How to correctly cut glass at home

How to cut with the glass cutter: secrets of the skill

There is such a wide assortment of this tool on the market that consumers are confused by their choice, perplexed as to which option is better to buy. To make the right decision, you should not only know the basic rules of how to cut with a glass cutter, but also decide how often you will need to use it.

Glass is a fragile material, it is very difficult to work with it. Cutting such material requires a delicate attitude, and not everyone can do it. To cut glass to give it the desired shape, several kinds of glass cutters are used today, but most often the classic version is preferred. It leaves a neat scratched line for the trimmer on the surface of the glass, and it only remains to break off the desired piece along the drawn contour.

Variety

Experienced masters recommend to use three basic types of glass cutters, with the help of which you can easily cut the glass to the required size, even at home.

Roller

Pretty popular model, notable for its ease of use. Glass cutter roller is often chosen by beginners, as it is notable for its convenience in work. In addition, such a tool is cheap because there are no diamond stones in its construction.

Structurally, a glass cutter consists of a roller part and a handle. Special hard alloys are used for making the roller, and the element diameter is 5 mm.

But the working resource of such a tool is limited. it lasts for three and a half to four hundred meters of glass material. But since it costs very reasonably, you can buy a new tool at any time. In addition, the kit comes with several interchangeable roller elements, so that the purchased tool does not have to be replaced for quite a long time.

Diamond

Another common, effective and popular glass cutter is the diamond. This variant is perfect for both professional and inexperienced glass cutters.

Let’s understand how to cut glass with a diamond glass cutter. We must say at once that you will spoil scores of glasses, but all your expectations will be justified once you have mastered the technique of using diamond glass cutters.

How to cut with a glass cutter

The tool consists of a handle and a working head with a diamond element, which can be pyramidal or beveled. It is necessary to know all about this peculiarity, because the shape differences of the heads influence the working principle. For example, cutting glass with a pyramid head is much more difficult. it requires a developed, almost “musical” ear. Let’s see how to properly cut glass with such a glass cutter. During operation, the diamond moves across the glass surface and generates a sound of a certain frequency. When the sound is “wrong”, it confirms that the motion of the diamond element is defective and the glass chip is very likely to be defective. To cut the desired shape correctly, beginners use a glass cutter that has a beveled head.

In such a tool, the stone is either artificial or real, and this difference has an impact on the cost. But there is one more peculiarity here. with a real diamond you can cut a centimeter-thick glass, while a synthetic one is enough only for 5 mm. Yes, and the operating period of such samples is different. a real diamond will cut ten to fifteen kilometers of glass, while an artificial diamond will finish its operation after the fifth kilometer.

Oiled

This version of glass cutter is an improvement of a tool with a roller head. There is a small reservoir in the handle, in which lubricant is poured. In the process of cutting it is constantly fed to the roller and the glass surface, significantly reducing friction and improving the quality of the scratched lines, ensuring a long service life of the tool. as a result the service life of an oil glass cutter is fifteen times longer compared to a simple roller cutter.

In addition to the models mentioned above, there are also circular glass cutters which can be used to easily cut circular holes in the glass. This tool is slightly different structurally, resembling a compass rather than a handle with a cutting element. In addition to circles, ellipse-shaped holes can also be cut with this kind of glass cutter.

How to cut glass without a glass cutter

Before we get into the details of glass cutting techniques we want to remind you of safety. Always wear protective gloves and safety glasses when working to avoid cuts or shards in the eyes. Be careful not to put excessive pressure on the glass.

Using a flaming thread

A very common method mainly used for cutting glass bottles. Straight glass can also be cut with this method, but with a little nuance. All you need to make an even break of the glass is a piece of woolen thread, a flammable liquid (alcohol, kerosene, etc.) and a small amount of water.ะด.) and a container with cold water.

Soak the thread in flammable liquid and fix it in the cut line. We light it, wait for complete burnout and immediately put it in cold water or pour it on the place of heating. The main thing is to make sure that the glass cools down as quickly as possible and breaks from the temperature drop. A characteristic click will signal the success of the work done. If the glass is not cracked, you can try again.

