Cutting glass with a glass cutter at home

How to properly cut with a roller tool

The correct operation of a tool that uses carbide rollers as a cutting part has its own characteristics. In this case, the glass cutter is not positioned at an angle to the surface to be machined, but vertically.

With a roller glass cutter, you need to crush from the heart

In addition, it is necessary to apply greater pressure on the handle of this type of tool, otherwise a high-quality cut will not work. The roller cuts glass well for the first three hundred meters, then it must be replaced with a new one.

The principle of operation of an oil tool is no different from a conventional roller tool. By lubricating the surface to be treated, the work process is facilitated, and the life of the glass cutter is increased.

Convenient to work with diamond glass cutter

It is very convenient to work with a glass cutter, in which a diamond head is used as a cutting element. The handle of the tool must be held in the hand in the same way as a pencil, especially since it is similar in shape to it. Next, a ruler or a piece cut out according to the cut configuration is applied to the processed sheet, and a uniform scratch is neatly applied to the glass surface. In this case, the following rules must be observed:

• The tool should be positioned at an angle to the plane of the sheet in about the same way as when drawing with a pencil on paper.
• Do not apply too much pressure on the glass cutter handle. In this case, the cutting line will be replete with chips and irregularities.
• Repeated drawing by the cutting part along the already marked scratch is not permissible. If the sheet cannot be broken, you should step back a little to the side and repeat the procedure.
• Work should be done quickly and accurately. Two seconds can serve as a time guide when scratching a meter section of a sheet.

Further, the fishing line of a well-made cut is aligned with the edge of the desktop so that the part of the sheet that goes to waste is suspended. The cut from the bottom side is tapped with a glass cutter handle or a construction hammer. When performing this manipulation, unnecessary fragments are easily separated and fall into the provided box.

Learning to cut glass with our own hands

The transparent glass surface resists well the loads evenly distributed over the plane, but point impacts lead to its destruction. Microcracks in the structure of the material reduce its mechanical strength, therefore, the technology of cutting glass is based on creating a scratch on its surface with a cutting tool and dividing it into parts by a bending force applied to the weakened edges.

Before starting to cut glass, you need to make sure that the factory sheet has the correct right angles. It is then positioned on a flat, level surface and a single cut is made using a ruler and glass cutter. Next, the sheet is broken with its own hands by bending force. If this did not work the first time, the cutting line is tapped with a hammer, and the attempt is repeated.

The mirror can also be cut with your own hands.

How to cut glass glass cutter at home with your own hands, how to cut off a thick sheet

One way or another, all of us are faced with the need to replace glass in doors and windows, glazing on bookshelves and other manipulations associated with the processing of this fragile material. At first glance, it seems that the independent performance of these works is very problematic, but in fact anyone can master the skills of a glazier.

Of course, you need to follow safety precautions to prevent cuts and injuries, choose a convenient tool and cut it correctly. In practice, you will find that using a glass cutter is quite simple when cutting glass. Most often, cutting a rectangular piece is obtained from the first time.

Glass comes in different thicknesses

Preparation of material and work table

To make a good cut, the glass surface must be thoroughly cleaned. If the glass has just been purchased, then it will be enough to wipe it with a newspaper, which does not leave behind streaks and lint.

The work table should be level without significant slopes. The surface of the countertop does not need to be made too hard, it is best made from chipboard and covered with a soft textile or other similar material for easier cutting.

How to cut a round hole

A round hole is cut using a prefabricated piece of the appropriate configuration or a compass-shaped glass cutter. The latter is much more convenient to use, it consists of an adjustable tripod, a suction cup and a cutting element.

Cutting glass along a radius using a suction cup

One end with the help of a suction cup is fixed in the center of the hole, its radius is set on the tripod, a circle is quickly and smoothly outlined with a glass cutter. Cutting out a fragment of the desired shape at home helps the accuracy and precision of the manipulation. You will find everything about drilling holes in glass in the article “How to drill glass yourself at home and ensure a smooth hole”.

