How to make a glass tabletop. Glass table legs, evaluation of designs with useful tips

Tables made of glass look appropriate in any interior. Their graceful and airy appearance does not overload the space, visually leaving the room spacious and uncluttered. From a material such as glass, you can make serving, magazine, computer or even dinner table, and it is quite possible to make a design with your own hands.

Types of glass tables

Such interior items differ in shape, design and materials. As for the geometry of the tabletop, the glass table is:

round;
rectangular;
triangular;
square;
oval;
have an unusual curly shape.

Depending on the design features, there are such types of tables:

transformer;
table with bottom shelf;
sliding table;
mobile structure;
monolithic table and others.

Such furniture can also be made from various types of glass. For example, Coffee table IR can be made of black, tempered, tinted, frosted, transparent glass or triplex.

Not only the tabletops, but also the underframe and legs of the structures are distinguished by a variety of designs. The most common options are materials such as wood or chrome-plated metal. Forged tables with glass look very rich and elegant, which are chosen for interiors in classical style. A rattan table with glass looks simpler, but fits well with most designs.

Pros and cons of glass structures

The positive qualities of glass tables include the following:

beauty, neatness, lightness of appearance;
the ability to fit a similar piece of furniture into almost any design;
ease of care, hygiene, environmental friendliness;
sufficient strength;
resistance to chemical environments, moisture and temperature conditions of the environment.

Among the disadvantages of glass tables are the following features:

stains from water or improperly selected care products often remain on the glass;
poor quality or cheap material scratches quickly;
fingerprints often remain on the glass;
with careless handling, you can get cracks and chips, or even completely break the table;
prefabricated designs are expensive.

We make a glass table with our own hands

Preparatory stage

Having decided to make a glass table with your own hands, you have probably decided in advance on its location and role. Depending on where this piece of furniture will be placed and what function it will perform, a preliminary sketch should be made on paper, taking into account the characteristics of the room in which you put the table. On the sketch, you need to indicate the area of \u200b\u200bthe countertop and the location of the legs.

To make a glass table, prepare the following materials and tools:

glass thickness from 6 to 12 mm;
special glue for glass;
cleaning agent;
acetone;
file or emery bar;
legs for construction;
suction cups for legs;
sunflower oil;
plywood or chipboard on which you will cut glass;
paste for polishing the material;
marker or marker;
ruler and tape measure;
glass cutter;
hammer with a rubber head;
rags;
goggles and gloves;
grinder with a grinding wheel.

In work, you should use only clean and dry glass, on which there is no dust and other, even the smallest, contaminants. You can clean the material with a simple solution of baking soda using a soft cloth. If the glass remains dirty, it may break away from the cut line.

It is most convenient to cut glass on a large sheet of plywood or chipboard, and the material should be in contact with the table with almost no gaps and pressed as tightly as possible.

Glass and metal coffee table, photo:

Features of glass cutting

It is most convenient to cut glass using a thin and long metal ruler, or you can draw a line in advance with a felt-tip pen, so that you can subsequently lead along it with a glass cutter. If you are new to this business, then it is better to practice on an unnecessary piece of glass, and only then proceed to create a table.

Please note that the line that you will draw with a glass cutter should preferably be done at a time, and in order for the tool to work easier and slide better, its wheel must be lubricated with vegetable oil. When working with a diamond glass cutter, a very thin and almost imperceptible line remains on the material. Putting the glass to the edge of the table so that this line coincides with it, the material is broken along the notch line. The pressing force should be approximately 2 kg. When breaking glass, be sure to wear protective gloves so as not to cut your hands, and your eyes must be protected with glasses.

After you break off the main part of the glass, sharp protrusions or extra pieces may remain on the cut. You can remove them with pliers by wearing special rubber pads. If there are no such linings, use paper folded in several layers.

Glass cutting is carried out from the far edge, making a sufficiently strong pressure on the glass cutter. If you work with a sharp tool, but the incision does not work, grease the disk with kerosene and draw along the same line several times. If you are not sure that the cut is the right depth, turn the glass over and repeat the procedure.

If you're making a round coffee table with glass or any other complex curved shapes, it's easiest to use a stencil for ease of use. Having cut out the circle according to the stencil, draw rays from it with a glass cutter and break off the glass in parts.