This method quite evenly chipped bottles, but does not always work with large glass sizes. It is also very flammable and requires a fire extinguisher on hand or a container of water, which is already a must.

With the soldering iron

A very interesting, but rather slow way to thermally cut glass. suitable for shape cutting, but will also make an ordinary straight line for the trimmer without problems. This operation will require a file and heating element (soldering iron or pyrography machine).

Having marked on the glass a fishing line for the future cut of the trimmer, we take a file and make with it a small groove at the very edge. Having departed from it 1-2 mm, we heat the place with a soldering iron until a micro-crack is formed between it and the groove. Then we step back from the crack itself for the same distance and gradually move to the finish point. It takes a long time to cut the glass that way, but you can get any shape. To speed up the process a little, you can periodically cool the glass by putting a wet rag to it.

Scissors in water

A simple method of directional glass cutting. Makes it easy to cut round shapes, but not suitable for making straight lines. For this cutting will require ordinary scissors and a container of water, which will serve as a kind of lubricant. The maximum glass thickness should not exceed 4 mm.

The process of cutting with this technique is very simple. We take a piece of glass to be cut, submerge it in water, and use scissors to cut small pieces off the edges. Water will not let the glass crack, allowing you to make a controlled chip. It is possible to obtain figures of oval and round forms by this method.

With a diamond wheel

Not the safest way to cut glass, requiring extra care and mandatory safety rules. Can easily chip the glass and run the piece in any direction. Otherwise, the method is effective enough and can cope with the task. For cutting you will need a special tool (angle grinder, drilling machine or drill) with a diamond wheel of thickness 0.1 mm.

The process of cutting itself is quite simple, but requires a certain skill and a steady hand to guide the tool accurately along the line. We put a workable piece of glass on an even place, then we take the cutter and spend a disk with a line for a trimmer on the glass surface. The main thing is not to plunge into the depths, but only to touch lightly, so that a small groove is formed, similar to a wide line for the trimmer from the glass cutter. Then simply break the glass where you want it.

To reduce the chance of glass breaking and to reduce the amount of glass dust, you can periodically sprinkle the place of cutting with water.

File

One more way how to cut glass at home without a glass cutter and expensive power tools. You will need a file and some experience with glass. Note that a file must have angles, so a round one will not do.

To cut the glass it is enough to make a few notches on its surface with the angle of the file. It is necessary to press on a file a little bit stronger than average, so that the effort is enough to form a clear groove similar to the cut of a glass cutter. When the place of the chip is marked, just break the glass on the edge of the table or put a match under the place of the cut.

This method requires some skill, and if this is your first time cutting glass, we strongly recommend that you practice on small, unwanted pieces before moving on to the main material.

With a pobedite bit

If you know what glass cutting is all about, here is another way to cut glass without a glass cutter. If you have some experience, one drill bit with a pobedite tip may be enough for this operation. The main thing is to make sure the drill bit is more or less new, with sharp corners on the head.

The process of cutting glass with a glass cutter is much the same as with a regular roller glass cutter. The only difference is a higher pressure, but otherwise the steps are standard. Lay the glass on a flat surface, mark the trimmer line for the cut, attach the bar, and guide the trimmer line from top to bottom on it. Before cutting, turn the tip so that the sharpest corner is in contact with the glass. Getting a clear line for the trimmer, break the glass along the cutting line.

How to cut a mirror without a glass cutter

Mirrors that surround us: in the car, bathroom or woman’s cosmetic bag, are by their structure regular glass with a layer of metal on the back surface. Cutting glass with a mirror coating, practically does not differ from the usual glass and can be done with a regular glass cutter or the methods given above. When there are no special tools at hand, the most effective device for cutting will be a file or a diamond disc. Let’s see in detail how to cut a mirror at home without a cutter, using improvised means.