We observe safety precautions

When working with such fragile and traumatic material as glass, all safety requirements must be carefully observed. To protect against cuts, use heavy-duty work clothing, gloves and sturdy shoes. The organs of vision are well protected by thick plastic glasses. A first aid kit should be at hand.

Tool selection

The tool for dividing a glass surface into parts is a glass cutter. They cut sheets of glass of various thicknesses. When choosing a tool, you need to make sure that the fragments are divided into parts the first time. Glass cutters are of the following types:

• Long-time used glass cutters with diamond cutting head. The high hardness of this stone provides an excellent cut quality for about ten thousand meters.
• Tools in which the cutting function is performed by rollers made of a tungsten-cobalt alloy, which has a special strength, such glass cutters allow cutting glass up to four millimeters thick.
• In the improved design of the roller cutters, a container of oil is placed in the handle of the tool, which is fed to the cutter line. As a result, the depth of penetration of the cutting part into the structure of the material increases. Thick glass at home is cut with an oil glass cutter.
• Circular cuts are made with a glass cutter similar in shape to a compass. One end of the tool is reinforced with a suction cup in the center of the outlined circle, its radius is set using an adjustable scale, at the end of which the cutting element is located. Typically, these glass cutters are equipped with a reservoir to supply oil to the surface to be treated.

The main types of glass cutters

The work also requires a long and even ruler, along which a straight line of separation will be outlined. To make cuts of a more complex configuration, a piece of the appropriate shape is used.

Cutting with a diamond glass cutter

The diamond glass cutter is not only reliable but also convenient. The principle of operation is quite easy. The tool is taken by the pen like a pencil. Next, an incision is made along the glass. To avoid messing up, it is recommended to use a ruler or a pre-cut template.

You can also use another trick when marking up. It is suitable if you need to make a straight cut. So, the point is as follows. A straight line is marked on the table with a marker. The glass should also be marked. But there is no need to draw a thick line. It is enough to make notes at the edges of the material, between which the cut will be made. After that, the marks should be set so that the line on the table connects them.

Let’s go back to the cutting process. The essence is clear, but there are some nuances that should be taken into account.

• The diamond glass cutter should be held at an angle. At the beginning of the section, it was said that it looks like a pencil. So you need to “draw” just like with a pencil.
• Do not press hard on the tool, otherwise the cut line will be uneven and full of chips.
• Re-cutting along the mowing line already carried out by the glass cutter is taboo. Don’t ask unnecessary questions, just try to do it right the first time. If the break has already failed, you should move a little and repeat the procedure.
• You need to make the cut quickly. It should take about 2–3 seconds per meter segment.

What to do after the line has been cut? It is necessary to move the glass to the edge of the table so that the unnecessary part of it turns out to be a canopy. Further, one simple procedure should be carried out along the entire mowing line of the cut. From below, with the reverse side of the notch, you need to lightly knock on the glass. If everything is done correctly, the unnecessary part will easily disappear. The main thing. do not forget to substitute a container under it or hold it with your hand.

How to cut a circle

We have already figured out how to cut the glass in half. But it is also worth paying attention to one important issue. Namely: how to cut a circle out of glass? In this case, you can use two options:

• Place a round solid template on the glass;
• Use a special compass.

The second option is more reliable and simpler. Therefore, it is recommended to use round templates only if it is not possible to get a compass.

Let’s see what such a compass is. In fact, this is a fairly simple design, which consists of the following components:

• Sucker;
• Glass cutter;
• Tripod.

How to use a compass is intuitive. The suction cup is attached to the glass, and the glass cutter is set on a tripod with the required measurements. After that, an incision is made quickly but smoothly on the glass. Then the contour should be slightly beaten with a hammer. Done.

Cutting with oil glass cutter

For this cutting method, it was not necessary to create a separate section in the article. After all, the method is no different from the above, only the roller is lubricated with oil, thanks to which the cutting process is facilitated, and the service life of the working part is increased.

