[old_tv_nut]

We have had similar discussions before. It is my belief that the safety glass only protects against objects striking the face (whether bonded or air spaced) and does not add to the strength of the tube. The bonding IMO merely prevents dust from collecting between the safety glass and the tube.

Someone mentioned the idea of adding a band to a roundie. It is my opinion that the effect of this is unknown and could actually make the tube weaker in some spots. This is not a place for by-guess engineering. Later tubes with an integral implosion band were designed specifically to be strengthened by the compression (and in fact can be dangerous without it) and not be overly weakened in any areas where the band reduced the compressive force of the atmosphere (which I imagine could occur in some part of the bell).