How to cut a mirror with a glass cutter? Almost everyone can do it
Often there is an interest among fans of repair, how to cut a mirror with a glass cutter, most often caused by the need to obtain a glass of some intricate shape, which will fit perfectly into an unusual interior.
The simplest variant (take it to a glass cutter) is not always feasible, because you will not necessarily find such a shop near your house. A mirror is a fragile thing. If you have never performed such operations before, there is a danger of damaging such a necessary (at least for women) piece of interior. So it is better not to take the mirror out of the room, and cut it yourself at home.
How to cut a mirror with a glass cutter and not to damage it. that’s the problem to cope with. And its solution does not require any special secrets knowledge or special skills. A steady hand, tools, unhurriedness. the job will be done. Yes, and remember the famous saying about “measure and cut”!
- Diamond version. Most durable. You can cut 10 kilometers with it. glass. In household tools, the cutting edge is beveled. In principle, in all time of use, nothing better and more reliable has been invented. But if you need to cut something curved and you can’t be too experienced in glass-cutting, you’d better choose a different tool;
- The roller glass cutter. Its working part is a roller made of a tungsten-cobalt alloy. It is quite strong, but not as strong as diamond. For indirect lines it is very easy to use;
- Oil. constructed on the principle of the roller blade and completed by a reservoir built into the handle and filled with oil. That makes it easy to cut thick glass. If your mirror is in this category, buy it, it will work faster.
The mirror itself should be cleaned before cutting. All stains, be they dirt, dust or grease marks should be removed from it. Firstly, foreign particles will blunt the tool quicker, and secondly the cutter can slip from the marked mowing line and simply scratch the mirror. And such unpleasantness can be accompanied by personal injuries: if the glass cutter can easily handle the mirror, it is not a problem to damage his hands.
The mirror, if it is old, is cleaned with special cloths. The glass is degreased, degreased and dried. There is no need to wipe with a cloth, because lint may remain.
Leave the new mirror in the room where it will be treated for several hours, to adapt it to the temperature and humidity. Then if it was in a cardboard package just wipe it with paper. Otherwise it should be treated the same way as the old one.
The glass is marked. cut out in accordance with the required dimensions. Use a wax crayon or marker with water-soluble ink for the marks. Again: remember to measure as accurately as possible. Feel free to re-measure several times, this will lead to more accurate results. Now you can start cutting.
Recommendations for cutting curbs and paving slabs
Paving tiles. this is a popular material that allows you to beautifully and tastefully equip paths in the yard or garden. In addition to its attractive appearance, the material is distinguished by its strength, durability, wide range. On the sides of paths you will usually lay kerbstones, which are similar to paving material.
Often, when laying paths, tiles and curbs need to be trimmed to the right size. For these purposes, various tools are used, one of which is an angle grinder. To effectively perform the cutting, it is recommended to use this power tool with a wheel with a diameter greater than 230 mm and a power value equal to or greater than 2 kW. All work is carried out with the diamond disc.
The cutting of paving slabs and kerbstones with angle grinder is performed similarly to cutting bricks.
- First of all, the surface of the material to be sawed out is marked out with a marker or chalk.
- Check the accuracy of marked out lines by putting a tile or curb to the place of laying.
- When the size and shape match, the construction material should be sawn through without applying too much pressure on the power tool being used.
If the cuts contain defects after cutting, they are eliminated, using appropriate tools (e.g., hacksaw for metal, chisel, file). The circle of the working tool should rotate so that the dust flies in the opposite direction from the working tool. The operator must hold the power tool with both hands, either behind or to the side of the power tool.
The quality of the result and the number of undercuts depends on the accuracy of initial marking.
The tiles cut into fragments of the required size should be set aside separately so that no dust gets on it. For the convenience of subsequent laying, you can number the pieces. Still uncut material should be covered from dust, because then it is quite problematic to remove it from the surface of the tile.
Let’s begin
First of all, cover the table with a soft, but not thick cloth to protect the glass from scratches and give it some cushioning. Then, if possible, secure the canvas. this way it will be easier to cut.
Now you can apply the markings. A water-soluble marker or wax crayon is best: they are easy to clean after all the work. Remember to measure several times, because you can’t glue the cut off piece back on.
Tip The main thing in cutting glass is to act confidently. A shaky or weak hand taints the canvas most often. So take a deep breath and accept as a given that there is nothing complicated about cutting a mirror.
Under no circumstances should you forget about safety precautions. As mentioned above, the surface must be cleaned and degreased so that the blade does not slip and do not hurt your hands. It is equally important to wear safety glasses, because small splinters can fly off while cutting.
To make the cut, apply the ruler to the intended mowing line, set the blade to the marking, and with pressure run the glass cutter. The tool must be pressed firmly against the glass and held vertically, otherwise it will cut with difficulty and slip.
Take into account that the glass cutter has its own thickness, and in order to get in the right place, the ruler should be moved below the drawing by about 2 mm if you use a roller tool, and by 4 mm if you use a diamond tool.
There are a few rules about how you should work with a glass cutter:
- It is important to lead the tool in the direction of yourself, it is such a movement of the hand is the most accurate. Move with the tool.
