Glass shelving and copper rods

[MarkBastard]

Bit of an obscure question but there's some pretty knowledgeable people here so I thought I'd ask.

I'm building some shelving in a niche/alcove thing in my wall. It's almost two metres wide and the shelving only takes up the left half. I have a copper rod I want to use in the middle to support the glass shelves, so that I don't need a timber partition.

Basically the glass will have holes drilled in it the diametre of the copper road, and the rod will go through these holes.

I need a fitting that I can only best describe as a collet, that will attach to the rod and hold the glass in place. The rod is not threaded and the glass would just slip down the rod unless there was something I could put there.

I could fashion something like this myself if I had a metal lathe but I don't want to buy one just for this, so I'm hoping there's something off the shelf that has a name.

A crude example of what I mean is attached. See how the middle shelf is only supported by the metal rods that go right through it? There must be some sort of bulge in the rod so that the glass stays in place. I want something similar, preferably made out of copper.

 

[Fat Bastard]

I suspect in your pic, that there is an inner rod that is the structural part, and an outer sheath of decorative chrome pipe that not only sets the height of the shelf, but looks nice and shiny while doing it.

You should be able to find a bit of nasty all-thread that will fit neatly inside your copper tube.

Edit: if it's solid copper you've got, you could drill and tap a hole in the end and use a threaded stud to go through the glass.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I reckon drilling through the glass will be your biggest challenge. Unless you can buy it pre drilled.

You could maybe use shelving pins to support the glass. Grub screws might also do the job.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Who thick is the rod..

Could you drill thru it and put a small copper pin that the glass can rest on.

 

[MarkBastard]

Its about 2cm diametre and yep a small pin would be a rudimentry way to do it. Was hoping for something that hides the hole though. Theres a glass making place near me so ill get them to cut to size and drill.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

You could do as Fat Bastard said, but go to your local plumbing/hardware shop and buy some copper tube, to use as spacers to separate the glass. Just cut to the desired length and slip over your copper rod. It might need a little bit of clear silicone to secure the tubing in place.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

 

[sp0rk]

I'd get a copper washer just larger than your pipe and have it hard soldered/brazed to the pipe
Should be more than strong enough to hold whatever's going on there

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Get some copper, or whatever metal you were planning on using turned up into collars, drill and tap the collars and use a grub screw to lock the collar in position.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You shoul be able to buy collers from a decent plumbing supply, but only if your rod/pipe is a std plumbers size.

You can either solder them or araldite them in place

 

[MarkBastard]

Thats a great idea. Cheers.