How to properly cut glass with a glass cutter

Glass cutting can be attributed to jewelry craftsmanship. After all, real experts can make a real masterpiece out of a piece of this material. However, this will require a fairly large amount of experience. At the same time, many cannot simply cut glass in half, since they do not know the very basics of glass cutting.

We are not saying that we will make you a sculptor with a glass cutter instead of a chisel. However, you will learn how to make a glass tabletop and other such things.

Glass cutter selection

Any training begins with an introductory part. There are no exceptions in our business. Before getting down to business, you need to familiarize yourself with many equally important aspects. One of them is the choice of a glass cutter. There are 3 main types of these instruments in total:

• Glass cutter with natural diamond cutting tool. This tool is the most popular. It has a tip that is capable of cutting glass up to 10 mm thick. At the same time, the cuts always turn out perfectly smooth and without various defects, of course, if you use it correctly.
• Roller cutting tool. His working tool is made in the form of a roller. Unlike the first option, instead of diamond, a special alloy of hard metals is used, which are often tungsten and cobalt.
• Oil glass cutters are not much different from roller counterparts. To be more precise, there is only one difference. It consists in the fact that during cutting, a special oil lubricant is supplied to the cutting tool. It will not speed up the cutting process, however, this is not the advantage of the tool. Continuous oil supply will extend the life of the roller mechanism.

Returning to the first type, it is worth noting that the tool is not cheap. However, there are also their analogues that cost less. The difference lies in the fact that instead of a real diamond, its artificial analogue is used. It should be noted that in terms of cutting quality it is not much inferior to the original, but it is effective when cutting glass with a thickness of up to 5 mm.

Cutting with a roller glass cutter

Before figuring out how to cut glass with a roller tool, it should be remembered that it is not as durable as a diamond glass cutter. The roller cuts the first 300 meters properly. After that, you should replace the working part.

Now you can get down to business. The first step is to apply the markings. This can be done in the same way as in the first way, so there is no point in redescribing these methods. The general principle of operation is also the same. However, there are still some differences in the intricacies of the process.

• Unlike a diamond glass cutter, which must be held at an angle, in this case the tool must be positioned perpendicular to the plane of the glass.
• Press more firmly on the roller glass cutter, otherwise the glass will not be cut.

Next, we do everything the same as in the previous section.

Preparation of glass and workplace

Prepare the glass before cutting. If new material is used, wiping with a dry cloth is sufficient. But glass, which has already been used in everyday life, should be treated with special detergents, and then degreased with kerosene. you need to dry it thoroughly.

As for the workplace, there are few requirements for its preparation, more precisely, there are none at all. It is enough just to have a flat free table and a container for waste glass.

Useful Tips

• Cutting glass is quite dangerous. Therefore, you should stock up on gloves and special glasses.
• Glass cutters are more functional than you might think. Almost every model has a recess that allows you to break off small pieces of glass.

It is worth repeating. These tips and tricks will not make you a pro in glass cutting. However, by following them, you will immediately understand the basics of this business and will be able to cut out simple shapes.

Training

To cut glass with a glass cutter quickly and efficiently, the glass sheet is pre-cleaned. A new sheet of glass only needs to be wiped clean. A crumpled piece of newspaper will give the best results. newsprint does not leave lint, despite the fact that it is itself a dusty environment. Glass rubbed with newspaper will remain dry. A high-quality washing result is achieved using non-abrasive detergents that remove most everyday stains and smudges, but maintain a glossy, perfectly flat surface.

Glass previously installed in a window, which was thrown away with the frame, requires careful removal of traces of paint, grease, etc.

Grease can be easily removed with kerosene, dried paint can be cleaned off with a razor blade, a utility knife, or removed with solvent 646. It will cope even with dried paint. Traces of polyurethane foam can be removed using any fuel and lubricant. After cleaning, washing, wait until the glass is completely dry.

