Okay,first things first.Glass needs respect.If you leave it laying around,it will break on its own.I found this out by leaving my pattern(the old glass)lying on what I thought was a flat surface in the sun for a couple days(probably didn't help)and came back to it to find one side of the laminate had cracked.There was no going back now. Glass should be stored standing up or supported in some fashion.

I would suggest getting a crap piece of glass from a glass shop to practice with.I didn't do this but I cut a small corner off mine to see what kind of challange I was facing.

This is only about flat safety glass but perhaps can be used for other types.You will have to discover on your own.I bought a new glass cutter.The type with a steel wheel.They say on the directions to oil the wheel when you use it.I used a spray varsol,not sure if it helped or not.I think thicker oils would make it slippery.You will need a good work table.It should be super flat.I used an old solid wooden door on a work table.
you should also watch out for dirt under the glass.It will scratch it easily and make you angry,especially when you slide the glass as you cut.Glass chips fall into this category and are hard to see.
I used masking tape as a guide but found that I could do a decent job following the line by looking at the cut on the other side.For success,you must try to make exact cuts with each other on both sides of the glass.A little deviation is ok but produces a crappy job.My glass is in a frame so I didn't care as much.If you have an exposed edge,you will have to belt sand it and leave a little extra to allow for this.Or take it to a glass shop,they might charge you 5 bucks maybe,I donno.

When they say that you hear a zipper zipping sound as you cut glass,they are right.Use as much downward pressure as you can muster,don't retrace your steps and don't leave bare spots.For corners the only thing I can say is that you cut as many straight runs as you can to zero in on the work so that you can eventually take out pieces around the curve using pliers.Oh yeah,you will need a good set of pliers,the duckbilled type.Vicegrips are kinda coarse for this.I used very good regular pliers.
Large pieces of glass are easier removed by putting the cut edge just over the straight edge of a table,having the glass clamped to the table and then working it up and down.You will see the change in color as the break occurs.Be patient.As you may have heard,the laminate plastic in the middle will have to be cut.Be gentle with this because if you pull on it,it will leave a bubble under the glass and if it isn't covered by the frame,you will have to start over.Who wants that?
I tried using alcohol like I was told but couldn't get it to light.I also tried varsol-no go.If you are outside doing this like I was,gasoline may be helpful.It sure doesn't have problem to light.A squirt bottle would have been better but the idea is to put it along the crack,light on fire and to work the glass to get more movement.I then used a box cutter knife to cut it as the crack opens up.I also used a propane torch very lightly but I suspect that heat is the enemy of glass and this is playing with danger so I quit.Maybe someone else has experience here.
Getting back to curves,use common sense.Try to take out the easiest glass first to get started.I cut reliefs as I thought they would help but the glass had its own idea.Nip away with the pliers,take out chunks and most important,cut away totally whatever is loose.Don't try to get farther ahead since you are trying to remove support along the way.

Not much more I can think of.Great way to save money but it really is time consuming.If you've got lots of bucks,you won't care about this.I was considering using a dremel tool with a diamond wheel,thought about sandblasting,wished I had a water-jet..etc but I am totally happy I did it this way and could cut any glass now I'm sure.I even have enough from my 30 dollar piece to cut new vent windows for my olds.The only sad part is that they won't have the EZ EYE logo.Does anyone know it they make a decal for this?
Good luck pete

sorry I don't have pictures but you should have the idea without them.
Edit: here is a link showing the process:
http://www.hotrodhotline.com/md/html/cutting_flat_glass.php

This is an edit,I will have information on removing the window further on down.

There was a guy named George Hayner that came up with an acid paste/stencil etching system that worked great at low cost. LOF sued him and he was forced to stop selling the stencils. He called them "Etchcals" as they were a decal type stencil. I got enough for a few cars from his widow before her health failed. There are none left.
I understand that having an approved glass shop etch the glass is about $50 per piece or about $400 per car just for the logo/date codes on all new glass.
When I did my last car, the 55 Olds, I was out of the Etchcals and there is no way I'm paying $50 for a lousy $2 item.
So with a little art work, a little research, and a little experimentation I figured out how to logo/date code etch all my new glass for a total of about $50 in materials and I have enough left over material to probably do 100 date codes........Bob

