How To Make A Template For Shaped Glass

If you have glass that is not rectangle or square and it has one or more curved edges, you will need to supply us with a template so we can have the glass made to the correct shape. We are currently putting together a short video with helpful tips to help customers make a template with ease. For now, here are a few tips to help you along the way…

Make a rectangle cardboard template first

Even though you require glass with a shape to it, you need to create a rectangle cardboard template first. This rectangle template needs to be slightly smaller than the tight size of the glass so the glass can fit in the rebated area easily. You can learn more about tight sizes and glass sizes by reading our How To Measure page.

Make an imprint of the shape

Now your rectangle template is made, take a piece of paper and tape the paper to the door/window in the location of the shaped area of the required glass. Where the flat face of the door disappears into the rebate, press along the edge of the wood so it puts slight creases in the paper. This will make an imprint of the shaped area in the paper. Remove the paper and cut along that creased area with scissors. Make sure you are cutting slightly inside of the crease so the shape is a little bit smaller than the actual rebated area. This will ensure the glass is not too tight to fit into the door.

Transfer the shape to the cardboard template

Attach this shaped paper template to the appropriate area of your rectangle cardboard template. Now you can draw around that paper shape and transfer the curved lines to the cardboard. Cut the cardboard along this new shaped line and you should have a template that is slightly smaller than the rebate but is the same shape as the required glass.

A new video will be uploaded as soon as it is ready to go but hopefully these tips will help you create a shaped template for your new decorative glass.

Creating a template for an oval / elipse

Take a piece of paper that is larger than the required oval and tape the paper to the area of the door where the oval is. Where the flat face of the door disappears into the rebate, press along the edge of the wood so it puts slight creases in the paper. This will make an imprint of the oval area in the paper. Remove the paper and cut along that creased area with scissors. Make sure you are cutting slightly inside of the crease so the shape is a little bit smaller than the actual rebated area. This will ensure the oval glass is not too tight to fit into the door. Attach this newly cut shaped paper template to a larger piece of cardboard or wood. Now you can draw around that paper shape and transfer the curved lines to the cardboard. Cut the cardboard along this new shaped line and you should have a template that is slightly smaller than the rebate but is the same shape as the required glass.

If your oval/elipse looks like it is a perfect elipse, you could just give us the width and height of the glass required and we could send you a paper version of the panel to check if the shape is the same as your glass area. We can do this if you have already placed an order.