.


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## rdooley79

sbreland said:


> Can't believe nobody has mentioned it yet, but if you can handle having 1/8" glass instead of 1/4", Lowes will cut it for you. They won't do all kinds of weird shapes, but if you just need squares or rectangles, they charge a whopping $.25 cutting fee (and most forget to add it on so it ends up being free) and the glass panes are pretty cheap too. I got 8 pieces of glass cut this past weekend for $21.


Have you had a problem with the 1/8th being too thin? It seems like it woudl break or bend pretty easily, especially if lights are going to be set on top. I have no idea here just looking for advice. I live on teh north end of Denver and cant find a shop anywhere that sells or cuts glass besides lowes.


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## dracotaz

1/8" glass will work just fine for tops, but anymore than 10 gal size I wouldn't use it for sides, definately not for a bottom.
One of my favorite weekend things to do is look around garage sales for old aquariums that I can get off of them really cheap. Sometimes even trash cans with broken aquariums will serve a purpose. If it is a size I need, great otherwise, it is a great place to get practice glass for cutting and drilling.
I dont like spending any money if I dont have to! 
I figure I am going to go ahead and start posting my constuction journal on a 55 gal hex Im working on... got some pics of drilling holes Im sure alot of you all will like.


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## dracotaz

Cutting glass isnt really as scary as it sounds
Ive cut glass from other aquariums quite often and that is usually about 1/4". I think the thicker the easier actually. 
just a good glass cutter, a straight edge and some cutting oil! 
I find it easiest to put a board or something under the glass and then the straight edge on top of the glass. 
like this 








run the cutter down the straight edge ( you should feel the scratch) then I tap along the line I just scratched with the little ball on the end of the cutter then just put my palm on the piece suspended by the wood beneath and give it quick pop.. always snaps easy for me


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## fleshatomb

i picked up my 1/4" plexi glass top today. they did a alright job, but i had a trim one angle to get it to fit right. it looked like they used a router for the hole i asked them to drill =/

but 1/4" plexi looks really sturdy, is there still a warping issue with thick plexi like this? I was gonna use weather stripping, but its so heavy and and fits tight enough im not worried about loosing humidity/flies.


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## defaced

IME, yes, you'll have warping problems. What I did to resolve mine was to screw the top to the rim of the tank.


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## kyle1745

The nice thing about cutting your own glass is that it is rather cheap. You can make a number of mistakes for what a small piece of glass may cost you.

After spending a ton of money on cut glass I know cut all of my own lids. While I really want to setup of a glass cutting table it is rather easy to do by hand.


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## thekidgecko

Just got a quote for a hex lid w/ 3 holes, a 10 gal lid, and a 30 long lid....$75 bucks! He even discounted the holes by half! Lol... I reeeeally didn't have the time or patience to work on the hex lid myself and buy a glass bit, so I got that cut by the local store. $40 something bucks, not terrible. I figure I saved myself some time to work on my rack, which is a total biznatch to sand down 40' of board.... I'm staining it to match my wood flooring though. Should have room for a 100 gallon uro, a few leopard ten gallons, the 30 gallon, and a ten or two. That would be a lot of glass to cut if I needed lids for all those. Could you imagine the glass for a 100gal vert :shock: lol


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## defaced

> uro


platus?


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## thekidgecko

Lol, no I wish. I'll keep it short so the thread doesn't stray, but it is for my mali uromastyx. I thought about parting with him as he is a lot of work and I thought it would make an awesome viv, but they are too awesome. Kinda like little scaly dogs :lol: I'm gunna make some tricked out stuff with grout once he goes up on the rack  I'll be trying uroplatus once I get my own place (only two more years! woot)


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## rdooley79

*cutting glass is EASY!*

Hey all you guys! I have been following this post for a bit and this last weekend Dracotaz (Cory) came over to my house and showed me how to cut glass. IT IS SOOOOOO EASY!!!!!!!!!! I wont ever mess around with plexi or anything like that again. shooooot. cutting glass is cleaner, faster, easier and cheaper than anything else. just got to home depot and pick up one of their glass cutting tool kits. its a little spendy IMO but it has everything you need, cutter, oil and a grease pen. I thought the grease pen was a little hokey to begin with but when it came time to draw lines where i wanted to cut it was perfect! I started by cutting some scrap glass I had and by the second cut I was ready to cut my hex tank lid! again SOOOOOOOOOOO EASY!!!!!! as long as you measure twice, line things up right and make a hard constant pressing score on the glass then your all set to snap the piece off. the cut is amazingly good. on most cuts all you need to do is take the sharp edge off with a stone and thats all! Now drilling the glass only take more time to do but is a no brainer as long as you don't get in a rush and make sure you clear the glass dust from the bit every few minutes. Get a CHEAP glass bit from harbor freight or off of ebay and you cant really go wrong. Dont go spend a bunch of money on the most expensive bit you can find. the CHEAP ones do a great job and will cut a couple dozen or more holes before being worn out. Another thing that i found out is you can go to habitat for humanity's builder center. they have alot of windows and glass there for CHEAP. buy a window with a messed up frame for $2 and cut the glass out, make lids for all your tanks! super super easy and cheap! Have i mentioned CHEAP! seriously I cant stress how easy and cheap it is if you cut your own glass and find alternative sources for the glass other than your local building supply retailer. GO CHEAP! its the best way, REALLY!

