Diamonte vs. Starfire - why is it pitting?

[Kent E]

I don't have starfire but some other brand. I noticed that the white glass is softer. I too had the spiral feather dusters in the cleaning magnet make tiny scratches. The good thing is that they are so small they aren't noticable but I will be cleaning the magnet every few weeks.

Overall, If I had to do it again I would have gone with green glass. I don't see the BIG difference and I would like harder glass.

 

[spazz]

in my opinion after talking to a friend that works at one of the largest glass companys in the world, i would have the starfire glass tempered after cutting and drilling. it will make it alot stronger and less likelyto scratch or pit. there is 2 stages of tempering. 1st stage is called hardened glass and the 2nd stage is tempered glass. the seconed stage is basiclly tempered alot longer to make the glass alot harder. the down fall to this is you can drill it once its been hardened or tempered. so the holes haveto be drilled in the tank first and them tempered or hardened.
also there is many types of glass out there. starfire is just a brand name of low iron glass. there are many brands just like it. maybe a different brand that is cheaper and then tempered would costthe same as starfire. you would have to check with your local glass cutters to find out. JMO

 

[hahnmeister]

There are many types, but there are only about 9 plate glass makers in the world if I remember correctly, and Starphire is just Oldcastle's brand name (I think thats the right one). You have to start searching far and wide usually when you start looking at different brands.

Add to that the few people out there that will drill it, work it, and then go through the tempering process... your options start to get fewer. There is only one place in the entire US that I know of that will even bend Starphire glass...

 

[spazz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8130227#post8130227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
There are many types, but there are only about 9 plate glass makers in the world if I remember correctly, and Starphire is just Oldcastle's brand name (I think thats the right one). You have to start searching far and wide usually when you start looking at different brands.

Add to that the few people out there that will drill it, work it, and then go through the tempering process... your options start to get fewer. There is only one place in the entire US that I know of that will even bend Starphire glass...

i think that is where my frined works. they can bend glass, laminate it, router holes and eurobraced tops along with temperting and case hardening of glass. they are the same company that has the job for just about every sky scraper in the usa along with the new world trade center building glass. i took a tour of the plant with him one day. it was wild to see them handeling that much glass an hour. semi loads a day.

 

[Waxxiemann]

http://www.miraclesaquariums.com/custom.html

I think these guys will drill, machine and then temper starfire glass. They're in Canada.

I know for sure that they will machine/drill and THEN temper regular glass so I imaging that the process is the same for starfire.

I got a quote on a 225 from them and I have all the details but I can't remember if they temper the starfire or not. I have the e-mail @ work. I'm pretty sure that all panes were tempered including the 3 starfire sides.

 

[mobert]

but why is my All-Glass Aquarium made of regular plate glass chipping? Plus, will it get worse and is it going to blow out one day????

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8132623#post8132623 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spazz
i think that is where my frined works. they can bend glass, laminate it, router holes and eurobraced tops along with temperting and case hardening of glass. they are the same company that has the job for just about every sky scraper in the usa along with the new world trade center building glass. i took a tour of the plant with him one day. it was wild to see them handeling that much glass an hour. semi loads a day.

The place I know of is in Cali. I can find places that bend glass, and places that have starphire, but not a place that will bend starphire... thats harder because they have to heat up the starphire much hotter than normal glass to bend it, and its very hard to handle at these temps since the lowered iron content. Im all ears and would love to know of a closer place that will bend starphire (and maybe temper it as well), so let me know if they do... but finding a place that is bending regular plate is one thing... and asking those same places to do it with starphire might get you some 'looks' ("whaddya think we are here, magicians?).

 

[spazz]

i know this company can do it but its not cheap either. i seen a bowed piece of starfire that was laminated (2 layers) and tempered sitting there on the floor for an aquarium. it got shipped over seas. this company can make just about anything out of glass.

 

[massman]

Dealing with tempered glass has its own drawbacks.
It is extremely weak along the edges, if tap the edges, the glass can explode, you DO NOT want this in your home. There is no cracking with the glass, it justs explodes at once. I would much rather deal with scratches.

Likewise laminated panels can delaminate, and that is really ugly, imagine the cheap bobbly tint jobs you see on older cars.

 

[spazz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8133602#post8133602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mobert
but why is my All-Glass Aquarium made of regular plate glass chipping? Plus, will it get worse and is it going to blow out one day????

if your tank is chipping then it should be a warantee issue you should talk to the manufacture about. it shouldnt be chipping. it could fail in time. or it could last forever. its hard to say. and aot depends on where the chi is and if its tempered glass or soft high iron glass. i dont think they use low iron glass in all glass brand aquariums. but im not for sure there either.

 

[mobert]

Thanks for the input spazz.

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8134544#post8134544 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by massman
... I would much rather deal with scratches.

Tempered glass doesnt really resist scratches any better than regular float/plate glass FWIW. Its the same material hardness really... the tempered glass just has a higher strength so you can use a thinner piece. Glass of all types should have a hardness of 450 on the Knoop scale. In fact, tempered panels can indeed lead to more scratches: During the handling of the glass at additional heat treatments, it is heated up enough to get surface imperfections, and without that nice tin surface to sit on, the glass can keep these imperfections that you cant see, but can feel. These imperfections lead to scratches when you use a metal algae scraper, and you can end up with problems that you otherwise wouldnt if the glass were normal plate.

 

[Tigger240]

wow im glad i read this - i was ready to spring for a starfire panel at twice the price of low iron!

 

[massman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8136723#post8136723 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tigger240
wow im glad i read this - i was ready to spring for a starfire panel at twice the price of low iron!

Starfire is low iron

 

[Tigger240]

eerr - i meant reg iron.

- i was going to buy a starfire panel at twice the cost of a reg iron panel. -

when i opened this thread just now the pics on the front page finally loaded, and those pits are quite large imo, stuff like that bothers me to no end. im sorry for your troubles with your starfire tank, it must be depressing.

 

[mobert]

by the way, my AGA is regular glass.

 

[The McReefersons]

Hey Greg,

Whatever came of this? I don't remember noticing any chips when I saw your tank, but then, I was not looking for them either. Overall, would you say the Starfire was the right choice for you (barring the chipping issue)?

-Dave

 

[hahnmeister]

If installed properly, Starphire wont chip.

 

[DitchPlains2]

ok well

ok well

So here's my question, given the possibility of getting a crappy piece of starphire glass that will chip or degrade over time, versus the weight and clairty and the easiness to scartch of acrylic, which company ie: manufacturer of aqauriums is using the better method or quality material, that would make it worthwhile to use this clearer glass rather then opting for acrylic. I have only owned 1 acrylic tank, and it scratched to all hell regradless of what i used or did, the one glass tank I had was very strong and clear imo... any suggestions guys/gals

cheers
David

 

[hahnmeister]

Hay DitchPlains2, thats my avatar from when I was Herbert T. Kornfeld... good avatar...lol.

Glass Cages, Miracles, and Aquarium Obsessed are all aware of this orientation need. Thats about the only important thing to note about low-iron glass (besides its slightly different strength). To build my tank from Starphire, I just used a 4w shortwave UV lamp (makes the tin-side glow like a ghost) to get the facing right. Piece of cake.