Reinforced glass is cut in a special way. First, a glass cutter is carried out along the smooth side, and then, with the help of a sharp tool, a deep hollow is scratched to the grid. After that, the glass is turned upside down and broken off along the notch line. The mesh is bitten or cut off.

Worktop processing

After cutting along a fault line, sharp protrusions often remain on the glass, which should be removed. In production, end processing is carried out on special machines, but at home, improvised tools can be used for this purpose. Please note that for this work you will also need to protect your hands with thick cotton gloves or mittens.

You can clean the places of cuts with a file or an emery bar. The file in the process of performing manipulations should be periodically moistened in turpentine or kerosene. When working with thin glass, you need to be very careful.

The next step is polishing the ends, for which a grinder with a grinding wheel is used. The speed of the grinder should be small and be 1200-1700 rpm so that the glass does not overheat. In the first run, you should use coarse-grained paper, then change it to a finer one, and as a final step, you can grind the ends with the finest-grained paper itself. During operation, the glass can be wetted with water. A special smoothness can be achieved using a felt wheel or a special glass polishing paste.

To make the countertop more attractive and unusual, there are several ways to decorate glass. The following methods are often used:

decoupage;
glass etching;
drawing a sandblasting pattern;
toning;
image printing;
stained glass drawing;
the use of double glass with a decorative layer of flowers, stones, shells, coffee beans and other elements.

Decoupage and stained glass painting are made from the "inside out" of the countertop, so that the drawing is not damaged during operation. In addition to the methods described above, a glass table can be decorated with decorative lighting, which looks very impressive, especially at night.

Leg fixation

Before mounting the legs in each of them, it is necessary to make a hole on the end side. These holes are needed in order to fix special suction cups in them. For greater strength, the suction cups are put on glue.

While the glue dries, mark the places on the countertop with a marker where the legs will be attached. In these areas, it is necessary to degrease the surface with acetone or gasoline.

As for the glue, it is not recommended to use the composition used for mirrors in the manufacture of a glass table, as it dries for a long time and shines through a transparent surface. For a glass table, it is better to purchase a special high-quality glue. On the Russian market, you can find 2 popular varieties of such materials: glass-glass and glass-metal compositions. To polymerize such an adhesive, it must be exposed to an ultraviolet lamp.

The legs are glued to the table one at a time. First, they lubricate the element, put it on a pre-marked place, wait about 30-60 seconds, and then send ultraviolet lamp on this site and leave it until the complete polymerization of the composition.

Since it will be impossible to dismantle the legs after the final curing of the glue, the places of their attachment should be marked very carefully.

A glass coffee table requires special operating conditions. First of all, we note that you need to handle it carefully, trying not to break the countertop. Caring for such a table is not difficult, you just need to wipe the glass from time to time with a soft cloth or a piece of microfiber using a window cleaner.

Scratches sometimes appear on the glass table. A special GOI paste will help to correct such a defect. It is pushed to the state of very fine crumbs, applied to a piece of cotton wool, a stick or a swab, after which the damaged surface is polished. You don't need to press hard. The scratch is treated for 15 seconds, then the paste is washed off and the procedure is repeated again. In some cases, the number of approaches may be large.

There are other ways to eliminate or mask scratches on glass. You can buy the Polarit product or some of its analogues in the store, you can use a simple toothpaste, although its effectiveness is much lower. You can mask the damage with ordinary clear nail polish.

To prevent scratches, it is better to place napkins or small bamboo mats on the glass table.

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You will need

- paper, pencil and felt-tip pen;
- a sheet of glass of the required size;
- glass cutter;
- a piece of welding wire and a piece of ordinary;
- ruler;
- refined vegetable oil;
- grinding block;
- glue for joining glass and wood;
- wooden legs for the table;
- acetone;
- suction cups for attaching legs.

Instruction

Draw a sketch of the future table. To do this, first plan in which part of the apartment it will be placed, for what purpose it will be used (coffee table or dining table), in what style it should be made in order to match the interior of the room.

Complete the product drawing. Draw the tabletop: indicate the width, length and thickness of the planned part, indicate the location of the table legs.

