Mounting glass to aluminum

[JestersBaubles]

I have a commission for a glass piece that I think I will mount on 16 gage aluminum. The glass needs to stand off from the background, and the design is in multiple pieces, not one big piece. The request is for an abstract bison that is made of multiple segments, mounted on patinaed copper. So my thought is, use 16 gage aluminum as the base, adhere a 36 gage patina sheet to it, and then mount the glass pieces off from the copper.

So... I can't just glue the glass to the aluminum/copper base, because it seems to me the glass to copper would be a failure point (actually, it would be gluing the glass to clear pieces of glass to the base, since I need a standoff -- if I were just going directly to the copper without standoff, I think there would be enough surface area to keep it secure), Do you think this is a suitable use of Hang Your Glass stand-offs? Not the edge stand-off, but the kind that you glue the glass to. I haven't worked with those stand-offs so I don't know if the copper/aluminum would be thick enough for the stand-offs to hold securely.

Is there a better option? I have limited experience/skills with metal, which is why I am going the route I am. I have only found patinaed copper in light-weight gages. I know I can cut the aluminum, and I can apply the patina sheet with silicone or some other adhesive. The pieces for the bison won't be THAT heavy. I think they've asked for about a 2x3 foot piece, so the bison will be sized proportionally, and in pieces. Maybe I can just glue the glass bison pieces to glass stand-off pieces to copper to aluminum... That's a lot of glue (and potential failure points?)

Comments?

Dana W.

[Tod]

I suggest that your explorations include a call to HYG.

[Tony Smith]

My suggestion would be to look up metal coatings at http://sculpt.com for your copper-on-aluminum solution and then use French cleats to support your panels http://www.panelclip.com

Tony

[JestersBaubles]

My suggestion would be to look up metal coatings at http://sculpt.com for your copper-on-aluminum solution and then use French cleats to support your panels http://www.panelclip.com

Tony

Those are the two things I have worked out

My question is what the best way to adhere the glass to the copper, taking into consideration that the glass needs to be "stood off" from the copper, and the copper will be glued to the aluminum

Sorry if my post was confusing. It was late and I was rambling!

Thanks, Dana

[JestersBaubles]

Tony -- I did just take a look at sculpt.com (after I shot off my reply), and that looks like a route I might want to explore in the future. For this project, the client has already chosen the patina finish they want, and I think I would be hard-pressed to replicate it with their metal-coating products. It does look like a good solution, however, to getting a nice copper finish on aluminum.

Thank you! Dana

[Tony Smith]

Your weak point will be the copper foil glued to the aluminum which is why I was looking for a different solution for you. An alternative would be to use solid copper ($$$) or perhaps, gluing the copper foil to the aluminum and screwing through the aluminum into a standoff that you in turn glue the glass to.

Tony

[JestersBaubles]

gluing the copper foil to the aluminum and screwing through the aluminum into a standoff that you in turn glue the glass to.

Tony

That's my plan (I'm not communicating well). So... I am just wondering if the hang-your-glass standoffs are the appropriate stand-off for this application.

It's not really copper foil. I can buy it in 24 or 36 gage, and it's fairly resilient. Definitely not something you can tear with your hands. The client wants a pattern that would be difficult to reproduce "by hand" http://www.colorcopper.com/enchantment- ... gauge.html

Dana W.

[williamslaybaugh]

I typically frame my wall hangings to hide the backing boards. That being said I use the thinnest gauge aluminum I can get, it's a bit thicker than a soda can and can be cut with a tin snips. It's backed by an 1/8th inch sheet of ply wood or MDF. I use 1/2" bar or 3/4" aluminum square tubing as my standoffs. The standoffs are cut to a few inches shorter than the glass panel, drilled and tapped, than screwed in through the board. To get rid of the flex in the ply wood I place at least two lengths of standoff material that run both horizontal and vertical. The glass is then glued with silicon to the standoffs and can be easily removed from the board by unscrewing the now attached standoffs. It's a bit of a production, the drilling and tapping are the most time consuming part and making sure to lay out enough T-squares and rulers to glue the glass squarely on the panel is really the only technical challenge.

[JestersBaubles]

I typically frame my wall hangings to hide the backing boards. That being said I use the thinnest gauge aluminum I can get, it's a bit thicker than a soda can and can be cut with a tin snips. It's backed by an 1/8th inch sheet of ply wood or MDF. I use 1/2" bar or 3/4" aluminum square tubing as my standoffs. The standoffs are cut to a few inches shorter than the glass panel, drilled and tapped, than screwed in through the board. To get rid of the flex in the ply wood I place at least two lengths of standoff material that run both horizontal and vertical. The glass is then glued with silicon to the standoffs and can be easily removed from the board by unscrewing the now attached standoffs. It's a bit of a production, the drilling and tapping are the most time consuming part and making sure to lay out enough T-squares and rulers to glue the glass squarely on the panel is really the only technical challenge.

Great info!

I considered plywood but I worried about weight and warping.

Thank you, Dana W.