Glass

[BedWetter]

I am going to be building a solar wax melter and I am wondering what type of glass to use? I have seen a lot on double using double panes. Thanks for the help

[Dave W]

I think TWO PANES of glass are a good idea. But NOT "double-pane" INSULATING glass.

Look at a good set of plans and note that the air/space between TWO PANES are NOT SEALED. Most plans show a small vent hole of some kind.

A sealed double-pane unit (insulating glass) does not transfer heat or UV rays like 2 pcs of single-strength will.

[odfrank]

I have found that two panes make no noticable difference. Just more weight to lift. When it's melting season here, May to September, wax will melt just the same on a sunny day with one pane or two. One of my panes broke and I never replaced it, couldn't tell any difference. Come the middle of September, the melting season ends.

[Sundance]

In cooler climates like mine 2 panes is a great help. You can get it done earlier and faster.

[beedeetee]

I am near the 45th parallel. In May-July, my melter works when the temps are in the upper 70's. By September, they will need to be close or above 90.

When I got the glass for mine, the glass company recommended thicker glass. It seems like it was double thickness (around 1/4").

[Jon McFadden]

Interesting information. I built mine using two panes of 1/4" tempered glass. Naturally, I made my own frame. I didn't include the holes suggested above. What are the holes for?
I did a test to see the difference between the two last weekend. Here are the results so far.
http://nordykebeefarm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15&PN=1
I was going to try again this weekend to see if I could duplicate the results but it was overcast.