Make the necessary preparations. If you are doing such work for the first time, pre-adjust the pressure level: press the glass cutter on the scales so that they show a weight of 2 kg - with this pressure, cut the glass in the future. Lay the glass on a thick cloth. Place a thin rod or a piece of welding wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm under the expected glass break line. Place a ruler on the glass so that the cut line runs 2-3 mm from the edge of the ruler.

Soak the cutting wheel in vegetable oil. Start cutting from the far edge of the blade, slide the glass cutter towards you once with even pressure, and immediately break off the excess part of the glass. If this is not done, then the crystal structure of the glass can be restored again after its violation by the glass cutter, and the edge will not be even. Once the tabletop is cut, sand the edges with a silicon sanding stone.

For each leg, do the following: drill a hole and fix the suction cup in it with glue. Wait for the glue to dry, degrease with acetone the areas on which the table legs will be attached. Mark on the surface of the table where the legs are attached using a felt-tip pen. Attach the legs carefully with the suction cups.

Glass processing methods

Numerous types of processing of this material allow to significantly expand the scope of glass. First of all, it's cutting.

The main key to the success of such an operation as cutting glass is the glazier's table, which should not have deflections and bumps. Otherwise, the glass can simply burst, crack. Glass cutting can be done with a roller or diamond glass cutter, the main thing is that the tool used in
this, was not worn out.

The main sign of proper cutting is a characteristic hissing-crunchy sound. The glass cutter in action should not creak, squeak, bounce on the glass. The incision line must be drawn in one motion, without stopping and without going back. If you run the glass cutter twice along the same line, the resulting edge will crumble and chip off.

glass cutter

After making the notch line, the glass is tapped on the reverse side with a special hammer or the handle of the glass cutter itself, and then it is broken off with light pressure. To remove small fragments of glass remaining on the fault line, use the slots located on the handle of the glass cutter. After the element of the required size is cut out, its edges should be processed. This will give the edge a rounded and safe appearance. At home, this can be done with an emery bar, periodically wetting the glass with water. The direction of movement of the bar should be along the edge of the glass. In this case, there will be no chips.

To drill holes in glass, you will need a cylindrical diamond-coated glass crown, drills and plastic bottle with water. To avoid overheating of the glass during drilling, it is poured with water. If the glass is thick, it is drilled only halfway, then turned over and the part is drilled through.

The surface of glass or mirror can be either glossy or matte. For matting glass, a special paste is used (for example, "GlassMat"). By the way, applying it through a stencil, you can get a drawing or ornament on the workpiece. Glass processed in this way has a lower surface roughness than mechanically processed glass and a kind of “silky” surface.

If necessary, ordinary glass can be covered with a film for tinting car windows. So you get tinted glass, which will cost you much less than buying ready-made glass with a factory coating.

Shelves

glass shelves perfect solution for small spaces. They help to rationally use the space of the room, without visually reducing it. Also, glass shelves do not create shady areas on the walls, so that the room retains a feeling of lightness and airiness. For the manufacture of glass shelves, you will need a planed wooden beam with a section of 20 × 80-100 mm and glass with a thickness of at least 5 mm

From glass, cut out rectangular blanks measuring 200 × 800 mm. Their number depends on how many sections your shelf will have. Finish the edges of the blanks.
Saw cuts in each blank from the timber grooves of about 50mm. To do this, it is better to squeeze the bars together and make cuts simultaneously in both blanks. The shelves should slide into these slots with light force. If the grooves are too wide, strips of adhesive tape can be attached to the glass. The edges of the bars can be decorated at your discretion or simply sawed off at an angle of 45 degrees.
Carefully attach the beams to the wall, while controlling their location. Insert the shelves into the slots. One or more shelves can be replaced with wooden or laminated chipboard - and then heavier objects can be placed on them

Coffee table

glass coffee tables as an interior element, they easily fit into any design composition due to their non-standard features. So, for example, a glass tabletop can be given any shape, and the glass itself can be painted in almost any color.

Glass coffee table height usually does not exceed the curbstone. Its legs are made of chrome-plated steel pipes or wood.