When using the wheel type glass cutter use kerosene as the oil referred to in instructions. After making a run across a piece of glass with the wheel, dip it into the kerosene to wash away any glass chips that may be on the cutter. Heavy pressure is not as important is steady even pressure as you roll across the glass. DO NOT go back over a track you have made with the cutter. This will ruin the cutter wheel and may cause the glass to break in a different direction than what you want. On laminated glass, after you have made the cut on both sides, Squirt cigarette lighter fluid right out of the can onto the cut. Light the fluid and let it burn out. Then cut the plastic laminate with a single edge razor blade. Smooth the cut edge of the glass with a sharpening stone or on a belt sander with an emery or hard aluminum oxide belt. WEAR LEATHER GLOVES WHILE HANDLING GLASS. PRACTICE ON SOME SCRAP WINDOW GLASS TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH USING THE CUTTER AND SEPARATING THE CUT. A LIGHT RAP ON THE CUT LINE WITH THE BALL END OF THE CUTTER SHOULD CAUSE IT TO SEPARATE. Hobby stores sell glass pliers that can be used for breaking the small cuts around corners. And, yes, flat glass should be stored standing upright on edge to prevent breakage.

Not all glass cutters are created equal. I used to use the old 'red devil' kind, found in every hardware store. Then, I ran into the guys that cut stained glass. I wondered how they did beautiful French curves, etc. They told me, it's all in the cutter (and of course how you use it). Better tools make a better job. They buy very precise but easy to use, carbide-wheel glass cutters that cost about $20./each. (Not all of their glass is flat, either.)

Wikihow gives a nice writeup on 'how to cut glass':
http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Glass

well hey,I guesws I'm not too far off course in this,since I didn't have a lot of information to go on when I started! Thank you for the link on"how to cut glass" ,very helpful.
And all the tips,can only make a better job.

Thank you Bob on the EZ EYE info.I'm curious how that was put into the glass in the first place,because it is inside the glass isn't it.Heat lamp? Laser? And do you have info or a link on decipering the codes? Seems a shame that there is so much protection for the logo, but until you have enlightened me,I do not have all the facts to make judgement.

The date code was abrasive etched, all on the same side, so some was inside some outside depending on which side it ended up on. It can also be chemically etched at home and it will look identical to abrasive etched.
Under the logo, in this case LOF, there are two letters "AS" then a number 1 or 2. 1 is if the glass is a windshield, 2 if it's side glass. Then there are 2 letters, that is the actual date code for when the glass was made. The E-Z-Eye of course means the glass is tinted.
At one time I did track down a partial decode list but I'm not sure where. I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere or you can call a glass dealer and maybe wangle it out of him. They have the decode lists. An easy way is to find a car in a junkyard and see what 2 letters they have on the windows. Of course if you are replacing just one glass use whatever code is on the others.

Many thanks Bob.I'll see if I can deciper it and hopefully share the info...if that is legal.
For anyone with the same style of window as mine-'56 olds holiday sedan rear window,be advised that there are two angle brackets that must be disassembled to get the frame off.The second ones' screws are hidden behind the divider rubber that goes between the front and rear windows.I had to drill mine-as it was really rusty-the bottom bracket-phillips heads and am now trying to find enough replacements to put it all back together.They are recessed heads which is extra rare.Also when trying to get the old glass out of the channel,I was lucky to have a long steel rod with a knob on the end which I forced behind the glass in the channel.Never pry with a screwdriver.You will make dents.

I found a link to date codes but only from 1963

http://www.valvoline.com/carcare/articleviewer.asp?pg=res20020401gd&cccid=5&scccid=8

I'm not a lawyer but I would bet the farm that sharing info of that nature is perfectly legal. I would also bet that making your own masks to date code/logo your own glass is perfectly legal. Selling someone else trademarks commercially could get sticky though.
For getting the glass out of the channel don't be afraid to get the channel fairly hot to the touch with a bernz-a-matic and use windex liberally as a lubricant........Bob

thanks for the info Bob. Stupid me I didn't realize that the logos were etched into the glass and I notice that they are readable from the inside passenger compartment.I took a piece of scrap glass and used an etching tool in a mini-die grinder to see if it could be free-handed but it is too coarse and I am guessing that it must have been blasted originally.I am trying to envision the way this is done and wondering if these are the stencils you are talking about.I have a buddy in the printing biz,I will ask him about decals.If you have a computer image of artwork,I gladly accept an email.I will be adding glass to my inspection list when I visit a car show from now on...and I bet there will be a large failure rate.
I realize I only have a 4 door holiday but if there is a way,then why not.

Forget free handing. The LOF logo is stone boat simple to copy. The trick is to do the art work (mostly just lettering) as large as possible then when it is photo reduced any flaws disappear. I did the lettering art work on my computer and added the LOF shield with a sharpie marker.
Then I had it photo reduced onto film at a photo shop, cost was $25. There's also ways to do it on copy machines.
For an idea on how to turn the reduced photo image into a "mask" and how to etch glass, Goggle "etching glass" and lots of sites will come up detailing the process and selling supplies.
I bought a bare bones trial kit for $25 that had enough material for dozens of date code masks. The masks are reusable for quite a number of times. One mask did all 7 of my windows. I think I have a pix of the LOF artwork somewhere in my confuser. I'll EMail it to you if you give me your EMail address. You can PM the address if you want to keep it private.........Bob

Thats great Bob,I will PM you since I would be hesitant to expose my email address for any reason lest I get spam soup...not that I don't want to share.At least if I have the logo and even if the date code is not the same,I'm sure I can recreate that using the method you suggest.

