How to cut it: instructions
First prepare the surface of the glass. It should be well washed, rid of grease and dry. If stains or streaks are left on the surface, the cutting tool can slip, leading to a crooked chipping. As a working surface, it is better to choose a table or a piece of wood chipboard. On it you can lay a piece of thick cloth (tablecloth, sheet) or linoleum.
After preparing the surface and materials should be carried out marking. If you want straight edges, it is better to draw them on a thick ruler, for smooth lines you can use templates. To prevent the thing from slipping, you can secure it with pieces of duct tape on the back. Then, using a file, angle grinder, or other cutting tool, an even sharp line is drawn.
When the cut is ready, you should break the glass. A small object (match, nail, pencil) is put under it and easily pressed by hands from both sides. You can also crack the mirror against the edge of the table, or tap it from below with a small hammer.
Important! If you can not break the glass, do not use brute force and push very hard. It’s better to make a second cut 2 centimeters away from the first one.
How to choose a glass cutter and cut glass at home without chips and cracks
Products made of glass at all times have enjoyed great popularity: frescoes, stained glass, dishes and many other things created from scraps of this material, always impressed people with their grace and smoothness of lines. Looking at this magnificence, it seems that for its creation it is necessary to be a real professional who has extensive experience working with glass and a lot of the necessary tools, but a simple “mortal” in no way master this difficult science. In fact, not everything is as sad as it seems at first glance, and everyone can get the knowledge of how to cut glass at home.
How to cut glass at home?
Before cutting glass at home, first of all it is necessary to determine the tool that is applicable in this method. In most cases, glass cutters are used to cut glass. There are the following types of glass cutters:
This process can also be done with a soldering iron, an angle grinder or circular saw, nichrome wire, and even regular scissors.
- Soldering iron. First of all, marks on both sides of the mowing line are made with a rasp. Then the entire cutting line is heated with a well heated soldering iron. Due to the difference in temperature on the surface, the glass is torn, after which all that is left is to carefully break it off.
- Use an angle grinder or a circular saw. Use a diamond disc to cut the glass with an angle grinder. First make a small groove along the mowing line of the cut with a diamond disc. Do not overheat the glass surface while working. To do this, water the surface with ordinary water. The tool used in this method must be in good condition and must not have any defects. Otherwise the glass will simply break.
Personal respiratory and eye protection must be worn when working with an angle grinder.
- Use of heating and cooling. Soaked in a flammable thread, place it along the mowing line of the cut and set it on fire. After the string has completely burned through, sharply cool the surface with cold water. From such a temperature difference the glass will be destroyed by the mowing line of the cut. Another option is to heat the material with a nichrome wire connected to an electric current. This method does not use water for cooling. The temperature difference between the thread and the glass is enough to chip in the intended location.
- Scissors. Thin glass of little thickness is cut with simple scissors if it is done by submerging the scissors and glass under hot water. This is similar to the process of cutting thick cardboard with a knife.
- To drill round holes in the glass, drill bits for ceramic surfaces are used, as well as diamond drill bits of various diameters.
How to cut glass without a glass cutter?
Cutting glass at home previously did not involve no glass cutter. Even with careful actions, not evenly cut, but broken pieces were formed, whose edge remotely resembled a curved fishing line with small bends in both directions. It is still possible to cut glass without a cutter.
Choosing the right glass
The answer to the question of how to cut with a glass cutter is not the only thing that may interest future glass cutters. In order not to encounter possible problems, it is necessary to know what points are paid attention to when choosing the material.
- An indication of quality products is the greenish or blue tint of the ends.
- Scratched glass sheets are a reason not to buy or use such glass for any purpose.
- If the production process was not followed properly (rolling, cooling), stripes with noncontrasting borders, micro-irregularities, etc., could appear on the product. д. Such sheets are best not used as windowpanes, as they will distort the image.
There is a direct relationship between the thickness of the glass and the size of the frame in which it will be installed. If they are less than 600 mm (height, width), the optimal material is 2-2,5 mm. When one of the parameters exceeds this value, it is necessary to take thicker glass. from 3,5 to 4 mm.
How to cut glass and other materials with a glass cutter?
Doing without a glass cutter when cutting glass is much more difficult than using one. There are several methods to cut glass without a glass cutter, many of which are not complicated, but take time for a craftsman whose work is streamlined.
Preparing the glass, tools, and location
You don’t need to do any preliminary steps if the material to be cut is brand new. In this case it is only wiped of dust, it is better to do it with a newspaper, but it is possible and a microfiber. For already used glass, the preparatory work will take some time. Carry out several operations:
- Clean both sides of the material with a glass cleaner designed specifically for glass;
- If you use a detergent that does not contain alcohol, degrease it with acetone, kerosene, alcohol, white spirit or Fairy without glycerin.