To make a coffee table with a glass top, you will need a chrome-plated pipe with a diameter of 50 mm, fittings for pipes, and glass with a thickness of at least 6 mm.

Before proceeding for table making, sketch it. To do this, first plan in which part of the apartment it will be placed. and in what style should be done, to match room interior
cut out of glass countertop necessary config. Finish the edges of the workpiece
Saw off the required number of blanks for supports (legs) from the pipe. Depending on the design their table can be three or four.
To the countertop using special glue (it is better to use UV - glue) when gluing the top supports. Connect each support with threadedstuds with thrust bushing cylindrical, installed in the upper part of each support.
Insert thrust cylindrical bushings into the lower part of the supports. Screw into the support bushings flat or wheeled

You can make several coffee tables of different heights and combine them. The originality of this design lies in the fact that the entire contents of the lower shelf can be viewed without looking under the countertop.

Tiered coffee table

Cabinet for equipment

A glass cabinet for equipment does not clutter up the space and visually makes it freer, while a TV, DVD-meep or music
the center look elegant on her. Although the stores have huge selection pedestals, their cost is very significant. Moreover, it can be difficult to find suitable size and a design that will match your interior and equipment. You can solve these problems by making a glass cabinet with your own hands.

To make it, you will need a chrome pipe with a diameter of 50 mm, fittings for pipes, glass 10 mm thick for the top shelf and at least 5 mm for the bottom ones.

Cut glass shelves to size. Process the edges of the workpieces
Cut off the support parts from the pipe: four 150 mm long, four 550 mm long and four 50 mm long. Dimensions are approximate and can be changed to suit your project.
Attach the top shelf to the supports with glue, as described earlier.
Assemble the cabinet upside down. To do this, lay the top shelf of the cabinet with the glued top supports on a flat surface. Screw the threaded rods into the threaded holes of the upper supports. Fasten the support parts with a length of 150 mm to the studs.
Secure the middle and bottom with break knots. To do this, drill holes with a diameter of 10 mm at the corners of the shelves.
Insert thrust cylindrical bushings into the lower part of the supports. Screw the flat supports into the bushings as described.
her. Holding the cabinet by its supports, carefully turn it over.

Thanks to the play of sunlight, glass furniture in interior design can enliven any environment and create a feeling of weightlessness, airiness, extraordinary comfort and coziness. Cabinets, tables and coffee tables, cabinets and other items made entirely of glass or combined with glass elements do not clutter up the space at all, but, on the contrary, visually expand it, which plays a significant role in the arrangement of small-sized rooms. Thanks to the transparency and clarity of constructions, glass can be called a real find, allowing designers to implement a wide variety of ideas and solutions.

Video: Do-it-yourself glass luminous shelves

Designers in modern world reminiscent of naughty kids who got their hands on a 3D multifunctional construction set with a guidance system - if one exists. With the help of designers, earthlings suddenly found out that they live in a boring, gray environment and do not notice the bright opportunities provided by the achievements of progress. Some of their projects cause shivers and shock, while others - nervous laughter. For example, we would have made a glass table with our own hands without the participation of these figures at all - simply out of a sense of self-preservation.

Today we will look at the nuances self-manufacturing glass tables

Now there are two ways to reliably assemble glass structures of any complexity, but none of them provides for the presence of experimenters who are sick to the full head. Glass is a dangerous material in itself, so do not turn the everyday life of a master into a horror movie.

Frame way to assemble a glass table

In general, in principle, if you decide to cut out the details of the glass table yourself, at home, only the frame method is suitable for you. It makes no sense to even take on the embodiment of a design or personal idea about open glass - it will come out obscene. The frame method is simple by definition:

Cut in furniture board hole right size and shapes, and then fix the raw glass in it with a glazing bead. Not too beautiful, and it will not be possible to install glass of normal thickness, but you can mount the countertop like a regular chipboard part.

Modern mechanical fasteners are diverse and give room for creative fantasy, however, is not always pleasing to the eye.

Mechanical fasteners for glass

The manufacture of a glass table using mechanical fasteners allows you to endlessly vary and even modify the assembled structures. The main difference from the second method is facet. Here it is needed.