The first thing to do is to prepare the surface to be treated: wash, degrease and dry. The mirror should be clean, without stains or strong streaks. Otherwise, the cut trimmer line may become jagged and the bevel will be uneven. The working surface where you will be cutting must be flat and not very hard. You can put a thick cloth or a piece of linoleum on the table.

Having prepared the material and the workplace, mark on the mirror a fishing line for the trimmer of the future cut. It is better to draw straight lines on a ruler or rail with a height of at least 5 mm. To prevent the stop from slipping, you can glue a strip of duct tape to its lower part. Then we take a file, an angle grinder, or other tool and make the cut along the marked line. A more detailed process of various methods of cutting is described above.

When the cut is ready, it is only necessary to chamfer the mirror in the proper place. To do this you can put a small object (match, pencil, nail) under the cutting line for the trimmer and lightly press from both sides. You can chip the glass against the edge of the table or gently tap with a small metal object (a drill or a spoon) from below. If the glass does not break, there is no need to press very hard. It is better to make the second cut a couple of centimeters away from the first one.

The above techniques have the right to life and give a good result with skillful handling of glass. It is possible that without experience in glass works to get an even cut at the first attempt is not possible. Before you start processing the base material, we recommend that you first try your hand at unnecessary splinters. If you want to get a good cut without a lot of practice, it is better to buy a roller or oil glass cutter.

Glass cutter and its classification

often a special tool is used for cutting glass. the glass cutter. They are good because they are very easy to use. To properly learn how to cut glass with it, you need to follow the rules of work and choose the right tool of this or that type. And since the assortment of glass cutters is wide, you will not have any problems with it.

  • diamond. this kind of tool is the most common and has been tested for decades. for application in home conditions it is better to choose variants with beveled cutting edge. With their help, you can cut glass up to 10 meters long and of different thicknesses. However, you must not forget to periodically sharpen them on a special bar;
  • roller. the peculiarity of such tools is that their cutting part is in the form of a roller based on a strong alloy of cobalt and tungsten. The number of rollers can be from one to six;
  • oil-operated. these glass cutters work similarly to roller cutters, but differ in that they have a reservoir of oil in the handle, which is fed to the roller in automatic mode. They are used for cutting thick glass.

How to cut properly

Before proceeding to work with this tool, it is necessary to perform a marking with a simple or special pencil. It is much more convenient to cut the material using a ruler that is at least 8 mm thick, so that the glass cutter fits in as snugly as possible. The ruler is placed on the surface of the material, then the tool is pressed against it, and then the cutting process is carried out. And so that the ruler on the surface did not slip, it can be glued pieces of rubber, which can be taken from a bicycle camera. Position the ruler so that it is slightly farther away from the marking line.

A diamond or roller glass cutter is good for home work. The diamond in this case is more functional, but if we are talking about a grooved surface, it is only suitable roller. Remember that grooved, dull or patterned surfaces should only be cut from the smooth side.

Cutting should start from the main edge of the sheet glass. Then along the ruler, without stopping, guide the line for the trimmer to your side. An important condition for the quality of the work is the correct positioning of the tool. Here the situation depends on its kind:

  • Hold the diamond tool nearly vertically in your hand like a pencil when working with it. Lead it in such a way that in the direction of the ruler turned mark, which indicates a diamond. If the work is done correctly, the cut trimmer fishing line will be colorless and thin;
  • but the roller glass cutter is held perpendicular to the glass surface. It is best to hold it between your thumb and middle finger and press down on top with your index finger. Press harder than with a diamond tool. And the cut trimmer fishing line is white.

Sometimes cut glass can break on the edge of a hard glass surface.

It is advisable to practice on used glass parts before use to avoid mistakes and to avoid damaging the material afterwards.

Working surface

Working comfort and success depend largely on the positioning of the glass during cutting. Unsuitable work surface can lead to uneven chipping, cracks, scratches and even injuries on the glass. There are a few simple rules to help you keep the material safe and get a decent result.

