How to cut glass at home

How to properly cut glass

Glass is washed, dried and degreased, put on a perfectly flat table, under a cloth or linoleum. The fabric under the glass should be thick and dense. Perfectly clean glass will eliminate the possibility of the cutting tool going sideways. Use a variety of templates or a self-made blank with an edge of the desired curvature to get an uneven bevel.

Do not work without safety goggles and gloves. Hands and eyes must be protected, even when cutting in water. If unsuccessful in trying to break it evenly, the second line of the cut. 2 cm from the first. Do not use rubber or polyethylene gloves instead of thick and coarse cloth gloves. both rubber and thin plastic can be easily cut by the sharp edges of glass.

How to Cut Glass. Quick, Easy, & Safe

Rope and kerosene

Wool or cotton rope about 1 mm in diameter is soaked in a flammable liquid, such as kerosene. Next, the cord is fixed where the fishing line will be cut, and set on fire. Once the rope is completely burned through, pour cold water on the surface of the glass. If you hear a clicking sound, this means the material has cracked due to the sudden change in temperature. The method may not work the first time, in which case the steps are repeated. important: the ends of the cord should not hang down, the work table is protected from fire by a tablecloth of a slow-burning material, and a fire extinguisher is nearby, ready to be used.

The undoubted advantage of this method is that it can be used to cut curved surfaces, which is often used to create original vases and candlesticks from glass bottles. In this particular case, cutting glass without a glass cutter is not only possible, but also fully justified from a practical point of view.

How else you can cut glass

What to do if you do not have a glass cutter handy? There are ways in which glass is cut with a non-standard tool. This operation can be carried out with a soldering iron, an angle grinder, a nichrome thread, or even with ordinary scissors! Let’s find out how to properly cut glass with your hands in each of these ways.

• Using a soldering iron. First make notches at the beginning and the end of the mowing line with a file. Then over the whole of the mowing line it is necessary to run the well heated soldering iron carefully. Because of the difference in temperature on the sides of the surface, the glass will crack, after which you only have to break it gently.
• with an angle grinder. Almost every home has this tool, so it is not surprising that it has been adapted for work with glass. In order to angle grinder to cut the glass, you need a thin diamond disc. Use it to make a fine groove along the mowing line of the cut, which will later be chipped. But when cutting with an angle grinder you should make sure that the glass doesn’t overheat, and be sure to use coolant. Requires a good tool, otherwise its vibration will simply break the glass. Be sure to protect your respiratory system and eyes while working with the angle grinder on the glass. Getting the smallest glass dust into them will not lead to anything good. Therefore, if you cut a sheet of glass with an angle grinder, you must arm yourself with goggles and a respirator.
• Using heating and cooling. Along the mowing line of the cut, lay a thread soaked in a flammable substance, and set it on fire. Immediately after it goes out, the cutting line is cooled with water. From a sharp difference in temperature, the glass will crack. Another option is to heat glass with a nichrome thread, through which an electric current is passed. In this case, no water is required, the temperature difference between the two surfaces of the sheet is enough.
• Scissors. Thin glass up to 3 mm can be cut with ordinary tailor scissors if you immerse the scissors and the glass in a bowl of hot water. The process feels like cutting thick cardboard.

Correct glass selection

The answer to the question of how to cut glass properly with a glass cutter is not the only thing that may interest future glass cutters. To avoid possible problems, you need to know what points to pay attention to when choosing the material.

• An indication of quality products is a greenish or blue tint to the ends.
• Scratched sheets are a reason not to purchase or use such glass for any purpose.
• If during production the technology was violated (rolling, cooling), then the products may show stripes with noncontrasting borders, microroughnesses, etc. д. It is better not to use such sheets in the role of window panes: they will distort the image.

There is a direct dependence between the glass thickness and the size of the frame in which it will be inserted. If they are less than 600 mm (height, width), then the optimal material is 2-2.5 mm. When one of the parameters exceeds this value, you must take thicker glasses. from 3.5 to 4 mm.

Breaking

This technological process can be done in several ways:

Indications for use	Description
Thin workpieces up to 5 mm	The material is broken by hand (to protect against cuts, wear fabric gloves).
Thick material from 5 mm	Use pliers or wire cutters to bite off a piece of glass. To avoid damaging the material, it is advisable to put rubber or plastic tubes on the jaws of the tool.
Thick material and breaking off narrow strips	Place a pencil or similar non-metallic object under the workpiece and then press the glass firmly with both hands on both sides.
Large pieces	Place the piece so the cut is 3-5 cm from the edge of the table. Then, holding the half, lying on the table with one hand, the other sharply pressed on the opposite. Be careful as the piece of glass may fall, and when breaking it this way it is better to have someone help you.

Safety Precautions

When starting a glass cutting procedure, be aware that working with this material requires the observance of safety rules, which should not be neglected. In its raw state, glass has sharp edges that can easily cut into the skin and cause infection. Protect your hands with gloves and wear clothing with sleeves to prevent cuts. As glass tends to crumble into small, sharp splinters, we strongly advise you to wear glasses when cutting.

The place where the glass is cut, must be flat and stable. It is categorically not recommended to perform this operation on a knee, a rickety stool, and other questionable surfaces. Following this rule, will minimize the risk of the glass falling on the floor, as well as make the work more convenient and increase the quality of the cut.

If you have not previously had experience in handling glass, and do not yet know how to cut with a glass cutter, we do not recommend neglecting the above recommendations. It is possible that some experienced craftsmen can do this work with their eyes closed on their knees, but for beginners things do not usually go so smoothly. There are many mistakes you can make through inexperience: grabbing a sharp edge, dropping the glass on your foot or jamming the cut area and getting a shrapnel in your eye. If you are working with glass for the first time, and have not yet experienced the process, it is best to be fully armed.

Preparing the glass for cutting

A lot depends on this step, and the preparation process itself depends on what kind of glass you decide to use for cutting. The new glass, bought specially for your purpose, is enough just to wipe, and it is better to use an old newspaper (this will avoid streaks and settling of small lint). Used material, on the other hand, requires more work and a bit more effort. Firstly it needs to be thoroughly cleaned using special glass cleaner. Secondly it has to be degreased with a cloth soaked in kerosene for example and finally it has to be dried indoors to prevent dust from getting onto the surface.

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

Cutting tempered glass at home

Tempered glass is one of the most common materials. To increase its strength the hardening technology is used. After such a procedure the machinability of the material is considerably reduced. Considering, is it possible to cut tempered glass, it is necessary to note, that only if special technologies are used, it is possible to avoid the defect. Today, glass can be cut at home with a variety of different tools.

Glass cutting technique

Before using the glass cutter, a sheet of glass must be placed on a flat surface and a template pressed against it.

It is necessary to lay it on a flat surface

Use the glass cutter to mark the beginning and end of the seam. When marking, allow for proper clearance from the cutting part to the edge of the glass cutter. After outlining the end of the chisel joint with the cutting edge, notches are made along the outlined chisel. It is necessary to protect glass from cracks in the process of cutting.

The tool must be run over the surface of the sheet, and it is very important to normalize the force, otherwise the glass can simply be broken.

When applying the mowing line, it must be done quickly and in one go. At the same time the line has to be cut at one time.

Important! Eye protection must be worn when working with the glass cutter.

The process of glass breaking by the cutter line

After mowing, determine if a second mowing line is necessary. If the incision is made qualitatively, then by lightly tapping on the chisel line of the cutter, the glass will break away.