Old Wavy Window Glass

One of my side interests is working old American weight clocks from the mid 1800s. These clock have a door on the front with a glass pane for the dial and a reverse painted pane on the bottom (called a "tablet", in case you're interested). I was working on the oldest one we have, a wooden works Ogee clock from 1826 and I broke the glass. I'm gutted. Not only was it original, but it's my dad's clock and he asked me to fix it. Oh, and he commented that it was his favorite clock.

So, does anyone have a piece of wavy window glass? Maybe you replaced the windows in your old house? I need a 12"x 16" piece with a little distortion and a few bubbles. There are online suppliers that custom make the stuff and charge accordingly. I need cheap and quick.

Do you have a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store nearby? They may have some.

In my own research from owning a mid-late 1920s house. The glass making process changed around then and the waves in the newer glass is more parallel than random. I'm sure you know that already, but it's how I was able to date my house +/- a few years.

http://www.restorationglass.com/product-catalog.cfm

The things I actually remember from the hundreds of episodes of This Old House I've seen over the years...

Can't help you, but I have a French wall clock that's about 250 years old and it has that wavy glass.

I replaced the windows in my 1914 farmhouse with new ones a few years ago and kept the old glass. The panes are 2'x3' or so, though, and I don't know of a good way to ship you one.

In reply to iadr:

Yes, that's true- it floats on molten tin.

Prior to that, it was blown and spun into large sheets.

edit- I forgot that at one time, glass was rolled in between steel rollers, too- which was developed about the same time as mechanized industrial glass blowing using steel molds. Which is still used for bottles, jars, and other glass things.

Based on the kinds of waviness you see- you may be able to see the difference.

Before float glass, there was cylinder glass. It was blown like a big bottle then formed into a cylinder to cool. Then it was cut and snapped along the length, re-heated, and unrolled flat. This is the type of glass I need. Before cylinder glass, it was spun like pizza on a blowing rod.

Thanks for the leads. I'll check our local ReStore tomorrow. I also found a guy on eBay that has some. The link above also has what I need for about $40. For reference the same size glass at Lowe's is $3.98. So, it looks like I can make a reasonable replacement tablet.

I can't help you source wavy glass, but I have a couple cool old clocks I'll take pictures of to show you.

Oh look, a fragile canoe.

I actually bought the glass at glasscanoeslimited.com and it gave my wife and all 12 of my kids a lazy eye.  I also have a lazy eye, but that's mainly due to a poor work ethic.  0 out of 5, cannot recommend.

Sooo what happened with this?   You got the glass,(?) but was he able to tell the difference?  Also, I'm assuming it was the dial glass that broke and not the tablet.  I bought an inexpensive Ansonia ogee and the idiot seller shipped it with the weights inside wrapped in newspaper.  Guess what happened to the tablet.  

The tablet cracked. He just glued it back together. I did find some very old wavy glass with bubbles etc. later that summer.  We were out on a four wheel ride and came across an old collapsed country church along a dirt road.  One of the walls was still intact and leaning at about a 45 degree angle. Two large window panes survived the collapse so I climbed up and took them out. I had to carry them on my lap the rest of the day, but I made it home with them. 

Ha!  I would never be that lucky!