Thankfully I found some proper screws this morning at a well stocked building supply chain-they are head recessed,#8 x 32 x 1/2 inch(the shortest I could find) unfortuately no stainless steel.Robertson heads(Canadian) not correct but ensure I will be able to get them back out.

Got the email Bob.I'm just processing the information.Saw a site for dura-film which looks interesting for making a stencil,but still a bit of reading to do.Honestly,I thought I knew about a lot of stuff but glass etching passed me by.Wondering if the cream can be used on vertical surfaces alright or will my windows have to be out and flat.

Works fine on verticle glass. It's fairly thick. Any way you can devise to get the logo/code rendered in black on a clear substrate will work fine as the mask. You then use that to make the actual stencil by exposeing the stencil to light with the mask on top of it. The sites say you need an ultraviolet light source but you have the worlds biggest source right over head for free. I exposed the stencil to 10 seconds of sunlight and it worked just fine. Once you make the mask all the materials to make the stencils and etch the glass shouldn,t be much more than $25. As I said I purchased the bare bones starter pack and it was all I needed to make enough stencils for 10 or 12 complete cars......bob

Bob ,I have some questions but I have some more reading to do so I don't waste your time.I am on the learning curve though.

Meantime,while it is still fresh in my mind,I thought I'd share some info about actual window removal and reassembly as it applies to the '56 olds holiday.

Yesterday,before putting the window back in the frame,I thought it would be wise to asemble the window frame and see if I could get it back in the door and learn the ropes since it will be harder with the window in I suppose.

By the way,the top frame(chromed part)is interchangable from side to side,so in my case(and probably yours)the chrome exposed inside the car is flawless whereas the outside has pits,you can swap from side to side if you want the outside world to see nicer chrome.

I don't have a book on this so it is trial by fire.
For removal,I am assuming you can get the door panels off and the door handles as well.Door panels have clips that you need to get behind since the cardboard isn't very rugged and the door handles have "c" clips like many G.M. cars that followed into the 70's.I have info on replacing door panel material in the olds section-do a search.
From memory.....there is a heavy metal block that has a slot in it that the window locks into when it is fully up.It is located up top near the door lock knob button and there is a hole in the door to allow the bolt to come out.This assembly must be removed.You will probably have to let it fall in the door and get it later,and it will be the hardest part to re-assemble.Other disassembly points are a pivot where the arm connects to the window frame assembly.If it is original,it is held by a clip that I could not defeat without ruining it but I will replace with a commom wire clip and washer.
Also there are 4 large phillips head screws with star washers that fasten the window frame assembly to the raising mechanism which need to be removed.The small curved track at the rear of the window needs to come off and also the vertical track as well should be undone.At the top of the door(probably should have done this earlier) there are adjustment stops that need to be removed,as well as 2 felt rub point brackets.Good time to replace those felt pieces-they are only stapled on.
There is a lot of cleaning to be done now.Inside the door,are 2 metal supports(thin metal)that the window is guided on that need to be cleaned,all of the tracks,pivot points,nylon rollers...etc.Look hard,there are a lot of contact points,especially inside the door.Lube the window crank mechanism as well.I started using white grease on some of the parts but when I was cleaning found old hardened up white grease that was objectionable,so I stuck to "rust-check" lube.Not sure if you have that in U.S. but use common sense for something that provides lots of lube and won't harden up.I used varsol to clean the tracks,etc.
Should have mentioned that plastic baggiies should be used for parts at each stage of dissembly to avoid confusion on re-assembly.Also,I needed a piece of flatbar for cleaning parts of track my hand could not reach and as well,when re-assembling the window,to assist holding the large metal "lock" I mentioned at the first of the article-the window needs to be up fully to get it back in the right place.All for now,will edit if I think of more stuff.

