I’m trying to make refrigerator magnets, and step one seems to be laying my hands on smooth edged glass tiles.
I’ve searched for various sources without success for a bit, finding nothing much larger than 1” or 30 mm squares.for the most part, along with a few 24 x 48 mm options.
I’ve actually considered having them made, but it seems to be a cumbersome process.
I absolutely don’t want to cut to size and grind due to health implications.
My initial, but erroneous, idea was that I could simply cut them to size, and then torch smooth the edges, but that seems to be a non-starter, as I’m told that they would shatter immediately.
I know a glass blower who seems to have some idea of how to attain this but is seems cumbersome and expensive, involving only one or two layers maximum in a kiln, where they would be taken up to a temperature that we’d arrive at by experimentation, which would soften/round the edges and then the pieces allowed to cool.
From what I understand, there is an issue, although a manageable one, in that the ¼” glass that I could access would be a “float” glass that is formed on molten tin.
Ideally, I’d like to put my hands on these by the hundred. with various sizes and ratios, 2” squares, approximately 1 ½ by 3” rectangles, and some in a 4 x 5 ratio.
If anyone could point me towards a source, or suggest how these could be manufactured affordably, I’d be very appreciative.
Thank you.