If you don't get an answer here, you might want to go
to the 'stained glass and mosiac' forum and ask there.
There is a lot of really knowledgeable folks that know
about glass.

1. Any glass can be grouted. Just make sure it's very clean. Grout is not to be used as an adhesive.

2. How do you know it's tempered glass? Tempered glass shatters into tiny pieces when it is broken.

3. Plywood expands and contracts depending on moisture content. Make sure itÂs completely sealed or whatever you put on top will come off..

dcarch

Oh its tempered alright.It broke up into tiny square pieces.

dcarch is correct, you can grout tempered glass without any problem. I have seen people slap a variety of colored paints on the service they want to mosaic and then glue the tempered glass on top of it. It has a weird but gorgeous 3D effect. I have always wanted to try it. You will just have to be careful of the adhesive you use - it will have to dry clear. Be sure to post pictures of your final creation!

Do not use the wood for out side it will warp and runn you piece....

Would silicon(outside/inside) work on the tempered glass? What kind of adhesive would you suggest or what kind do you use?

I wouls use GEII for doors and windows. Or Mac glue. Both will dry clear. If you are going to do all that work please use backerboard like they use for bathrooms or kitchen backsplashes etc. This stuff is made for the elements and will withstand the different changes is weather without ruining your beautiful work. This I have learned from the stained glass forum. You can pop over there for a wealth of info.

Kat

Tempered glass when it shatters, the entire pane breaks into tiny little diamond pieces. Tempered glass cannot be cut, and should not be drilled. It is very difficult to break tempered glass. YouÂll need a hammer with a sharp point.

With regular glass, if you heat it up to very high temperature and pour cold water on it, you can get very interesting crack patterns.

How to tell if a pane of glass is tempered
1. There are tiny dimples near the edges.
2. Tempered glass is not as flat as regular glass.

Also, there is heat treated glass, and safety glass. They all have different properties.

Animal glue (rabbit glue, hide glue, etc) is the strongest glue for glass. The bond is actually stronger than glass.

You guys should look into making Glue-Chipping glass technique. Not difficult to learn with amazing end results.

dcarch