The second stage is glass marking. Particularly difficult to cut and separate are the curved line segments used in decorative insulating glass for special applications. These cases also require careful calculation. You may need two different glass cutters that differ from each other in the shape and execution of the workpiece. A competent and individual approach will reduce the amount of waste or even do without it.

As a workplace, a table with a chipboard or natural wood top is used, covered in the place where the glass sheet itself lies, with a dense and thick cloth. It will not let the glass squeeze dust and debris that can be easily overlooked when cleaning the table. And it will also hide its not perfectly flat surface, to which the glass sheet does not adjoin everywhere.

Precautions

When cutting glass without using protective gloves and goggles, a worker can cut his hands and clog his eyes with glass dust and small fragments. It is forbidden to try to cut the glass sheet by placing it on your knees or questionable support structure. Glass cannot be carried over the edge with bare hands. sharp as a scalpel, the edges cut through the skin in a split second. Lifting the sheet, it is taken not by one edge, but by two. A large sheet is easy to break with careless transfer.

Shoes and trousers should be closed type. in case of an accidental fall, unprotected skin is easily cut. There are cases when a worker, with careless movements, cuts veins with sharp edges on his arms or legs and leaves further work for a long time. A protective suit or overalls should be made of dense fabric. it will protect the human body from injury. After work, shoes and clothes should be sent for cleaning. this will prevent the spread of glass particles through the house or the territory of the object, their accidental ingestion.

Cutting technology

Despite the seeming originality, glass cutting is not difficult for a person who, having worked for an hour or more, has mastered and has the necessary skill. Cutting glass sheets is not a job where haste and efficiency go hand in hand. For the process to be successful, speed and strength must be matched with each other. A beginner, who for the first time in his life took a glass cutter in his hand, practices on fragments or pieces that are waste from the main cutting and are of no value.

The more uniform the cutting line drawn with a glass cutter, the more evenly the sheet will break when trying to chop it along this line.

The guide line, along which the cutting is performed, is applied with a felt-tip pen or using a glass recorder. In the overwhelming majority of cases, if this is not a decorative window with an original frame, the curvature of which is arbitrary, the line is drawn along a ruler. Before starting work, make sure that the glass cutter is intact and functional.

How to cut glass and other materials with a glass cutter?

• Training
• Features of working with different types of glass
• Precautions
• Cutting technology
• How to cut other materials?
• Useful Tips

It is much more difficult to do without a glass cutter when cutting glass than to use one. There are several methods that allow you to cut glass without a glass cutter, many of them are simple, but take time from the master, whose work is put on stream.

Ordinary

A roller, diamond or glass cutter with oil supply is used to draw a furrow along which a chip is cut. From the beginning to the end of the marked mowing line, the furrow is drawn with uniform speed and force. The cutting part must not be blunt. Effort is slightly above average. The furrow should be translucent, without interruption and not too deep.

Excessive force can quickly disable the cutter. One of the correct results is a slight crackle. It is recommended, when a furrow is broken, to retreat half a centimeter from the previous mark and perform a new tracing. It is optimal to start with a little effort and quickly gain the desired level of impact of the glass cutter on the glass sheet. A beginner will quickly learn this and will soon begin to cut sheet by sheet.

The traced sheet is laid and held so that the furrow recedes somewhat from the edge of the table. The fact that the drawing of the furrow is done correctly is indicated by an even glass chip.

Gradually increasing the intensity (force) of tapping with a glass cutter or a hammer at the place where the groove is drawn, they achieve the appearance of an even crack, which splits the glass in the right direction. When the crack reaches the opposite edge, the piece of glass will separate itself. It is not recommended to chip the glass with small fragments. this will complicate the separation of the necessary and unnecessary parts of the glass sheet.

If tapping with a glass cutter does not work, put a match or a toothpick along the mowing line. The worker presses on the glass on either side of the drawn furrow. When the glass does not crack along the cut line, the cut line is aligned with the edge of the table. A hand in a protective glove exerts a breaking force on the glass sheet. If the third attempt fails, the sheet must be re-cut with the glass cutter. It may be worth changing the cutter or replacing the blunt roller with a new one.

