Glass table top, what colour?

[erikthecat]

what's the best type, thickness, colour of glass to use on this table top cabinet.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/erikthecat@btinternet.com/my_photos
your suggestions would be appreciated.
i don't want to make it too dark.
are there any technical expressions / descriptions that will help me not sound like a total fool when i speak to the glass man?

thanks for your time.

[whammoed]

1/4 inch thick
If you want a real nice edge "pencil polish" is what to ask for.  It means a rounded, polished edge.
Don't know what to ask for when it comes to tinting...mine is clear.

[Grauwulf]

I can't help you with the tint either, but make sure you get tempered glass. If it ever breaks it will shatter into nice small pieces instead of big dnagerous shards. It will cost more money, but for the added safety it's worth it in my books.

[Minwah]

Many cocktails used 'smoked' glass - it has a brownish tint to it rather than the grey that tinted glass usually has.

[Stingray]

My Space Invaders cocktail has a fairly light greyish tint, but I'm not sure what you'd ask for to order the same. I wouldn't worry about making it too dark though. My MAME cab has very dark tint and the monitor shows through it nice & crisp.

-S

[RayB]

Actually, alot of cocktail tables use CLEAR glass, but then they have a smaller smoked plexiglass on top of just the monitor area. This way they can put artwork under the glass without making it hard to see.

~Ray B.

[Stingray]

RayB, my SI cocktail does have a darker smoked glass over the monitor area, but the glass top is tinted as well just not very dark. I actually thought that the smaller one had been added at some point to conceal the screen burn. Did they come from the factory this way?

-S

[RayB]

Atari cocktail tables are factory made this way. But Midway and Nintendo cabs don't appear to have any smoked overlay at all from what I've seen in photos.

[Sephroth57]

most of the ones ive seen are smoked glass


nice woodwork btw

[Minwah]

Actually, alot of cocktail tables use CLEAR glass, but then they have a smaller smoked plexiglass on top of just the monitor area. This way they can put artwork under the glass without making it hard to see.

My (UK) Galaga has the same small area of smoked plexi, but I *think* it should also have smoked glass (it doesn't, it has been replaced by normal clear glass).  I say I think it should have smoked glass as I have never ever seen another UK Galaga cocktail...

[RayB]

From all the photo's I've seen of Midway cocktails, the art underlay seems way too vibrant to have smoked glass over it...

We need someone with an original to add their 2 cents here! 

[Minwah]

From all the photo's I've seen of Midway cocktails, the art underlay seems way too vibrant to have smoked glass over it...

Well mine is a Namco so it totally different all round anyway.  All the cocktails I've seen in a similar style used smoked glass, but then it is not the US shape cocktail so ignore me 

I agree the pic at Klov looks like clear glass.

[Stingray]

From all the photo's I've seen of Midway cocktails, the art underlay seems way too vibrant to have smoked glass over it...

We need someone with an original to add their 2 cents here!

[RayB]

The artwork is printed directly to the back of the glass, it's not an underlay. As I said earlier it has a smaller piece of darker smoked glass that lays between the glass top and the monitor.

So your monitor is double-tinted? (once with the top glass, and once more with the smoked plexi?) Weird! 

[Stingray]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty odd too. However, like I said, it's possible that the second tinted piece was added in at a later time to conceal screen burn on the monitor. The monitor does have some burn, but it's slight enough that the tint does in fact completely hide it.

-S

[Dexter]

I've just finished a cocktail cab with 30% grey tint, 1/4" thick glass on it and it's spot on. Bronze tint discolours the picture you're viewing through it slightly, whereas grey tint reduces but only dims the screen underneath instead of slightly yellowing the image.

By the way, make sure you pay the few quid extra and go for toughened (tempered) glass with polished edges.