Use Of Plastic To Replace Glass

[RameGoom]

Wondering what anyone's take is on this.

I had repaired a few Mills machines which had the dreaded brown debris in the glass windows; jackpots, reel windows, and escalator windows. The original glass pieces were in bad shape, scratched, yellowed, and chipped on the corners, mostly. They were different thicknesses of early day tempered glass, and I didn't want to replace the windows with ordinary window pane, so I used a 30 watt laser cutter and made multiple layers of clear polycarbonate on each window. The plastic can't break, is water-clear and looks great - but - not what you'd call "authentic" for an old slot. Since the polycarbonate material comes in thin sheets, stacking them does the trick and fills the thicknesses I was trying to apply.

Did I commit the ultimate crime, or is it acceptable to use the plastic? I really didn't want to use plain glass, and for the most part, the standard thicknesses available weren't really ideal for the slot windows. And, tempered glass is completely out of the question - seems no one actually supplies custom sizes that I've been able to find.

Oh, and rather than use that cement Mills must've used to set the glass, I used very thin adhesive-backed closed-cell foam strips to secure the windows. Hope that, too, was a good choice....

Feel free to ream me out on my glass hacks.

[JHSS-1944]

RameGoom;
what ever works .... have used "plastic" myself on one machine. chipped corners I don't worry so much about. discoloring is an issue ,but can be corrected with some patients. I don't see it as any issue. most mills machines seem to have used basic pieces of card board to shim up the sides , ect. so they don't bounce around so much, so that's what I do. had to use some thin foam rubber for a jackpot glass ,never sat right when it was put back together. just a thin frame between the glass & the J.P.
JEFF h.

[Richard13]

It's your machine make it the way you want to and enjoy them. Nothing you said you did is irreversible and to an average player or friend/neighbor would not be noticed. I have a glass shop close by that will cut me all
The flat glass I need for a basic mills or Jennings up to 3/8 inc thick for
About $20 bucks and the edges are ground smooth.

Like Jeff I have used foam tape occasionally or there is a cool medical tape that is really sticky and cushions well
and conforms to corners and curves well. No worries maybe post a photo so we can see how it looks?

[JHSS-1944]

recently had a 2 piece j.p. glass ,one piece was thick , other thin. the thin one was broken was able to find a small frame at a 2nd hand store with the glass just right. cost me 50 cent. and no ,didn't bother to add "double stick" tape between the 2 but, may have worked.
Actually some glass places have thicker stuff for sale & will cut for you.
some buy "beat up" glass from used display cases = glass fronts ,tops ,& shelves. they keep the glass toss the rest.
jeff

[RameGoom]

I did a couple of lenses in window pane glass for my Little Duke, but using ordinary glass makes me very nervous - if it breaks, you'll get cut up badly, and the shards will stay in the machine forever (and on the floor where your foot will definitely find it).

The clear plastic has its disadvantages, as it can scratch fairly easily.

Ideal would be tempered glass, but hard to find, and very expensive if you do.

[radiorich123]

OFFER FREE 7/32 THICK GLASS for slot machines.
I have extra pcs. of 7/32 thick class that is 4 inches by 19 1/2 for free. Shipping is extra or pick up in New Jersey.

Rich