If you don’t have a glass cutter, you can use a concrete drill instead. If a roller or oil glass cutter does not fit, then you should resort to a diamond one. The new furrow is cut with a fully serviceable and working, and not worn-out glass cutter. If too narrow a strip is broken off, the excess sheet to be removed is chipped off with pliers or side cutters. Sharp edges are dulled to prevent injury with sandpaper or a fine-grain sharpening bar.

Curly

Curly fishing line is a zigzag, wave, broken line or curve in any form. This is how, for example, colored glass is cut, which serves as a decoration. Figured cutting of glass is used for laying glass mosaics, for example, on not hardened, just laid cement plaster. The cutting process is not much more difficult than conventional cutting.

Figured cutting is performed according to a pre-prepared template. Oval, flowing fishing line is made from chipboard or plywood. The pattern is fixed on the glass sheet by means of double-sided tape. it will not allow it to move over the glass during cutting. The glass cutter is an average of 2.5 mm from the precision mowing line. After drawing a furrow of a given curvature, using a glass cutter or a hammer, the glass sheet is split off. Separating a piece inside the sheet may require additional cutting with a glass cutter from the outer edges of the sheet to the inner mowing line of the cut.

Features of working with different types of glass

Before you cut the glass with a glass cutter, make sure that the glass in front of you is exactly the type you are working with. It does not matter whether it is old or new. on its surface there should be no traces of foreign substances and particles that interfere with cutting it accurately and evenly. Tempered glass cannot be cut at home. Tempered, it is no longer subject to processing: it is easy to break, since such a glass sheet has lost the properties inherent in ordinary window glass.

Its unsuitability for cutting is associated with a bending impact force that is 7 times higher than that of simple glass. Shatter-resistant, it resists any mechanical stress, including cutting.

Even a diamond glass cutter will not help: the hand of the master involuntarily changes the force when pressed.

The slightest pinching will immediately lead to a crack, diverging in all directions. Cutting of tempered glass is carried out only on particularly precise machines that do not allow lateral and tangential overload, which easily turns the hardened sheet into a small crumb, consisting of cubic blunt fragments. Tempered glass sheets and products are processed before annealing, which deprives the glass of the ability to cut into pieces without cracking in all directions.

Corrugated (corrugated, wavy, patterned) glass is cut from the smooth side. Trying to cut the leaf from the decorative, “curly” side, the master will not achieve the continuity of the furrow along which this leaf breaks. An intermittent groove at best will make the cracking line uneven, at worst. a section of the glass sheet will simply break. It is better to entrust its cutting to a roller glass cutter, which has a perfectly smooth blade rotating around its axis.

Plexiglas obtained from acrylic is not critical to breaking, but its surface is easily covered with small “line” scratches. It can quickly lose transparency, becoming dull.

It is possible to scratch the furrow even with a regular steel nail. A red-hot, sharp knife also helps to quickly cut the blade without spending much effort.

Acrylic glass is easy to saw and cut, even standing on an edge and having a thickness of no more than 2 mm, it is not necessary to heat the knife in this case. Thicker clear acrylic can be easily cut with an angle grinder or saw. A sharpener or file will allow you to quickly and efficiently level the edge along the required mowing line of the cut.

Large sheets, exceeding several square meters, are cut at the glassworks using devices that supply high-pressure fluid. Plexiglass is easy to cut with the help of a constantly heated thin wire pulled into a string. it quickly and evenly enters it, like a fishing line in butter at a temperature of 5-10 degrees Celsius.

How to cut a round hole

A round hole is cut using a prefabricated piece of the appropriate configuration or a compass-shaped glass cutter. The latter is much more convenient to use, it consists of an adjustable tripod, a suction cup and a cutting element.