The prepared glass is left to dry in a closed room. Some advise to cover the material with foil.
Tool types
To guarantee quality work, it is necessary to buy a good, handy tool. Professional glass cutters are more difficult to work with, but the results are worth it. Those intended for household purposes are not demanding to the craftsman, but this unpretentiousness affects the quality of the cut. All varieties of these tools have their own “niche”, as home masters have to cut different kinds of glass: both thin and quite massive.
- Diamond, professional. These tools have been used since the century before last. The reason of their popularity is the well-known hardness of stone (either artificial or real), which guarantees quality of work and long life. With this glass cutter you can relatively easily cut the material, which has a thickness of 5 (corundum) to 10 mm (real diamond). Its price is quite high, especially in the case of a real “diamond”. The work will require some skill from the owner, so beginners are better off looking at other contenders.
- Rollers, household and budget ones. Their cutting work is performed by rollers, which are made of a wear-resistant alloy of tungsten and cobalt (hardened steel). These glass cutters can cut glass up to 4 mm thick. For an introduction to the tool, this is the best option. The difference of this tool from a diamond tool is that it cannot scratch glass. It pushes it through, so that a shallow groove appears on the surface.
- Oil but roller glass cutters are the second type of professional glass cutters. They have a reservoir of oil in the handle, it is fed to the cutting assembly, the purpose is to reduce friction, which allows the rollers to penetrate deeper in a shorter time. Glass up to 8 mm thick can be cut with this tool without any problem. Such glass cutters allow you to achieve results even at home.
There is another kind. glass cutter-cirk, they cut round-shaped parts. Its price is high, since this tool belongs to the professional ones. Its elements: cutting roller, guide rail and suction cup, some models have a reservoir for grease. To buy such a product in a store is not reasonable. For domestic purposes, it is assembled by yourself: from an ordinary glass cutter, a rail and a suction cup.
Any tool should be checked before buying. Let the seller do it. If the result is satisfactory, take the glass cutter that has been tested in front of the buyer, as it is possible that others will be found with a defect. a defect in the cutting edge.
Requirements for the working place
Manipulation with such a vulnerable material requires a certain surface. Otherwise the glass could be scratched, cracked, unevenly chipped, and the craftsman could be dangerously injured. Perfect flatness is the first prerequisite. There must not be any indentations or protuberances on the table/ stool.
Stability is a must, as the glass cutter can easily slide off the marked mowing line, resulting in a defect. A cloth placed between the glass and the work surface will provide the necessary adhesion. A large terry towel, a bedspread, a sheet can serve as such a tool. Even an ordinary oilcloth will do.
Before you cut the glass
Earlier both glass and tools for its processing were expensive and only masters with good skills were engaged in cutting glass, nowadays the situation has significantly changed. Nowadays, anyone can do work with glass.
The tool
To work with a glass cloth, a very good tool is needed.
That’s why before you buy glass and work with it, it is necessary to start shopping with the tool.
But you should not buy the first tool you see, because it may be of poor quality and will not be able to cut the glass as it should.
It is very important to determine which tool you need, because there are several types of glass cutters:
Rollers
The roller glass cutter has a special roller for cutting glass, which is made of a very strong tungsten-cobalt alloy. The normal roller diameter is 6,6 mm, this diameter allows you to cut glass up to 4 mm thick.
How to Cut Glass. Quick, Easy, & Safe
Diamond
The diamond glass cutter is equipped with an appropriately small diamond, this diamond cuts the glass. The hardness of diamond is well known, and that is why it has been used for cutting glass for a long time.
Oiled
The oil glass cutter was added to the list of glass cutters not too long ago.
This is essentially an improved roller tool that has a reservoir of lubricant built into the handle to supply the roller. This grease binds particles that have formed when cutting glass while providing a smooth movement. You can cut glass up to 20 mm with this cutter.
A few purchasing tips
- Before buying any kind of glass cutter, it is best to ask the seller to check the tool.
- If you are satisfied with the tool, you can buy it, but buy the one that was demonstrated to you.
It is not recommended to buy a tool that has not been checked, as in most cases the cutting edge is defective.
Cutting glass at home: with a glass cutter and simple scissors
Products made of glass at all times have enjoyed great popularity: frescoes, stained glass, dishes and many other things created from scraps of this material, have always amazed people by their grace and smoothness of lines. Looking at this magnificence, it seems that for its creation it is necessary to be a real professional who has extensive experience working with glass and a lot of the necessary tools, but a simple “mortal” never master this difficult science. In fact, not everything is as sad as it seems at first glance, and everyone can get the knowledge of how to cut glass at home.