how to cut glass

[rick17]

i have a old window that i would like to cut to make some baffles out of i bought a glass cutting knife and tryed whit that but didnt go to well do any of you know how its done
thanks rick17

[Bebo77]

lol try a diamond... lol

[VCoo71]

with the glass cutting knife.... which is a diamond coated wheel.....score it and snap it.....but old galss might not snap too well....

charlie

[xtrstangx]

Take it to a glass shop and have them cut it. Much faster and its not really expensive.

[iboard2]

Score it along a ruler to get a straight cut. Then set the score line directly on the edge of a counter and apply a little pressure to the overhanging piece....Walla!!

[javatech]

Glass cutting isn't as hard as it might seem, as long as you have the right instructions. Nobody is perfect with glass, but you can get it right nearly every time. Here's how to cut 1/8" clear glass, also known as "double strength" (DS), which is probably the easiest to cut, as well as most common.
Steps

1. Clean the surface, but only along where you plan to score. Any grime or silica (what makes two pieces of glass slide on top of each other to prevent scratching) will ruin your score and make you think you cannot cut properly. Just run your finger along the surface of the glass where you plan to score.
2. Use oil. This is a must. Cut without oil and you might as well throw it away. Use oil that is about the consistency of cooking oil. You don't need much. Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is popular with the old school glass cutters. Engine coolant (that green stuff) also is excellent and it washes off with water. It is actually sold in small quantities as "cutter oil".
3. Obtain a glass cutter that has a ball on the end, used for tapping (but do not use this for tapping, as there are much more effective ways to start a score).
4. Grasp your cutter like a pencil, but look at the wheel and its orientation to the glass and align it properly. Do not overthink this. It is very simple.
5. Use a scrap piece of glass and apply pressure to the glass as you pull the cutter along the surface, rolling on the small carbide wheel. Listen for the clicking or gritty sound of the wheel permeating the smooth surface of the glass. The less sound you make, the better your score. If you push too hard (very common), your cut gets "hot," meaning it snaps and pops. Try it, you'll see. The goal you are trying to achieve is a uniform score. If you are too hard in one spot and perfect in another, the glass will not break how you want it to. Microscopic imperfections in your score will cause your cut to go in a direction you don't want it to.
6. Score along a straight edge, yardstick, or ruler. Use something with a high enough profile so that it won't conflict with the wheel on the cutter, such as a ruler with a thin metal edge.
7. Practice on scrap glass until you're ready for the real thing. You'll have a score that is not popping and is barely visible if you were to wipe the oil away. It should look like a small scratch, that's all, nothing more.
8. Grasp each side of the cut as if you were trying to break a potato chip in half with two hands. It takes minor pressure. It is all in the wrist. Your elbows do not move. Simply twist your wrists (your right wrist will turn clockwise and your left will turn counterclockwise). Imagine that the score you made is half the depth of the glass and now you need to "open it up" by using the score as a weak spot.

* Note: It may simply start as a "run." A run is where the glass is starting to break along your score. It may also run the entire length of your score. Either is fine. If it only runs an inch or so, apply a little more twisting pressure and it will continue to run. You're done as soon as you have two pieces of glass instead of the one you started with.
9. Use a fine sandpaper or even better, a sharpening stone, to remove the sharp edge, where the vertical edge meets the horizontal surfaces. This is where you will get cut. Also, sanded glass is less likely to chip along the edges and has some added strength.


Tips

* If you have cut drywall, tile, wood shims, acrylic, or plexiglass, remember that they all follow the same theory. Make a weak spot, or an imperfection, along your surface and break it along the weakened line. Simple, right?
* You can generally find a glass shop that will part with scraps for next to nothing.
* You are limited only by your creativity and ingenuity. If you can't get creative, plan to make only square cuts. Otherwise, you can create any shape possible, from mirror and different types of obscure and translucent glasses. Don't think of things you've seen before...Imagine that you are the first person to ever cut glass. Ask yourself, "What do I want to make today?" Straight lines are boring.
* To cut a line that is not straight, use steps 4 and 5 and follow any freehand shape or something you may draw on the glass with a felt marker. Once you're scored, flip the glass over and gently press on the center of your score from the backside. You will start a run this way. Follow the run with light pressure and you can watch the glass separate where you scored it. If your score is too close to the edge of a piece of glass, it will run to the edge instead of along your score because that is the easiest path for the run to take. Make some relief cuts to remove small pieces at a time instead of all at once. The smaller the relief cuts, the more accurate your cut will be. Practice makes perfect.


Warnings

* If you apply a decent amount of pressure and nothing happens, stop. You are going to cut yourself. Imagine the piece of glass you are cutting has no score; would you apply heavy twisting pressure with your bare hands to a piece of glass? No. If it does not happen easily, it is not going to happen. Relax, be gentle or you are going to need the first aid kit!
* Edges are sharp and will cut you badly; respect glass or it will hurt you. Stitches are not unlikely, and they are common among learning cutters.
* Wear gloves. Edges and points are very sharp. So wear a heavy cloth glove or leather. But it should fit snug so you dont lose your dexterity.
* Wear goggles. If the glass cracks irregularly a piece could shoot off and get in your eye.
* If you do not achieve a proper scoring of the glass, do not go back over it with the glass cutter as it will damage the cutting wheel and likely not solve your problems.Practicing with scrap glass is very practical as a bad scoring that has gaps,uneven spots etc. is not easily corrected and likely means you've ruined the glass.

[rick17]

thanks javatech couldnt ask for more information thanks for your time to explane whit great detale

[rick17]

just cut 3 pieces and everything went well again thanks

[javatech]

Glad to help
thank god i don't have to do it any more now if i want some glass ask some one one the line and in one hour it's cut and boxed up waiting for me for free

[Herpervet]

Sounds like Java is the true expert here.

I once watched another person I would consider an expert cut glass and he too was adamant about the need for an oil or similar fluid. He liked mineral spirits for this. Just another twist on the same theme.

[BeanAnimal]

I use rocks.. much faster and no worries about the cut being slightly off.

Thanks for the lesson java (no matter how many times I have heard it... I still make big mistakes. So I just let somebody else cut my glass for me now).

Bean