One end with the help of a suction cup is fixed in the center of the hole, its radius is set on the tripod, a circle is quickly and smoothly outlined with a glass cutter. Cutting out a fragment of the desired shape at home helps the accuracy and precision of the manipulation. You will find everything about drilling holes in glass in the article “How to drill glass yourself at home and ensure a smooth hole”.

File

Another option is how you can cut the glass you need to size without a glass cutter. With a file, at the beginning and at the end of the future cut, notches are made with a sharp edge, and several cuts should also be made between them. To do this, it is best to use a tool with a triangular section, and working with a round one will not work at all, since corners are needed for cutting. The edge hangs off the table and breaks off.

Glass preparation and cutting

Bring and place the sheet carefully on your work area. It should be remembered that this is a heavy material, and if the dimensions are impressive, then use the help of a friend or a rope bandage to secure the glass from falling. Now wipe the material from dust or dirt, inspect for defects (bubbles, chips, cracks, scratches). Somewhere on the edge, check how your tool cuts. The glass cutter should be held by the hammer with two fingers (index and thumb), press should not be harder than a simple pencil when writing.

If you got a thin, barely noticeable white line, then you have found the correct position, and you can start the main work, if it turns out to be thick and leaves a lot of glass dust, this will not work. Look for the desired position by slightly changing the orientation of the instrument. Never try to cut twice on the same line. This will not add quality, but only permanently ruin your glass.

Open the glass

Also, the cutting of glass and the preparation of containers for collecting waste are also included in the preparatory work. There should be two containers, that is, for collecting small waste and for collecting larger ones, which may be useful in the future for something.

It is best to start cutting glass with a simple window glass, and then move on to more complex options.

Glass cutting technique

• First, you need to prepare a table or other surface for cutting glass. The surface is covered with newspaper in four or five layers, this procedure is necessary in order to protect the table from glass crumbs. And also it will allow you to distribute the pressure of the glass on the surface of the table, preventing glass cracking.
• The glass sheet is placed on the table, while it is necessary to retreat from the edge of the tabletop five or seven centimeters. In order to fix the body and at the same time freely move the body over the cutting site, it is best to place your feet shoulder-width apart. This position of the body allows you to achieve a good result.
• When cutting glass, it is best to hold the blade with your free hand to avoid vibration. But keep in mind that glass is a fragile material and with more pressure it can crack.
• With a glass cutter, you need to draw the line from one edge to the other. In this case, the glass cutter wheel must be guided clearly along the marked mowing line and the glass cutter must also be at a right angle.

When using a diamond glass cutter, it is necessary to hold it at the very bottom of the handle and draw the line smoothly along the ruler, almost without pressing on the glass.

Training

• Absolutely new glass will be good enough to clean from dust and wipe dry with newspapers, the fabric is not suitable for such work.
• In the event that you have to cut old glass, then first it should be degreased, after that the glass is washed well with water and detergents.
• After all the above manipulations, the glass will need to be dried in a closed and clean room.

Workplace preparation

When cutting glass, the quality of the result is determined by the convenience of work. Regardless of whether you just want to shorten the mirror or are going to earn extra money by sharp, the place should be equipped taking into account several requirements. But the approach to their execution can be completely different.

The first is the soft surface of the table, to which dust and grains of sand cannot be pressed by a sheet of glass. For professionals, brush skirting boards are recommended; for a one-time job, an old carpet or a soft dense sheet will do. The size of the table should allow the part to be placed on at least 2/3 of the area, while the cutting line should be entirely on the table.

One of the keys to success in glass cutting is quality lighting. From additional tools, you will need a thick metal rail with a straight edge and a small thin bead for breaking off. Before cutting, all glasses must be thoroughly washed and dried, the marking is applied intermittently on dirty glass, and the workpiece cannot be evenly broken.

tips for cutting glass

And I would like to give a few tips that are applicable when working with any kind of glass cutters:

• If one or more edges of the glass have defects and chips, it is advisable to remove them by cutting off a thin (2-4 centimeters) strip and only after that proceed to marking the glass.
• On board the head of almost any model of glass cutters there is a special recess with which you can break off small pieces from glass.
• If it is necessary to make a curved cut, then it is advisable to break its line into several straight segments. If it is not possible to do this, then it is necessary to make the appropriate patterns from a hard material (for example, plywood) and make a cut by moving the tool along the edge of the patterns.

