_Next PageThis article I'm going to explain how to pick out your glass when you go to the store. I prefer going to the store rather than a catalog, so i can find the glass that "speaks to me". When I go to the store I pick out my colors as anyone else does. But there are things to look out for, like scratches, stones, and cracks.
When I first pick up the glass, I hold it to the light, to show me what it looks like lit up. At this same time I'll also look for little stones in the glass, or odd elongated bubbles near the surface, or cracks in the edges or corners. Stones are either little bits of the material used that didn't melt completely. Or sometimes they are little bits of brick from the oven that fell into the batch. Stones look like little rocks inside of the glass, when you look through it it sometimes looks like dirt on the other side, but it isn't. Having elongated bubbles near the surface, means that your cutter may fall into it, which means the score will go where ever it wants to. And of course cracks are never a good thing, they usually occur when the glass taps each other when people look at the glass. Look for these in the corners, or between colors (sometimes the colors fight each other and crack). The next step I take would be to carefully look at the surface, looking for any scratches. Usually I either forget this step or don't look hard enough for these.
When I bring it all home, I catalog everything I get, writing down where and when I bought it, and how much it was. Along with manufacturer, serial numbers, size, texture, and how many of whatever I got. This way I will always know how much I paid for it, in case I had to get it again, or to compare against another store.
I'll then put denatured alcohol on the sticker, let it sit for a few seconds, then scrape it off with a razor blade. I use a spray on foaming type glass cleaner to clean my glass, though any kind can really be used. I will always clean the glass, front and back until it comes out completely clean. This is an important step, it removes all the packing junk they sometimes stick on the glass. It will also keep the glass, cleaner the next time you pull it out. I found that for some reason Armstrong Glass is always filthy dirty, on the back especially. In this case I'll use soap and water and a scrub brush. If you buy bevels, do the same only wrap them in paper or something before you store it.
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Started on 9-22-98