The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Using glass tape?

I got my door parts from Chevy Duty and I've never used this glass tape stuff before. The tape has fabric on one side and rubber on the other.
What side goes against the glass?
Are you supposed to use any adhesive?
If it matters, I'm installing new vent glass.

Thanks!

Rubber side to glass

There is a pictorial on how to do the vent glass on my picturetrail album list. Following the link in my signature to find it.

Thanks Houston! I'd have to be retarded not to be able to follow those instructions... VERY helpful and thorough... That should be in the Tech Tips.

You might want to visit your local auto glass store to see it they will provide you with the glass tape that is more like a thin rubber material instead of trying to use that thick stuff the catalog boys are sending out. It is much easier to use. The catalog stuff is really too thick for this application in my experience and opinion.

Houston,

I think I'll give the stuff I got from Chevy Duty a try first. I've noticed that there is a lot of gunk inside the vent frame and I'm going to be sure it's cleaned out real good before I try to assemble anything. I'm also going to try gluing the tape to the window to hold it in place.

I'll let you guys know how it goes,

I did a little test fitting yesterday and sure enough, I could hardly force the window into the frame with just a 1-inch wide piece of tape. With that tape all the way around the glass I can't see how it would be possible to get the window in.

I'm going to start looking for thinner tape or maybe even glue it in with black silicone. I mean why not? All that I'm trying to accomplish is to install a small piece of glass in a frame in such a way that it stays in and doesn't leak.

If I don't get any feedback in this thread I just may post the question as a new topic.

I would not recommend the silicone adhesive for the vent windows as they need to be positioned carefully in the glass frame to achieve the correct sealing against the vent frame. If you get it wrong you will be able to sell tickets for people to watch you have fun getting the glass back out. Concession sales may be enough to buy new parts to start over with.

I did notice that LMC had the 1/32" glass tape on their sight the other day. This is what you need. Not that thick cloth/rubber material.

You're probably right but how do you find anything on the LMC website? I searched for vent, vent+glass, glass+tape, 1/32 and didn't find anything.

Actually it was not LMC but rather the Truck Shop that has the correct tape. Their PN is 47-05807. Their number is 800-Chevy-47. They do not have a web site to my knowledge.

I would suggest dropping by a local auto glass installer with the vent glass and frame in hand. Show them what you are trying to do and ask if they have the 1/32" setting tape? You only need about three feet to do both windows and they will probably give that to you for free. The best outcome is they give you a good price to set the glass in the frames for you.

When I did this I got quotes ranging from $75 to $150 to do it. Your experience may vary.

Would you believe that I must have called 10 auto glass places in my area and NOT ONE has or uses 1/32 glass setting tape. Some of then didn't even know what I was talking about and when I asked them what they used they told me... black silicone!

This is what's so incredibly frustrating about this... all the time you waste on the simplest stuff! :mad:

I will be calling Truck Stop... Thank you!

Czechman,I just did both door windows on my '49 and they went alot easier than I thought.I was going to hire this done but decided the only way to learn was to do it myself.I ordered a roll of tape from Jim Carters and it was a thin rubber tape with no cloth backing.Fairly soft like natural rubber.After cleaning my window frames,I used some dishwashing soap in the channels,folded the tape in half and put it in the frame.Then, with a little more soap on the tape,I put my new glass in the frame and started tapping it in with a rubber hammer.I took it slow and easy and it finally was in.Trimmed the excess off and put the windows in my doors.I may have enough tape left if you are just doing vent windows. Chip

Chip, I think I'll take you up on that offer. I'm just dong vent windows.

I'll PM you with my address and payment arrangements.

Thanks!

Truck & Car Shop - "The Truck Shop" & "The Car Shop"

After installing several pieces of glass in several 51-55 windows, my experiences have indicated that there is no single, correct size/thickness of glass tape. The thickness of the tape that is needed is dependent on the thickness of the glass and the width of the metal window channel. Supposedly, with original glass and original channels, two thicknesses of tape were used (51-55 trucks).

http://www.restorationspecialties.com/ Restoration Specialties sells a variety of thicknesses of original-style tape. Installation of glass is as easy as described in the Shop/Maintenance Manuals, if you have the right thickness of tape. Buy a variety of thicknesses of tape and use the one that provides a snug fit when attempting a "dry fit". That tape will then expand enough to tightly hold the glass in the frame.

No person will be able to tell what thickness of tape will work, without testing different thicknesses of tape on a given installation. This is true even for a vendor that is selling the glass and the tape - they buy glass from different vendors and you can never know if the person you talk with on the phone knows anything about the glass or tape they are selling at any given time (51-55 door windows).

Tim

Yea, I took my calipers to the glass and channel yesterday and came up with a .040 difference per side... a bit more than 1/32 (.032). But I'm not going to over-think this. It's a piece of glass that has to fit into a frame and be held there until I die or sell the truck, which isn't going to be any time soon... I hope. I have absolutely no compulsion against building up the entire assembly and then gluing the glass in with silicone. Working with a built up assembly I'll be able to precisely align the glass... this is not rocket science.

Also... the tape I bought was specifically sold as being correct for the vent glass in my truck. IMO, they should just sell this stuff by thickness, rather than application.

And I'm not spending a bunch of money on rolls of different thickness tape just to get 3 feet of what I need. There's just so much time and money something is worth and I've reached the point of diminishing returns long ago on these vent windows. This is a driver, not a VCCA restoration.

Restoration Specialties sells the tape by the foot (page 31 of their catalog). They have two styles of tape and 4 thicknesses in each style.

Tim

Thanks Tim,

That is an impressive catalog, they actually have the correct thickness according to my calipers 3/64, I'll check them out. They must have an interesting warehouse :crazy:

For what it's worth, I just did my windows this evening ('49 door glass). I ordered the setting tape from American Classic and it is the perfect stuff. I had replacement glass cut at my local glass place (matching the cracked original I took to them to use as a pattern).

I had cabinet blasted the frames and the bottom piece, refinished them and the whole thing was ridiculously simple and easy. I had two windows set and ready to go back in the doors in less than 30 minutes.

It's great when a part of the project goes like that!

r,
John

I've seen some setting tape at NAPA, and also on eBay, do an eBay search for "glass tape"

Mike

my mistake, NAPA didn't have setting tape! Mike