The most important thing is for the work surface to be level. There must not be any bulges or depressions on the table, floor or any other place where you are going to cut the glass. If there is a void between the material and the surface, the fragile glass can simply crack when the pressure of the cutter is applied.

A table, workbench, stool or any other structure must be stable so that the glass cutter does not slide off the mark when the line is drawn. To get a better grip on the surface and to avoid cuts in the glass, it is better to put a piece of cloth between the glass and the working area. Place a sheet, blanket, or other soft cloth slightly larger than the glass to be cut on the table.

Cutting glass with a glass cutter

In essence, the process of cutting glass is quite unusual, but it may seem complicated only at first attempts. If you perform the necessary actions in the right order, and cut with a certain speed and force, everything will definitely work out. The following guide, step by step, tells you how to cut properly with the glass cutter, but despite the completeness of the theory, we recommend that beginners first practice on less valuable splinters. It is better to start working on the base material, at least after a couple of successful cuts.

The first step is to prepare the glass for work. To do this, its surface must be cleaned from dust and dirt. The line for trimmer cutting on clean glass will be more uniform, which will increase the chances of an even chipping. Wipe the washed surface with newspaper and degrease with alcohol or kerosene. After all the procedures leave the glass for 10 minutes to let the remaining moisture evaporate.

It is better to apply the marking on the glass with a felt-tip pen or glassblower. To do this, we simply measure the necessary dimensions on both edges, attach a ruler to the specified points and mark the line for the trimmer of the future cut.

The most critical step of the entire process is to run the glass cutter over the glass. We take a roller or oil glass cutter (the diamond one is described in the video below) and spend a short fishing line for a trimmer, up to 5 mm from the top edge. Next, from there lead the cutting roller to the end of our mark. Move the glass cutter across the glass in a precise, steady movement with just above average pressure. If the cutter is sharp and the force applied is optimal, you will hear a slight crackling sound. The resulting trimmer line should be uniform and translucent. Occasional widening or breaking of the line, can form due to a blunted cutter or too much pressure. It is not recommended to cut twice in the same place. It is better to step back 5-10 mm from the original mark and make a new cut.

The culminating step in cutting glass is breaking it. There are several correct ways to control the chipping. It is always better to start with the most delicate action, and if there is no result, increase the load (within reason).

We put the glass on a table or other more or less flat surface, so that the line for the trimmer cut was parallel to the edge and went beyond it for a couple of centimeters. Then take the glass cutter and lightly tap with the iron tip on one edge of the cutting line on the other side of the glass. When a small crack forms, simply break off the dangling piece of glass with a slight movement of the hand.

If there is no crack after a couple of dozen taps, go to plan B. Place a match, nail, or toothpick under the edge of the glass along the cut line and press the cloth slightly from the sides. If after a moderate pressure the glass remains intact, you can resort to the most crude method. Align the line for the cutting trimmer with the edge of the table or other surface and press on the broken off part with your hand. Do it with gloves and safety glasses. Do not strain yourself when doing this. If the glass does not break, it means that the line for the trimmer cutter is not deep enough and it is better to try to make a new one and pay attention to the sharpening of the cutting wheel of your tool.

After successfully chipping the glass, you only need to secure it by scraping the edges with a fine-grained sandpaper or a bar. We hope that the above guide, will help you make a precise cut of the glass. For more clarity, we recommend watching a video on how to use the glass cutter with a wheel and a diamond.

How you can make a glass circle?

How to properly cut with a glass cutter if such a workpiece is required? There are several ways to achieve the goal. But the choice depends on several factors. the diameter of the product, the thickness of the glass.

The most logical option is to use a circular glass cutter. But it is very rare to have such a tool at home. Therefore, it is often necessary to look for a replacement for the fixture. There is an alternative: it is a circular tool made from an ordinary glass cutter. The work consists of several steps.

  • First, the center of the future figure is marked on the glass. A suction cup is fixed on it.
  • Tie a strong string (fishing line for trimmer) to it, and to its other end. glass cutter, but so that the length of the string was equal to the radius of the future circle.

