# Fit glass into a piece of wood



## RouterBill (May 3, 2009)

Hi
My name is Bill. This is my first post. I have a problem I hope someone can help me with.

I have a piece of glass, say 6 inches by 8 inches. I want to use a router to make an opening in a piece of wood so the glass will fit perfectly in the wood and be flush with the surface of the wood. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Bill! Here is a video to help. instead of cutting all the way through, you may want to only cut to the glass thickness every ware 
Popular Woodworking - VIDEO - No-nonsense Router Table: Inset a Router Base Plate


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I'll second that method, that's the way I have just made the template for my Jessem router plate. I have 2 router table tops that it will be used in.


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## RouterBill (May 3, 2009)

Perfect. I guess I know where I'll be coming with all my problems. You guys rock.

Thanks a lot,
RouterBill


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## Birchy (May 29, 2019)

How would you do the insert for an irregular piece of glass? Think of a river table with a glass insert but the glass is just an island on it's own.
If I have the irregular glass piece already cut, how to I make an insert route to fit it?
Thanks
John (newbie)


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## Birchy (May 29, 2019)

How would you do the insert for an irregular piece of glass? Think of a river table with a glass insert but the glass is just an island on it's own - see attached pic.
If I have the irregular glass piece already cut, how to I make an insert route to fit it?
Thanks
John (newbie)


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I would trace the shape of the glass onto a piece of wood to make a pattern. Then cut and shape the hole in this wood until the piece of glass fits perfectly in the hole, possibly using my scroll saw for the accurate cutting. Then I would use this piece of wood as the pattern, clamping or attaching it to the table with double sided tape. Then using a top bearing flush trim bit set to the depth of this pattern plus the thickness of the glass, I would let the bearing ride against the pattern while the bit cut the outline of the shape. Using a large base on the router it will make it easy to then remove the rest of the wood in the center area. If some of the details of your pattern are too small for the router bit and bearing to follow closely, you will need to cut these areas by had using chisels, and maybe carving tools.

Charley


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Assuming the glass is at least 3/16" thick and the two sides are seperable, lay the glass on them and position the sides so that the glass covers about 1/2" wider than where you finally want it. Draw a pencil line around the glass for future reference. You'll use a pattern bit or a dado clean out bit to cut the recess, mine is a 3/8" diameter. Pull one side away so that you have 3/8" (or the width of your bit) between your reference line and the glass. Adjust the bit to cut the correct depth. Start the cut at one end and run the bearing along the glass. In the case of the 3/8 bit, you'll have 1/8" left on the inner edge. Now, position the other side and do the same cut. Only start at the other end to account for bit rotation. Remove the glass and, with the same bit, remove the two 1/8 left over ridges. You now have a 1/2" wide recess. Lay the glass in and you're done. Alls left is to attach the two sides together. 
Below are pictures of my use of the above process and the bit used.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/whiteside-router-inlay-kit.aspx

The router workshop guys did this many years ago, insetting decorative ceramic tiles into projects. Using an inlay kit you can make a template quick and easy. Inlay kits are relatively cheap, around $25






Here are full instructions


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Whatever else you do, if the edge of the glass is exposed, it must must be sanded so it is no longer sharp. Glass shops use a thin sanding strip on a machine for this purpose. They hold the glass up to the moving sandpaper strip, moving it rapidly to avoid heat buildup or breakage. I would never consider handling raw edged glass without leather gloves and would wear gloves when sanding the edge down in case it shattered. Glass always has some internal stresses you can't see.

If the glass is thick, then a polished wide bevel on the edge is a good choice, but more complicated to create. For safety, all glass, beveled or not, needs to have all edges sanded, top and bottom.

I agree with the others, to have a piece of glass level with the wood top, you need to use a mortising bit as shown in a previous post. These have a bearing so you can use a straight edge or pattern to guide them. A mortise is really just a very shallow rabbet or groove. With glass you either have to do this to the parts before assembly, or use a chisel to square up the corners on an assembled piece.

Make that an extremely sharp chisel. A good example of what I'm talking about is the mortise you make to install a door hinge flush with the door's jamb. You generally don't need to pound on the chisel, it is more of a carving operation. Cut the edges first, then carefully carve out the waste. I recently replaced three interior doors and reset an exterior door, using a small mortising bit with a pattern, then a chisel to square them up for the hinges. Take your time. No rush.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Remember! If you're using tempered glass (tempered _after_ you cut it to shape!!) that's it...you can't do any further modification to the glass including edge sanding. All your edge cleanup (arising) needs to be done before you send it off to the tempering plant. 
I may have previously mentioned that my neighbour's tempered glass dining room table mysteriously exploded (made in China). Fortunately no one was in the room, and the dogs who had been lying under it had moved elsewhere.
The only good news was that the tempered glass rubble all had rounded edges.


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