Input On Diy Sliding Glass Lid

Wondering if anyone here has any experience making a sliding glass lid-

Just tried it myself, but I'm not super confident about it. Got glass cut at Lowes, vinyl outdoor corner molding, and super glued a handle. Glass pieces sat comfortably on the tank lip, but catches on the vinyl strip. Sometimes it slides ok and sometimes, not so much, and seems to be shaving a little of the plastic. I'm not sure if the glass was somehow cut too rough, if it will wear down with use, or what. Glass appears to be cut straight, but when closed, does not sit evenly against the trim. I've had the tank for a while but never used, but I can push on the trim and see a difference. Is the trim off or could my tank be bowing already?

Also, there is no center brace so if I push on the glass, there's a little bounce. Luckily I have a well behaved cat, but if he were to jump on it I'm not sure if it would hold. Would this be safe for fish, in case one were to jump and hit it?

I think it will work for my purposes, although I wish it would glide more easily for convenience. I'm mostly concerned about safety so I just want to be sure before I stock the tank. I had tried the hinged top, I think Aqueon or Versa (40B) but it was a hair too long so I returned it. That glass had a nice thickness/ stiffness to it, whereas this not so much. Almost wondering if I should put the filter on the side and redo the lid to slide Right to Left instead of Front to Back?

 

I'd be curious to see pictures. I DIYed my glass lids but nothing fancy like sliding lids. Mine just lift on and off.

 

 

The vinyl strip is kind of U shaped, so the back glass sits in that groove while the top glass sits on top. I super glued the handle, but you can also order the self adhesive handle you'd get with the Versa top. I'm debating getting the plastic-y part that you can cut out for the back, since my router is hidden behind the tank and probably would like to not get wet, but the gap is quite small. I have it caddy cornered so anything gets behind there it's probably not coming out... lol.

 

The glass was cut 34.75 in long, 8 in wide so I could have at least an inch overlap when fully closed. The way the vinyl strip is.. it actually provides a little more surface than the rI'm of the tank, so the top glass could probably be trimmed down and be less annoying. I don't know what's in my area (rural) so I guess I'll just live with it. It'll be sufficient to feed but to clean the tank I'll most likely take it all off anyway.

 

Looks good. That's the one thing I love about DIY glass lids is they're dirt cheap and look like a hundred dollars. can't offer much help unfortunately but it does look good

 

cut glass is very rough get a sanding pad and some assorted sand paper starting with 60 grit. Do it outside and support the glass on a piece of wood and start with the 60 grit and slowly sand until smooth. If there is scratches in the edges go you to around 100 grit. It should then move smoother.

 

cut glass is very rough get a sanding pad and some assorted sand paper starting with 60 grit. Do it outside and support the glass on a piece of wood and start with the 60 grit and slowly sand until smooth. If there is scratches in the edges go you to around 100 grit. It should then move smoother.

Might have to do that for my lids. They're still pretty rough.

 

cut glass is very rough get a sanding pad and some assorted sand paper starting with 60 grit. Do it outside and support the glass on a piece of wood and start with the 60 grit and slowly sand until smooth. If there is scratches in the edges go you to around 100 grit. It should then move smoother.

Thanks for the tip, that should be a big help.

 

No problem! Be really careful,e a pair of work gloves and eye protection and wash the glass well and yourself to get off any glass dust.