The thread is stretched, then the tool is drawn with a trimmer line. In addition, cuts-perpendicular to the four sides of the glass are made, they allow you to “get” a circle out of the material without too much trouble. If the sheet is large, many rays are drawn. Take the glass in your hands, gently press its edges on all sides. After that, it is easy enough to break off “extra” elements from the circle.

How to cut glass without a glass cutter?

The operation is also possible without tools. There are two popular methods.

Water and scissors

Immediately it should be said that this method is only suitable for obtaining rectangular elements. Not any glass is amenable too: this option is suitable only for products with a maximum thickness of 3 mm. The tool used is an ordinary, but sharp scissors.

The material is placed in a container with warm water, where they cut out the desired shape. In order not to make a mistake with the dimensions, a template is glued to the glass in advance. Follow the cut lines with the sharp part of the scissors, then break off the unwanted elements. The thicker the layer of water will be in the container (over the glass), the easier the work will be.

Water, alcohol and thread

This method gives a chance to “cut off unnecessary things” from almost any figure, but it may not lead to the result the master expects. The operation goes like this:

  • First, lines are drawn on the material. Then the threads are soaked in alcohol (gasoline), placed on the “borders” and set on fire.
  • Glass with an after-burning yarn is lowered into a container with cold water. At this point, because of the temperature difference, it should crack.
  • The product is taken out of the liquid, broken along the lines, then sanded with damp emery paper. A complex shape may not “conquer” at the first attempt, therefore, it is recommended to repeat the operation for such workpieces. The main thing in this case is the accurate fixation of the threads.

This kind of work is dangerous, because carelessness can set fire to objects in the room. A soldering iron with at least 60 Watt can be a substitute for a fire, or an annealing tool, but even in this case you need to be careful.

Circular cutting of the material

In this case, a template is used. The best material for such templates is plywood. First draw a line with the glass cutter, trying to keep the pressure force equal along the entire length. All other steps (drawing perpendiculars, removing the glass) are carried out in the same way as when working with circles. If we talk about the tool-favorite, then it will be a diamond glass cutter, which does not require a lot of pressure, so the line for the trimmer will turn out more accurate.

Working with the “wrong glass”

Plexiglas and acrylic products also do not require manipulation with the glass cutter. For materials up to 2 mm thick a regular knife can be used for the cut. With thicker sheets can cope with a hacksaw for metal, a hand cutter, an angle grinder and a three-toothed saw blade. Another contender is an electric jigsaw, which has a speed control feature.

How to cut tempered glass

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The process of cutting tempered glass is actually impossible. Tempered glass is essentially safety glass, and if you try to cut it, you will break tempered glass into many small shards. Although it is impossible to learn how to cut tempered glass, you can learn how to anneal tempered glass so you can cut it and then re-harden it.

Learn what the annealing process is. It is the process of uniformly heating tempered glass in order to remove stresses built up in it during the tempering process. These stress concentrator points are the reason that tempered glass cannot be cut.

  • Effetre (tti), Bullseye, and Lauscha glass should be soaked at 504 degrees Celsius. Borosilicate glass. at 566 degrees Celsius, tempered glass Satake better soak at 477 degrees Celsius. Small beads require soaking for only 20 minutes, large beads require an hour soaking, and large paperweights may require soaking for 12 hours. Very large glass panes weighing 45 kg or more may require months of annealing.

Slowly cool the glass to below room temperature (= 1014.5 Poise). Do this slowly enough so that additional stresses do not build up. A cooling temperature of 399 degrees Celsius is appropriate for Satake glass and 427 degrees Celsius for other glass. Cool the glass in the furnace until it has reached room temperature.

Wearing safety glasses, prepare and cut the annealed glass. Use an angle piece to draw a line for the trimmer cut, and hold the angle piece along this line. Use a glass cutter to cut along this line, pressing with moderate force to make a notch along the line. Do not run the glass cutter along the line more than once.

