What color is 'smoked' glass?

[Frostillicus]

For monitor bezel glass:
I have the option at the glass store to get a brownish tint or a greyish tint - light and dark of each and either 1/4" or 1/8".

What are people using? - I'm not too fond of plexi/lexan for this and the glass would look top-shelf.   (I'd think smoke=grey, but some of my smoke-ing friends have brown fingers and yellow teeth so who knows-  another reason why I don't smoke )

Brown? Grey?  Light? Dark? Thickness? Hmmm....maybe I should make a poll for this...thanks  

[paigeoliver]

Definitely brown tint. I have a few pieces of arcade smoked plexi laying around and none of it would be classified as grey.

I would go with light color, unless you are trying to hide burn in, if that is the case then go for dark.

[KevSteele]

I was given two choices when I ordered some smoked glass for my entertainment center: charcoal or bronze.

The charcoal is a black/gray color, and the bronze is a brown tint.

For a cab bezel I'd think the charcoal is the way to go.

[rampy]

I'm a charcoal/grey man myself... although I think either would do the deed equally...

Did oscar hypothesis  (or randyt) that grey would filter more evenly the colors or am I making stuff up...  maybe worth diggin up that old thread...

rampy

[RandyT]

I'm a charcoal/grey man myself... although I think either would do the deed equally...

Did oscar hypothesis  (or randyt) that grey would filter more evenly the colors or am I making stuff up...  maybe worth diggin up that old thread...

It was probably one of us

I vote for the charcoal/gray.  Even though there is still a very slight (and I mean slight) green tint to that material, I still believe it is more neutral than the bronze.

The other thing to keep in mind that bronze will have a certain amount of color when light reflects off of it, whereas the charcoal is more black.  It's purely aesthetics, but maybe something you'll want to consider.

RandyT

[RedSquirrel]

What is "plexi"? Is it the plastic see through stuff?

[Sprucemoose]

I ordered "smoked" 1/4 for my cocktail table and it came out looking very good.  Check out "tribute" under cocktail tables examples and you can see a pic...if that helps.  Beware!  It is a geocities site.

[Frostillicus]

ahh, all good info guys - thanks.  Sounds like the general consensus is that they are almost similar enough to not matter that much.  I guess I'll just flip a coin at the glass shop    

[MameFan]

All I've seen locally is brozne which has a disticnt yellow/orange/brown tint I dont like... it skews the colors too much  Medium gray to light charcoal works best...IF you can find it.

[AlanS17]

ahh, all good info guys - thanks.  Sounds like the general consensus is that they are almost similar enough to not matter that much.  I guess I'll just flip a coin at the glass shop    

Take the true MAMErs approach... Take the one that COSTS LESS!!!   Seriously I think brown is probably more authentic but grey probably looks better and produces better colors. Set against a dark bezel I don't think you could tell, anyways.

[SNAAAKE]

I vote GRAY !
Hell if I know..never even seen any but isnt there flat black
Just wondering

[shmokes]

What about thickness?  1/4", 1/8"?  What about shade?  Light, Dark?

Does anybody know this stuff or is it a, try-it-and-let-us-know thing?  

[RandyT]

What about thickness?  1/4", 1/8"?  What about shade?  Light, Dark?

Does anybody know this stuff or is it a, try-it-and-let-us-know thing?  

It depends on what you want to accomplish.

If you want to "hide" the orientation of a monitor, go with a dark shade.  This will negate the need for a bezel, increase contrast, and make a 27" horiz. screen look like a 19" vertical when in that mode.

If you use a bezel and still want to see artwork (and the face of the CRT) through the window, go for the light stuff.

If the window is 24" or less across, you can use 1/4" without a lot of framing.  1/8" is going to require more support, but is cheaper.

So again, it's one of those situation based things.

RandyT

[bionicbadger]

My smoked plexi is 3mm so 1/8" and is grey not brown, as to light/dark I would assume mine is light.  I cannot imagine 1/4" dark working that well, I would think it is too dark.  I didn't have a choice as to light or dark, or grey or brown, they only had one kind of smoked plexi.

The 1/8" is thick enough if you don't plan on leaning or pressing on it.  1/4" is pretty thick stuff, take a look at some and see if you like it.  

I simply cut out some black poster board and taped the outside edges to the back of the plexi as a bezel, it looks pretty good, nice and black.

What I would suggest is going down to the store and taking a look at the product if you can and make your own decision.  Take a potable TV or LCD display if you can and hold it behind the plexi and see what looks good.

[RandyT]

I cannot imagine 1/4" dark working that well, I would think it is too dark.

It's one of those things you have to see to believe

There was a thread started by OSCAR a while back.  Pictures and everything.  I recommend that anyone curious about this should give it a look when they have time.  He did a nice job documenting it.

RandyT

[rampy]

I cannot imagine 1/4" dark working that well, I would think it is too dark.

It's one of those things you have to see to believe

There was a thread started by OSCAR a while back.  Pictures and everything.  I recommend that anyone curious about this should give it a look when they have time.  He did a nice job documenting it.

RandyT

I give you the thread in question!

[bionicbadger]

I cannot imagine 1/4" dark working that well, I would think it is too dark.

It's one of those things you have to see to believe

Yeah I saw that and its what convinced me to go with smoked plexi.  But I would still think 1/4" dark would be too dark.  OSCAR used 1/8" too.

[RandyT]

Yeah I saw that and its what convinced me to go with smoked plexi.  But I would still think 1/4" dark would be too dark.  OSCAR used 1/8" too.

Err...I'm using 1/4" dark.  You don't think I would suggest that someone use something that didn't work just because I didn't want to be the only one to have an opaque window, do you?  

Also, I'm not sure that the 1/4" is all that much darker than the 1/8".  If I could get my hands on some, I could put it through a transmission checker I have access to and compare the numbers.  

But in any case, if it looks good and you're happy, that's all that matters

RandyT

[Carsten Carlos]

I cannot imagine 1/4" dark working that well, I would think it is too dark.  

I've 1/4" gray tempered glass in my cab - surely it is not to dark, I didn't even push the monitorbrightness up to enjoy it!

My bezelgraphics still show nice enough through - of course you might have to play a bit with the colors here to get it the way you like.

Only problem left is the reflections of the glass - I guess plexi doesn't reflect that much. When daylight comes through the window behind I can see myself in the glass - or is this an effect everyone has?

[AlanS17]

It is all going to depend on the angle of the glass. Lower flatter angles will have less glare. The closer you get to vertical the more glare you're gonna have. My plexi has the same problem.

[Justin]

So, where are you guys buying this?  I cannot find any smoked plexi at home Depot or Lowes.

[rampy]

So, where are you guys buying this?  I cannot find any smoked plexi at home Depot or Lowes.

Printshops that do signs usually have a myriad of plexi colors (or can order for you)... and signshops that do the same...

I purchased my lexan/plexi from a glass place (it was 31 beans cut to size)
Any place that does custom glass installation either has it or can order it.

Some Home Depots, etc.. might have it,,  but I have a feeling it's been discontinued from the stores due to low volume...  

*shrug*

Rampy