Can I Cut Safety Glass

From a glass cloth, it is possible to obtain structures of different shapes, but for this you need to learn how to trim it. If there is a glass cutter, then this task can be easily dealt with. And if he is not? How to cut glass without a glass cutter? In fact, there are several ways of cutting material using various devices, which will be discussed below.

Preparation for work

Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare the glass itself: rinse it with water, degrease with gasoline. If it will be mounted in a frame, you will have to adjust the product to the desired size. Over, on each side, an additional 2 mm of material must be cut. This applies only to wooden frames, since under atmospheric influences they are able to shrink and expand.

Before you cut the glass, you need to prepare the space. To work with him you will need a table or some kind of stand. This will facilitate cutting and help break the product more evenly. If the master has to cut the material for the first time, then he should practice in small pieces to understand the basic principles. Only then can we proceed to cutting large sheets.

Glass cutter

Before using improvised tools, you need to understand how to cut glass with a glass cutter. The cutting element is placed perpendicular to the surface and strictly along the intended line. Slightly press the tool and gently begin to “lead”. If everything is done according to the rules, the sound of cut glass will be heard and a thin white line will appear on the sheet. Squeaking when cutting indicates an incorrect tilt of the tool, its breakage, or too strong pressing.

Can I Cut Safety Glass

After cutting with a glass cutter, the glass is placed on the edge of the table (or stool) so that the resulting fishing line goes slightly beyond its edge. With one hand you need to hold the sheet, and with the other press on the hanging part (it should fall off). If it does not work with your hands, you can gently tap with a hammer along the cut line. If necessary, the process is repeated from the very beginning.

We use scissors

Not very thick material can be cut with ordinary scissors. First you have to do the markup. How to cut glass in this way? You need to immerse it in warm water and cut into pieces of the required size. If nothing happened or the material began to crumble, it means that toughened glass came across (the cutting features are indicated below). To cut a large piece you will need a bath or a large basin with water.

The procedure is as follows: markup is carried out with the tip of a pair of scissors, after which an unnecessary element is broken off. This method is suitable for sheets up to 3 mm thick and allows you to cut shapes with straight contours. To facilitate the work of cardboard make a template that is glued with glue to the workpiece. You should be aware that the material will be more malleable under a large layer of water.

Twine, gasoline and lighter

The method described below will tell you how to cut the glass evenly if there is no glass cutter under your hands. Everyone knows that the material is afraid of sudden temperature changes. This property can be used to cut it. For work you will need: twine with a maximum thickness of 2 mm (only made of cotton), a lighter, gasoline (kerosene).

Can I Cut Safety Glass

A glass sheet is laid on a table and a line is marked with a marker to cut it along. Measure and cut the twine so that it covers the entire slice along the length. After that, it is watered with gasoline and applied to the line on the glass. The twine must be set on fire so that it lights up along its entire length. When the thread goes out, it is watered with cold water. As a result, the glass will crack at the point of temperature difference. If the crack did not extend over the entire sheet, then you need to repeat the procedure and lightly tap the cut line.

We work with a soldering iron

How to cut glass if you have a soldering iron on hand? The material is placed on a flat surface and with the help of a needle file make risks at the edges. A ruler is applied to it and touched with a soldering iron indented from it by 2-3 mm. It is necessary to warm up each place so that the glass cracked. A soldering iron passes through the entire cut. So it turns out pretty even.

Break the glass with special forceps or lay on the edge of the table. The fault will pass exactly along the furrow when glued along with a piece of adhesive tape or a wet newspaper. If the product needs to be inserted into the frame, you will have to cover the installation site with putty or rubber strips. It is applied to the frame and closed with glazing beads, under which a rubber sealant is placed.

Charcoal cutting

Below we will talk about how to properly cut glass with a carbon pencil (you can do it yourself). It allows you to cut various shapes from the material. To make the tool you will need: charcoal (linden, birch) and gum arabic. The coal is ground into powder, gum arabic is added to it and a kind of dough is kneaded. Round sticks are made from the mass, after which they are carefully dried.

Before cutting, they make markings on the glass and file the edges with a file. The pencil is set on fire on one side and carried along the line. The result is cracks along which the product breaks easily.

Cutting different types of glasses

When cutting ordinary glass should not be a problem. Various tools will help to cope with this task: from scissors to special glass cutters. But how to cut tempered glass? Below we will talk about this. Organic and corrugated glass can also be cut at home.

Corrugated products are in great demand, as they are inserted into the doors and various interior designs. This material is easy to cut (like ordinary glass), so you can use the above tools. It should be remembered that the cut should be made from the smooth side.

How to cut tempered glass? In fact, such a product is not amenable to cutting at home. It is best to entrust the work to professionals who have a machine with a diamond wheel. A special emulsion responsible for cooling the surface is necessarily supplied to it. You can, of course, try to cut the glass with a glass cutter or an angle grinder, but even with a slight deviation from a flat line, it will begin to crumble.

Organic glass is made from synthetic resins and is very similar to plastic. For its cutting, the simplest tools are suitable: a cutter, a saw for metal, an office knife, etc.

Make holes

Cutting a piece of glass cloth can be easily and simply with conventional tools. But how to make a hole in it and what is needed for this? It is necessary to stock up with wet sand of a fine fraction, lead (tin) and a tank for melting it, acetone, a template. The template is a stick with an end in the form of a cone, the diameter of which must coincide with the size of the future hole.

To do the job, you must:

  • Lay the glass on a flat surface;
  • Degrease the site of the cut and sprinkle it with sand so that a slide 50 mm high is obtained;
  • Take a template and make it a hole in the top of the slide;
  • To melt lead in aluminum or enameled dishes (can be heated with gas or blowtorch);
  • Pour hot lead into a sand funnel in a thin stream;
  • Wait 5-7 minutes and remove sand around the hole;
  • Finger carefully check the cooling of the casting and remove it.

An under-hole will remain under the casting. However, a handle, decorative elements, fasteners, and other closing parts can be easily inserted into the resulting structure. Before you cut glass in this way, you need to practice on scraps of material so as not to ruin the whole canvas.

It can be seen from the above that glass can be cut without special glass cutters. However, in the process, you need to observe accuracy and some rules so as not to damage the material and not accidentally get hurt.