We hope that after reading our article, you will easily cope with such a simple, but still having its own subtleties and nuances, task like cutting glass. Happy repair to you!

We cut glass at home: with a glass cutter and simple scissors

Glass products at all times enjoyed great popularity: frescoes, stained glass windows, dishes and many other things created from scraps of this material have always amazed people with their grace and smooth lines. Looking at this splendor, it seems that to create it, you need to be a real professional with vast experience in working with glass and a lot of necessary tools, and a simple “mortal” will never master this complex science. In fact, not everything is as sad as it seems at first glance, and everyone can get knowledge of how to cut glass at home.

What tools to use?

Many of us are accustomed to believe that glass can only be cut correctly and efficiently with a glass cutter. But what if you need to cut off a piece of glass urgently, but this tool was not at hand? There is another unusual, but no less effective way that helped our great-grandfathers get out of this situation. Such a tool is the usual scissors available from any owner. Let’s consider each method in detail.

glass cutter

The technology for cutting glass with a glass cutter is quite simple. To do this, you must comply with certain conditions and choose the right glass cutter. Today, the choice of this tool is wide enough that allows you to turn work into pleasure.

• A time-tested diamond glass cutter that remains a leader in its field to this day. For home use, glass cutters with a beveled cutting edge are suitable. Such a tool is designed for cutting glass up to ten kilometers and is suitable for any thickness of the material used. From time to time, such a glass cutter needs to be sharpened on a special bar.
• Roller. Following from the name, the cutting part of such a glass cutter is made in the form of a roller made of durable cobalt-tungsten alloy. The number of rollers can be from one to six.
• Oil. Such a tool works on the principle of a roller glass cutter, with the difference that a reservoir with oil is built into its handle, which is automatically fed to the roller. Suitable for cutting thick glass.

For information on how to choose a good glass cutter, see

So, having dealt with the glass cutter, place the glass on a flat surface. Mark the glass and get to work. You can use a ruler to make the task easier. It should be borne in mind that the line must be carried out the first time, otherwise a second attempt will lead to cracking of the surface. It is necessary to cut glass with a glass cutter using equal efforts along the entire length of the mowing line.

Preparing glass for cutting

A lot depends on this stage, and the preparation process itself depends on what kind of glass you decide to use for cutting. New glass, bought specifically for this purpose, can be simply wiped off, and it is best to use an old newspaper for this (this will avoid streaks and settling of small villi). With used material, you will have to work with much more effort. First, it must be thoroughly rinsed using a special glass cleaner. Secondly, degrease with a cloth soaked in, for example, kerosene and finally dry indoors to avoid dust getting on the surface.

In addition, the preparation of the glass implies its cutting. As you know, you are unlikely to be able to achieve a completely waste-free production when working with glass, especially if you are planning to get a product of not quite the correct geometric shape. However, accurate calculation will reduce possible waste to a minimum. At this stage, a more rational solution would be to align the longer side of the glass with the longer side of the workpiece. Please note that the resulting scraps should not be thrown away, they can be used in the future to create new products.

ordinary scissors

Cutting glass with scissors like paper is not a fairy tale, but a completely ordinary reality. For this purpose, you will need the scissors themselves (sewing machines are best for this) and a tank of water (preferably hot). It is necessary to apply markings on the glass in advance, and then, elementary physics is included in the work: the scissors create a microcrack, and the capillary effect completes the process. Of course, the result obtained will differ from that achieved with a glass cutter, but if necessary, this method can greatly help out.

Types of glass and features of work

Cutting ordinary glass is almost straightforward. Not only glass cutters, but also ordinary tailor’s scissors do an excellent job with this task. But what to do for those who set themselves the task of obtaining a glass product with a more complex configuration. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with the properties of some glasses.

