Re: glass grinding/polishing

Jul 26, 2003 3 Replies
M


I have a couple hundred glass prisms (right triangular: ~1.5"x2"x6")


> that need to be cleaned and polished. The wide side has a mirror
> coating that needs to be removed. Most just need polishing but some
> need some grinding first. The local glass beveling shops are not
> interested so I might have to do it myself. What would be the right
> equipment to touch up that large a flat surface? The horizontal
> grinders look nice, but I hate to spend over $1k and then still have
> to do it myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Brian

Where are you located?



What application will these prisms have once they are polished? Are you looking for perfect optical flatness? What tolerances?



I know some people in the photographic lens mfg business that have the equipment to do this...



Did your local shops quote you a price? Unless this is top-quality optical glass, I'd bet the cost of repolishing all three sides (and ends?) of the prism will exceed the price of new replacements from Rolyn Optics or Edmund Scientific.


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R

In New Mexico. A local glass shop did a box full by buffing with cerium only. The results were OK, but they chipped and scratched way to many. The glass is good quality but optical flatness/accuracy not required, just aesthetically clean. These are to be used for simple spectrum demonstrations, the acrylics don't stand up to handling as well. The 6" length is also hard to find. Beveled glass work is the closest example I can think of and I need to keep the costs reasonable. Most of them only need to have the mirror removed and be cleaned up. Thanks for the response, I'm still looking.

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J

A couple of hundred? and you want to do them in a non automated way? Just for the record, the "buffing with cerium" would not cause the chips and scratches, it was either from handling or they were already there, how are they packed?

This would be no cheap endeavor unless you send them overseas.

I do beveling, and could strip the silvering off them, but I bill at $75/ actual hour worked.

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R

Nice source, looks like the right stuff.... Thanks.

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