Brilliant, Bob! You just saved me over a hundred bucks. I can tell you speak from experience, too. I thought of using a 'tanning lamp' but I never thought of simply using the sun. I can take a digital picture, blow it up in Photoshop, fix any flaws, and reduce to the size I want, rendering a sharp/flawless image to print on transparency. (This is great.) It looks like Dura-film stencils cost about 20 cents/sq in. Does the stencil paper have a shelf life? Is there a better/cheaper stencil? Many thanks for sharing your wisdom. - Dave

I'm not sure of the stencil shelf life, Dave. The kit I bought had about 4 4X6 stencil sheets, a bottle of developer, the etching cream (the heavy duty 60 second stuff), and the fluid to adhere the stencil to the glass. I used a couple of sheets experimenting and getting a nice clean stencil. I used that one for all my windows.
Tape the stencil to the glass and tape all around the stencil with masking tape for a few inches and be careful. If you get ANY cream on the glass it will mark it no matter how fast you wipe it off.
Do practice on some scrap glass till you get it down and are confident in the procedure........Bob

Dave

We just had a local glass company put signs on all of our office doors. It is a computer generated transfer decal that applies only the lettering or design to the glass and it looks like it is abrasive etched.

Also, check at your local hobby store about glass etching acid and masking material. I'm sure they can help.

I'm still waiting for my printing buddy to get back to me.My EZ EYE date code is AS2-JV which is supposed to be correct for 1956.I am surprised that this Dura-film is limited to this one company that sells it in kits and wonder if it isn't known by something else.I also wonder what the developer is composed of.Be just as easy to buy a kit I 'spose and get on with it.

There are all kinds of photo sensitive films, processes and paints used as an acid resist for etching. I understand there is even a photo sensitive rubber compound used for abrasive etching/sand blasting. I just got tired of trying to figure out all the options and took the path of least resistance that would do a satisfactory job. The cheapest starter kit contained everything needed at a cheap price with the benefit of one stop mail order shopping......Bob

An update. My printing buddy says they do stencils all the time for etching and shouldn't be a problem,so I will soon visit their shop.
As for the artwork you sent me Bob,I had to learn a bit of photoshop tools since the logo,when printed on my printer,showed the brownish background that accompanies it.I had to do some cutting and adjusting but now I have a true black on white background image.I've also been able to easily change the date code to AS-2-JV as per my application.It is so easy and would be happy,with your permission Bob, to send the artwork with an adjusted date code,to anyone who wants it.Or perhaps you would like to have an adjusted copy.Anyways,still moving forward on this.Etching creme is available locally here.

Edit...I just noticed that both my wing windows(side vents) have as-2-mv as a code. Any reasoning for that? The "v" part is the same but why the "m".Hmmmm.should I now make a seperate stencil for those?

The last 2 letters denote the month and year of manufacture of the glass not the year of the car, so a given car could have diffent date codes on different windows as long as the year is correct. At least that's what I was told. If someone else knows something better, I'm not an "expert" in date codology and I will defer to their knowledge. Yeah, I'd love to see an example of your art work and no, I don't mind if you share info or help another hobbiest. Helping out with whatever I might have learned is actually a pleasure for me........Bob

I have sent you a copy of the template without the date code filled in,via the email address you sent me.Maybe useful in the future.Still looking for 50's date codes...... anyone have this info?

who says I can't find a needle in a haystack? Wow,I could never decipher this out on my own.


1953 - 1982 LOF Glass Date Codes
LOF Month Codes:
January 1953-1956 L
January 1957-1982 N
February 1953-1957 M
February 1958-1982 X
March 1953-1956 N
March 1957-1982 L
April 1953-1957 K
April 1958-1982 G
May 1953-1982 J
June 1953-1982 I
July 1953-1957 H
July 1958-1982 U
August 1953-1982 T
September 1953-1957 E
September 1958-1982 A
October 1953-1957 F
October 1958-1982 Y
November 1953-1982 C
December 1953-1982 V

Above year references are for Calendar Year, not Model Year.

LOF Calendar Year Codes:
1953, 1966, 1979 A
1954, 1967, 1980 Z
1955, 1968, 1981 X
1956, 1969, 1982 V
1957, 1970 T
1958, 1971 N
1959, 1972 Y
1960, 1973 U
1961, 1974 L
1962, 1975 I
1963, 1976 C
1964, 1977 G
1965, 1978 J

The charts indicate the Libby-Owens-Ford (LOF) automobile glass date of manufacture codes for their glass. The LOF logo will list the code as month/year. Examples: "KT" is April of 1957; "GX" could be April of 1968 or 1981. LOF was the major supplier of glass to General Motors and it is unlikely glass from other manufacturers was used on the assembly line.

LOF glass will also carry the American Standard specification rating codes for type and clarity - "AS1" for windshields, "AS2" for side door/vent and coupe rear glass.

Bob.doesn't that complicate things for your "xt" code as 1955 as I recall?

My 55 carries CX codes. The 57 has XT which doesn't seem to be a valid month year combo according to your list. The T for the 57 is correct but the list doesn't show X being used until 58. Where did you get the list?..........Bob

I have sent a PM with the link to the codes. pete