Happy cutting
Rhett


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## MonopolyBag

I noticed the prices are expensive. And drilling and or cutting circles in them cost even more! I am looking into a way to get some small holes cut into the glass for some wires to go into my vivarium.


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## dracotaz

I bought a 3/8" diamond hole bit from http://www.Micromart.com
like $8 and it drills perfect smooth holes... all you need is a variable drill and patience.. and some water
You could probably find even cheaper ones on ebay


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## sbreland

rdooley79 said:


> Have you had a problem with the 1/8th being too thin? It seems like it woudl break or bend pretty easily, especially if lights are going to be set on top.


Sorry, kinda forgot about this thread.... but no, I have had no problems for what I use it for. I use it for the lower panel on verts and for vert doors, so it works fine. I would have no problems with using it for a tank lid unless the span or length of the piece got kinda long, and then I would just use a couple fo pieces joined with a hinge. I'd like to try the glass cutting myself and probably will soon, but just haven't gotten to it yet. I'll have to check out the habitat for humanity thing you mentioned... where in town is it?


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## lessthantito

it's definitely worth it to spend a little extra cash on the self oiling glass cutter it makes things so much nicer thanusing the el-cheapo from lowes/home depot


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## Haroldo

lessthantito said:


> it's definitely worth it to spend a little extra cash on the self oiling glass cutter it makes things so much nicer thanusing the el-cheapo from lowes/home depot


I always laugh at that...I've been cutting glass for a few yrs now and used the cheapo ones for the longest. Managed to cut through a quarter-ton of glass with them, so I have no complaints. Admittedly having oil right over of the head in a continous flow is nice...


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## pl259

Haroldo,
Have you tried the difference between a tungsten carbide and a steel cutting wheel? Most of the cheap cutters are steel. It's night and day for me, and that alone is worth the price, IME. The self oiling ones are just nice to haves. 
EricG.NH


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## Haroldo

pl259 said:


> Haroldo,
> Have you tried the difference between a tungsten carbide and a steel cutting wheel? Most of the cheap cutters are steel. It's night and day for me, and that alone is worth the price, IME. The self oiling ones are just nice to haves.
> EricG.NH


Yes actually, my primary cutter for "freehand" has a module "head" on it that has a carbide wheel. It's even honed to 134*. I can cut just as well on either form (On many occasions, I've taken either to cut off 3mm on a 3mm thick piece of glass down a run, yielding excellent results). My former post was just to remind people that this craft, like all others is, 90% skill, 10% tool.


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## pilo0024

this is really a sweet thread to read. thanks for all the good info peeps!

Kevin


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## est. 1983

Alan Zimmerman said:


> For 1/8" clear glass I pay:
> 
> 16x14" @ $8.75 ea
> 19 x 11.5" @ $8.35 ea
> 9.5 x 16.5" @ 6.25 each in quantities of 10
> 15 x 11.5" @ $6.65 ea
> 20 x 11.5" @ $12.50 ea
> 15 x 11.5" @ $6.65 ea
> 21 x 11.5 @ $9.15 ea
> 
> The costs you are being charged for cut plexi is loaded with labor. Try to find a friend with a table saw with a sharp blade.


What is a good alternative to plexiglass...is polycarbonate okay...will it bow with humidity...or is glass my only option? any advice would help...thanks in advance...


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## D3monic

I got mine cut at lowes, If you buy it there the first 3 cuts are free, I think I paid like 20 total for the four pieces on my 75gal and had a extra piece left over. I was very happy.

Glass that is. I am sure its the same for thier plexi.


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## Freeradical53

Why would you use anything other than glass? Check your "stained glass stores". They are experts at cutting glass AND they have grinders which can smooth the edges. I have also thought about using the art glass at Hobby Lobby for the lower panels on vertical conversions. Instead of clear panels showing the drainage layers..why not a semi transparent green glass? Those sheets are about $5 a square foot or less...BTW on topic..my glass store charges about $20 for a 18x18 with a hole, and 1/8" course you could probably get an 18x36 for $1 more and make two which is what I usually do.


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## Lycosa

That's a terrible price.. my local glass company charges $4 a square foot cut to whatever size you want for 1/4" glass. To drill holes they charge $10 each, and will not drill aquariums, only their plate glass.. They just don't want to be liable if it shatters on the press.

On the other hand, another local glass company charges over double that per sq. foot and will not drill holes at all. I guess if you are lucky to have options, you might want to make a few more calls; you might be surprised to find out how different the costs are.


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## andyrawrs

Wow old thread lol. Anyways 4 bucks a square foot is pretty good. My local place charges 8 bucks / sq ft. I don't know if they cut for free either... I can't complain being unable to drive and having it right around the corner though!


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