Place a 0.6 mm wood rod directly below the cut line and apply firm, quick pressure to both sides of the rod. The glass will break into two evenly cut pieces.

Sand the edges of the newly cut glass with a sanding stone. This will make it stronger and safer to use and handle.

If desired, re-temper the glass. It is better to let professionals do the hardening because it is a complex chemical process.

Cutting with a “professional” glass cutter

For this “surgical” operation you need another tool. a ruler, it is better to find a thick plate, from which the glass cutter will be more difficult to bounce. The material is marked out with a felt-tip pen or a special pencil. the glassblower, which is used for painting glass surfaces.

Having made the marks, the points are connected by the line of the future cut, the ruler is left on it. The cut is made only once, a second manipulation is forbidden, otherwise cracks might appear on the glass. First at the top from the edge of the glass cutter draw a short line for the trimmer, its length. up to 5 mm. Then continue up to the end of the piece.

Equal force applied along the entire length is a must. Correctly carried out the line for the trimmer should be translucent, uniform. The sheet is broken. If the operation is not successful at the first attempt, the line for the trimmer is tapped out with the handle of the glass cutter, and then the process of breaking is repeated.

After the most critical stage has been completed successfully, the edges of the chip are cleaned up with fine-grained sandpaper, its replacement. a bar.

Diamond tool

It is more convenient to work with because of the familiar shape: the handle of the diamond glass cutter is very similar to a pencil, so hold it exactly the same. However, there are some peculiarities even in working with such a comfortable tool:

  • it is placed at an angle to the surface to be processed: the position of the glass cutter is similar to the “pose” of a pencil when writing or drawing;
  • Excessive force in this case is contraindicated, it will lead to irregularities or chips in the line of sawing;
  • re-drawing over the “drawn” areas is taboo, an indentation of at least a few millimeters is necessary;
  • the work requires accuracy and speed: the operation of scratching a line on a meter glass sheet takes about 2 seconds.

the line for the cut trimmer is aligned with the edge of the work surface so that the unnecessary part of it is on the weight. the cut is tapped from the underside until a small crack is formed. During this operation, the “extra” glass fragments are usually separated from the sheet by themselves, without requiring the master’s efforts. Sometimes the dangling piece is neatly broken off.

Roll, oiled glass cutter

In this case it is obligatory to place the tool strictly vertically, pressing efforts when cutting is also necessary. Always start the glass separation process with the most delicate method. by lightly knocking the glass from the opposite side. If the glass does not give in, proceed to more serious methods.

Along the entire cutting line (either with gaps or only on one edge), put matches and/or toothpicks under the sheet. Then the cloth is gently pressed on both sides. If even these manipulations do not help, then, again aligning the line for the trimmer with the edge of the working surface, try to press on the glass by hand, but without fanaticism. Unyielding material is a good reason to try to make another line for the cut trimmer.

Actions with the oil tool does not differ one iota from the work with an ordinary roller, the only difference is that this process is easier because of the lubrication of the surface.

If you need a round hole

For beginners in this case it is better to get somewhere glass-circular saw, as an independent assembly of the tool, which may no longer be needed, to no avail. In this case, the suction cup end is fixed in the center of the future circle, then the desired radius is set. The circle is outlined accurately, smoothly, but quickly. Further work on its removal is similar to the previous work.

Non-standard shape cutting

The process of this cutting is somewhat more complicated, but also not very demanding, even for novice masters of glasswork. To ensure accuracy, first make a template blank. The template is cut from chipboard, recommended thickness. 5 mm. The roller will not be able to adjoin it tightly, so an indentation of 2-3 mm is necessary. To the bottom of the cut out template stick strips of masking tape, they will not let it “wiggle” on the glass. The ready template is laid on the canvas, drawing a continuous line for the trimmer. Then you tap on the underside.

Folk alternatives to glass cutters

Folk experience is the only option when there is an urgent need, and there are no tools. Several methods are used to cut glass, but not all of them are relatively safe.