Making a high-tech glass table

The hi-tech style, in which the most popular models of glass structures are made, implies a metal-glass combination, and without the use of clips protruding above the table top. Accessories can be purchased at construction or specialized stores.

Table assembled with special glue

It includes a variety of supports, legs, coupler and shelf combinations to give a decent look to any build – But! This requires special glue.

Adhesive for glass structures

When we researched the question "How to make a glass table with your own hands" - we stumbled over a small problem. The adhesive that is used to mount the mirrors is visible through the transparent glass surface and takes too long to dry - which is unacceptable in the absence of additional fasteners.

However, special types of glue helped to resolve this issue. Russian manufacturers have adopted the experience of Polish and German colleagues, and now they produce quite decent glue of two types: “glass-metal” and “glass-glass”. Like other types of special formulations, this one also has its own peculiarity - it polymerizes in ultraviolet rays with a length of 300-400 nm.

An ordinary UV lamp for warming up the ear / throat / nose is not suitable here - you need to find out the characteristics from the sellers of the equipment. In our region, we found a suitable device in a hardware store for only $26. The time sufficient for the final "drying" of the glue depends on the power of the lamp - the initial gluing took us about thirty seconds.

glass table detail

We really liked the quality of the glue - the connection is stronger than the material itself, that is, when you try to tear off the part, you will not break the glue, but break off a piece of glass.

If you decide to make a glass table with your own hands, take tempered glass 10-12 millimeters thick, and then you will need a bulldozer to dismantle the product. With the second assembly method, we decided to completely abandon additional fasteners and make desk in the waiting room, for which it is not a shame to put an attractive secretary.

Let's describe the detailing and assembly process of this table

The whole structure is glued tightly - only the monitor stand is movable. Detailing is simple to amazement:

1600x700 mm - countertop.
450x350 mm - the top of the monitor stand.
350x80 mm - 2 pcs. Monitor stand sides.
750x500 mm - 4 pcs. Sides of the table.
400x500 mm - 5 pcs. Shelves.

The thickness of the glass is 14 mm, the total weight of the table is about one and a half hundred kilograms, so there is no need to be afraid of thieves. Prestige - 11 points on a ten-point scale (the third secretary is going on maternity leave).

Attention! The ends of the joining parts must be perfectly even and without bevels - otherwise the design will come out crooked and unbalanced.

Other elements of the table should not have any sharp corners or cutting edges in principle - if you do not want to open a branch of a blood donation point.

Table assembly process

In this case, no tool is needed for assembly - except for a tape measure and a marker. All lines are marked on the outside of the connection - the surfaces to be bonded must be perfectly cleaned and degreased.

It is unrealistic to assemble the cabinets alone - you need an assistant who will irradiate the gluing place with a UV lamp while you hold the parts in the right position. We recommend wearing sunglasses - the eyes are not designed for such loads, although the process will not bring them much harm.

Glue the shelves to the sidewalls one at a time - until they grab, and only then irradiate until the final polymerization of the glue. Please note - it will not be possible to tear off and redo, so mark carefully. Also pay attention to the coincidence of the edges of the structure. Glue is applied to the end of the part, and not to the plane: Excess can be removed sharp knife, but this work will not bring pleasure.

There are many answers to the question: "How to make a glass table." But before asking this question, mark for yourself a few absolute truths:

Glass does not tolerate negligence. The “And so it will do” option is good for misanthropes who wrote a will in favor of world peace (if they exist). Never use thin glass, especially in places where children are present. The cubs manage to split shop windows - what is some kind of table for them ?!
You can see through it. Do not put a glass table in the living room, if your girlfriends have crooked legs - everyone present will lose their appetite.
It's hard to see through it. This piece of furniture requires constant care. Fingerprints, dust, boogers or chewing gum stuck to the countertop will become public. If you do not intend to create an art object in this way, resign yourself to the need for constant cleaning.

Good luck to you.

Almost every person who at least once in his life has done something for his house with his own hands, over time, begins to feel the desire to make his efforts again. It's so nice to see the result of your work every day, especially if this craft becomes a noticeable accent in the interior of the house. A new glass table can become such an accent. Some are wondering how to make a glass table with their own hands.

The glass table does not absorb moisture and grease, and is also very easy to clean.

