Posted by Gary Dodge on January 18, 2003 at 19:35:54:
In Reply to: Thank You!!!! posted by Diana on January 15, 2003 at 13:33:02:
Hi Diana,
Because your window is relatively narrow you won't have serious issues relating to reinforcement once the panel is in the frame.
As for the metal stripping, there are several types each with different attributes.
There is 10 mil thick copper restrip. It is fairly flexible and good if you have a lot of complex contours you need to follow. Morton Strong Line is a copper plated steel strip. Since it is steel it is a lot more rigid than copper strip but is much harder to kink and bend to follow detailed lines.
Lastly there is the copper braided strip. This one gets its' strength after you solder and the braid becomes impregnated with solder. It is the easiest to use because it has no resistance to bending until after it is soldered. I have not used this one that much, but have at least a "gut feeling" that is comes out plenty strong.
Bottom line on any of them is that they add strength only to the lines they cross, not to the lines they run along. If you had a panel that was made of twenty one inch strips of glass just laid parallel to one another, restrip laid between each of the glass pieces would not make it any stronger.
For really large work I often use a web of restrip that runs in all directions and in some places where lines of strip meet up there can be two or three pieces side by side between glass pieces.
GaryD
: Gary!
: What a great site! It's so nice to know one has a place to go for help. Thank You! I'm making a large window of 8' x 2' of foil and was wondering if I use the thin metal stripping between the foiled pieces, would that be sufficient reinforcement for the window?
: Thanks again for all the help!
: Diana