- You should make the cut in one movement, you can’t stop and you can’t scratch the surface again.
- There should be no squeaking, if there is, it means either the edge is blunt or the pressure is too strong.
- Proper work with the tool leaves behind a thin and clear line.
Tip Immerse your cutter in kerosene if you do not see any trace after running it on the glass.
Not much remains, and the mirror of your dreams will decorate your apartment. We have finished the main part, that is, to cut the mirror with a glass cutter, it remains to remove the unnecessary. To do this:
- The canvas is shifted to the edge, so that the cut part is behind it.
- With one hand press the mirror to the table, with the other press down. Don’t forget to wear gloves to protect your skin from any accidental cuts or scratches.
- If the mirror does not come off, take a rubber mallet and tap the cut line, going over several times until it works.
Small remnants are often removed with improvised means, such as pliers, wire cutters. Do not remove the mirror with your hands because there is a risk to hurt yourself.
Safety Precautions for Cutting Glass
Before you cut a mirror with a glass cutter, familiarize yourself with the safety requirements.
- Tidy up the work area, remove anything superfluous from the table. Locate the recycling box, work tools, and the product itself.
- Make sure all equipment is in good condition.
- Put rubber tips on the jaws of the pliers or wrap them in something.
- Always place glass cases upright.
- Always wear protective suits, gloves, and goggles.
- Do not move too fast or make any sudden movements.
- Do not touch the cutlass line with fingers that are not covered with gloves.
- Do not cut on anything that is not designed for cutting.
- Do not throw glass down when working at heights. Always take trimmings and whole pieces of glass with you.
- It is allowed to cut only in the opposite direction to the direction of the cutting part.
- Place glass on sturdy supports with an inclination of up to 15°.
- While working, put unnecessary scraps in a drawer and throw them in the trash as they accumulate.
- Remove glass from drawers with care. If the glass is cracked, take it out in separate pieces.
- Do not cut on your knees.
- Use electric glass cutters carefully.
- If you bring in artwork from the cold, be sure to warm it up.
- Sweep the floor and clean the workbenches with a special brush. Do not try to blow off glass dust.
- Before you finish the work, shake the special suit thoroughly, cleaning it from the crushed glass particles.
Firstly the whole surface of the mirror must be thoroughly cleaned and washed with a soda solution.
The place on which you want to cut must be level to allow the mirror to lie flat on the whole surface.
Tools and materials
Tip! There are also diamond-headed glass cutters. If the glass cutter is turned sideways, it’s better not to risk showing wonders of stamina and self-possession, it’s better to buy a diamond cutter.
How to cut a large mirror without breaking it
The technology of installation into the frame
Before starting the installation, it is necessary to prepare a place for fixing the cut workpiece. Its working surfaces need to be completely cleaned of old nails, paper clips, putty. It is important to provide the same plane of contact of glass to all edges without warping.
Any irregularities detected are smoothed out and puttyed with putty. It is not difficult to buy or make your own hands.
How to fix the glass
Two installation methods are used at home:
It is convenient to hammer the nails fixing the glazing bead, not with a hammer, but with the side surface of the chisel. The strokes are made by slanting it while sliding it on the glass.
Alternative variants
Agree that not everyone has glass cutters. That is why many people look for alternatives in order not to spend extra money for buying special tools.
In the network it is possible to meet a set of videos, on which glasses and mirrors are cut by all kinds of improvised means.
I want to tell about several original and simply effective ways to replace the glass cutter and cope with the task.
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Tile cutter. If it is available, it is possible to process a fairly thick mirror cloth with a tile cutter. But again, the tool is not cheap. If you have to choose, it is better to buy a diamond-type glass cutter;
The options are really diverse. And all of them are tested in practice and have proven effectiveness and efficiency.
A detailed instruction: how to cut a mirror with a glass cutter
When implementing the ideas for the improvement of the house or apartment, sometimes you may need a mirror of complex shape, which can not buy in the store. In this case, you can make it yourself, picking up a good tool and learning the technology to cut the mirror. To perform this work, you need a quality handheld glass cutter and some skills in working with it.
Necessary tools and materials for cutting glass at home
To know how to cut a mirror correctly, you need to understand not only the technological steps, but also what tools it will be carried out.
There are special tools for cutting mirrors.
- High quality diamond glass cutter. It is it that will not only allow you to quickly and accurately cut ordinary glass, but also to cope with tempered glass.
- If it is decided to use an angle grinder for manipulation, it must be equipped with a diamond disk. But, it is worth remembering that in this case, there is a high probability of crumbling the material.
- You also need a large in area and necessarily a flat surface. The main condition is the complete adjacency of the glass over the entire area to the table. It’s easy to avoid cracking in the process.
- You will also need a hammer and pliers.
- To make a marking you need to take a long ruler and an angle. You will also need a marker for marking.
- If it is necessary to make a shaped cut of a mirror, then you will also need. already made moulds (they can be made of thick cardboard or plywood), as well as a knife for shoemaking works or a jigsaw.
Important! If it is necessary to cut tempered glass at home, it is best to perform the work on a machine that is equipped with a diamond wheel. This avoids crumbling of the heavy-duty mirror or glass.