The process of its manufacture requires care and accuracy, but the end result is worth it. A little time, and you can proudly show your friends and relatives a new piece of furniture made by yourself. Consider how to make a glass table.

Pros and cons of a glass table

Advantages of glass table:

suitable for any interior;
hygienic;
easy to care for;
relatively light;
does not absorb fat;
glass can be treated with any cleaning agents.

These tables also have quite tangible disadvantages. Glass tops do not dampen sound, so the operation of the table is accompanied by characteristic sounds. In bright light, stains and prints become noticeable on the glass.

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How to make a glass table with your own hands

First you need to choose the shape, style and size of the table. It can be an ordinary rectangular glass table in high-tech style or in the style of an oriental fairy tale. It is necessary to decide what role it will play in the already existing interior. After all tasks are defined, it remains to prepare essential tool, materials and go!

To make a glass table you will need:

glass cutter (it can be diamond or roller);
pliers with rubber gaskets;
metal ruler;
rubber mallet;
the material itself for making the table (it is better if its thickness is at least 6 mm).

Glass for the manufacture of the table, you can choose any. It can be transparent and matte, colorless and colored, smooth or textured and many more options.

But if you take ordinary transparent glass and then decorate it using any method, then you can get a unique piece of furniture at the output.

The choice of material for the manufacture of the underframe can only be limited by the imagination of the master. For these purposes, you can use wood, metal, plastic glass. In addition to the main tabletop, an additional shelf can also be included in the design of the table.

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cutting glass

In order to cut the countertop of the desired shape, it is necessary to apply its future contours to the glass. It is better to carry out these works on a special table so as not to transfer the workpiece from place to place and not expose it to the risk of being broken. First you need to practice on scraps of glass, then it will be a little easier to cut the countertop itself. The incision must be made with a metal ruler. The force of pressing on the glass cutter is determined by its sharpness. So, you do not need to press as hard on a diamond glass cutter as on a roller one.

Safety precautions must be observed when working with glass! Be sure to wear gloves to avoid injury to your hands.

After making the cut, you need to separate the edges of the glass. This can be done by hand or using pliers. In addition, the glass cutter has a special tool needed to break off a thin edge. As a result, we get a glass tabletop of the required size and shape.

The next stage of production is the processing of the glass edge. This can be done either manually or using a special machine. For manual processing glass you will need a file or an emery bar. When using a file, you will need a soaking liquid. It can be turpentine or kerosene. You need to work especially carefully. Movements should be uniform and smooth. After rough processing of the glass edge, it must be sanded and polished. This can be done with a drill or grinder using a special nozzle. For grinding the edges, successively reduce the grit of the emery wheel. Polish the surface with a special paste and felt.

Figure 1. To prevent damage to the pattern on the glass table, it must be applied from the back.

So, the base of the countertop is ready. Now you need to make a base. There may be many options here. It remains to attach the tabletop to the underframe.

Fastening is carried out using special suction cups and glue. In order to fix the suction cups on the legs, it is necessary to drill or cut holes in them. The glass is fixed to the suction cups with a special adhesive that dries under the influence of ultraviolet rays.

The glass table is ready. It remains to decorate it. Here are the most common options.

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Glass painting in stained glass technique

Materials:

palette (it is better to use a piece of the same glass);
stained glass paints;
pattern stencil;
contour paints;
White paper;
solvent;
stationery knife;
cotton wool;
ammonia;
water.

First you need to degrease the surface of the glass well. Then you need to fix a sample of the drawing and carefully transfer it to the glass using contour paint. If it turns out not very carefully, the excess can be removed with cotton wool. If the contour is thin, you can correct it using a cotton swab or a toothpick.

Figure 2. After painting, the picture must be covered with a layer of varnish.

After the contour is completely transferred, we remove a sample of the drawing and attach the glass to a sheet of white paper. We mix stained glass paints on the palette to get the necessary shades and apply them to the prepared sketch (Fig. 1).

Bubbles can be removed with a toothpick. The finished drawing needs to dry completely. To decorate the countertop, this technique is best applied from the underside of the glass (Fig. 2). For greater durability, the surface should be coated with a layer of varnish.