table top

[Bert Weiss]

I just installed a 200 lb table top. Normally this would be routine for me. In the middle of this process, I had hip replacement surgery. So challenge one was taking delivery of 2 hundred pound pieces of glass, getting one clean, on to my light table, painted, then loaded in my kiln, while being a cripple walking with a cane in my right hand. I did that. I pre-fired it, and then cleaned and loaded the top piece with the help of a friend. To do this job, I bought a garden wagon and a 500 lb hydraulic lift table. For years I have been envisioning this rig to get glass from cutting bench to light table to kiln to truck. I finally bit the bullet and bought it. It works pretty good. I fired the glass. Then I had hip replacement surgery on Tuesday. On Friday, my client came over with a helper and I got them to slide some 2x4's under it, slide the glass over, tip it up, and hold it while I cleaned off the bottom of the glass. Then we reset it down on the 2x4's ready to transfer to a truck. The next day they came back with the truck and we got it in and over to their house. The table legs had been built. BTW there is a notch in the glass to fit a pole that was in the way of where we wanted the table, so I had the glass supplier cut the notch out. We fixed some issues with the framework (installed the refrigerator first) and then a couple of young fellows carried the glass up a short flight of stairs. I have special grips for this. We set the glass on the framework. I never know how the two will interface, as neither are perfectly flat. We were pretty lucky, and the 3 points of contact were in the right places. We slightly lifted and goobered in a bit of silicone, then a bit more around an about to glue it in place. Basically I was the supervisor. The crew was good. I didn't stress myself out, Yipee! Here are some pictures. The post needs to be trimmed out with a covering, and the room needs to be painted and finished out.

The painting is done with Ferro Sunshine Series on glaze colors mixed with micas. The painting is far and away the fun part of the process.

[Sue Hunchuk]

Wow....that is quite the exercise....glad it installed with no mishaps!

[Vonon]

My goodness Bert! The process was quite daunting and would certainly give most of us pause when considering it. I recall another bar top you posted (had greenish color?) and wonder if this one is much larger. The pattern reminds me of Hubble telescope photos. Wow!

[Bert Weiss]

My goodness Bert! The process was quite daunting and would certainly give most of us pause when considering it. I recall another bar top you posted (had greenish color?) and wonder if this one is much larger. The pattern reminds me of Hubble telescope photos. Wow!

The bartop was 30mm thick and narrower, but about the same length. The paintings were made in the same style, only different colors. 10mm glass is basically 5 lb per square foot.

[Buttercup]

Quite the logistics exercise, Bert! Congratulations. I remember your green tabletop. I loved it. It looked like jade.

I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery, though it sounds as though you're already functioning well. Jen

[JestersBaubles]

Lovely (too bad they couldn't have done something with that post!). I can't imagine trying to wrangle a piece that big.

Dana