  • Scissors and warm water. This method is applicable if you need to cut a sheet that is not more than 3 mm thick. It is used when small pieces of glass of a certain shape are required. Scissors are taken strong, because the work is similar to cutting very dense cardboard. The deeper the glass in the water, the easier the process is. In this case, it is better to wear thick gloves and goggles, as it is assumed that the glass elements are able to jump out of the water.
  • Burner, soldering iron, hot nail. The latter option can kill a lot of time, because you have to heat the metalware constantly, and it is not very convenient to act. The first thing to do on the glass is to draw a line for the trimmer. At its beginning, which coincides with the rib, make a small hole on it (with a file, file, hacksaw). Place the soldering iron on this place, move it without pressure. Break the glass by hand, wearing gloves.
  • Natural fine twine and gasoline. Such “jokes with fire” require the craftsman to be careful. to use a non-combustible work surface. The cord, cut exactly to the length of the product and moistened with gasoline (kerosene, White spirit), is placed on the line to trim the future split, then set on fire. After waiting for almost complete combustion, the place is poured with water. If some areas are left untreated, a twine of similar length is cut, and then the operation is repeated. Knock on the place of the cut until a crack appears.

The answer to the question of how to cut glass correctly is obvious: the best option for this purpose is the only one. the glass cutter. If the home craftsman has a strong passion for experimentation, he can try and folk methods. How traditional “glass-cutting” works, this video will show you:

How to cut glass properly

Working with such a fragile material like glass is very specific and fundamentally different from the usual wood, concrete or metal. Cutting here is a jeweler’s process based on precise and quick movements. Working with glass has its own unique features, but allows you to quickly get a good working knowledge of elementary tasks. To understand how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter, it is sufficient to know a few basic rules.

Glass thickness that can be worked with a glass cutter must not exceed 6mm. For larger sizes use a diamond cutter.

The working surface must be flat and level, and the glass to be cut must be clean and dry. the trimmer line can be marked with a marker on or below the glass itself. In the second case, you must make 2 marks on the edges of the glass and align with the line on the work area.

When all preparations are made, you can start cutting. Be sure to keep the cutter perpendicular to the glass. To begin with it is better to make a small cut (1. 2 mm) from the upper edge of the glass. This is to avoid any potential splinters. Then use the cutter to move it along the line with moderate force. For your convenience, you can attach a straight rail to the line, but not close to it, but with an interval of 3-5 mm, depending on the width of the glass cutter head.

After all this manipulation, all that remains is to break the glass along the cut line. To do this, you can put a match under the cut and press from both sides. If the size is small, you can break it in your hands. If a text description was not enough, and you would like to see how to use the wheel glass cutter, the video will help you to dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s.

Sharpening the cutting wheel

The durability of the carbide cutter is not infinite and its sharpness will wear off over time. To get the cutter back in operation, the cutting wheel can be replaced or sharpened. And if the replacement operation is very clear, the sharpening of such a jewelry part can cause a couple of questions.

To sharpen a glass cutter roller, you will need a medium-hard (CU), fine grit emery wheel and a sharpener. The main thing is that the density of the abrasive should be higher than that of the tungsten carbide from which the cutter is made. The main task will be to fix the small part in a fixed position. To do this, you can build a simple device. An ordinary block is suitable as a handle. As a pin for fixing, you can hammer a small drill with a diameter equal to the hole in the torch into the bar. In order for the roller to adhere to the bar not tightly, between them, on the drill, you can wind a wire or install a few washers. After installing all the components, sharpen the cutter on the grinding wheel at an angle of 90-110 degrees.

In the above diagram there is no attachment that fixes the roller to the drill bit. To stop or at least limit the rotation of the part during sharpening, after the roller, a few coils of wire can be wound onto the drill, and press the cutter the moment it comes into contact with the sharpener.

It is also possible to use a dremel (a drill, an electric screwdriver) in connection with a diamond nozzle. Detailed demonstration of the process in the following video.