• Tempered glass products. In fact, it is impossible to cut tempered glass at home. it loses its properties. If you want to purchase an item with elements of this material, you should think about cutting it in the early stages. In addition, work with it must be carried out by professionals, since the hardening process of the resulting product can only be carried out under certain conditions.
• Corrugated glass. This patterned glass is especially popular for glazing doors or creating decorative interior elements. Unlike tempered glass, such glass is quite capable of cutting independently. Working with it differs little from working with ordinary glass, the only difference is that the cut is made from the smooth side. A roller glass cutter is best for this.
• Acrylic or organic glass is a transparent plastic based on synthetic resins. No special tools are required to cut it. At home, a metal saw, a cutter, and other tools used for edge processing do an excellent job with this task. In addition, with glass, the thickness of which does not exceed 2 mm., An ordinary stationery knife does an excellent job.

In any case, it is worth remembering that working with any glass must be accompanied by the observance of certain precautions. The presence of thick gloves and goggles are the main conditions for exercising your own safety. It will not be superfluous to take care of the arrangement of the workplace. Since working with glass implies the presence of fragments, cover the work surface with any material that you will not mind getting rid of. Feeling safe will allow you to achieve the best results.

Cutting glass at home

Nowadays, a fairly large number of people are repairing their apartments and summer cottages, as well as the construction of various kinds of buildings on personal plots on their own. This is facilitated by the appearance on the modern construction market of the latest materials, the installation of which does not require special education, and the possibility of acquiring any necessary tools. However, in some cases, for example, when cutting glass, it becomes necessary to turn to specialists, since their own attempts lead to the fact that the glass is cracked or it has uneven edges. Still, it’s worth trying, you just need to take into account some of the nuances of performing this type of work.
Training.

First of all, it is required to carefully prepare the workplace, otherwise the result may be unpredictable. The surface on which the glass cutting will be carried out must be perfectly flat. If it is a wooden table with chips and scratches, it is recommended to cover it with a thick cloth. You will also need a glass cutter, the roller of which is pre-degreased with solvent 647 or kerosene. The glass sheet itself must be wiped with a clean, slightly damp cloth, then wiped dry and placed on the prepared surface. It would be best to build special restraints on it, which will help to strengthen the glass. As a safety net, it is a good idea to invite an assistant so that he can hold the sheet if necessary.
Cutting technology.

Before starting work, a flat wooden plank or ruler is laid on the glass as a guide in order to cut through the even line. When using it, you should take into account the distance between the glass cutter and the edge of the bar, which is quite difficult to do without certain skills. It is easier to draw a fishing line. a reference point on the surface on which the glass sheet is laid out. This can be done with a high-quality simple pencil. If this is not possible, a white sheet with a straight or curved line can be placed under the glass, depending on what kind of cut should be obtained.

The cutter must be placed strictly vertically in relation to the glass. The pressure on it should be the same force throughout the entire course of work, which, as a rule, is accompanied by a slight crackle. Glass cutting at home is carried out continuously, starting from the farthest point of the glass in the direction of the person who performs it. The resulting seam must be deep and even. If its depth is not the same, and it is covered with a whitish coating, then the position of the glass cutter was incorrect. In this case, you need to turn the glass sheet over and draw a new line strictly along the already finished one, but on the other side. It takes a lot of practice to achieve the best result.

The most difficult stage is the breaking of the glass. To do this, the glass sheet must be moved to the edge of the main surface so that the trim line coincides with it, and press evenly. Experts first tap the back of the glass with a chisel, which makes the process easier and forms a smoother edge. If the glass is too thick, you can also use a heated soldering iron to cut the cut along the mowing line. Small flaws in the resulting cut are almost inevitable, but as a result they are hidden with glazing beads.

Learning glass cutting technology will free you from the need to spend unnecessary time and money when performing construction and repair work. By the way, before embarking on a serious activity, it is better to practice on small, unnecessary glass sheets.