How to Cut Glass for a Kaleidoscope

Part of making a kaleidoscope is putting together a long-mirrored triangle in the kaleidoscope, which will make all the beautiful designs a kaleidoscope is famous for. The following steps will show you how to cut glass to use in your kaleidoscope.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 3 inch by 3 to 4 inch glass piece
• Glass cutter
• Cutting oil
• Metal ruler

1. Choose a piece of glass mirror for your kaleidoscope, depending upon how long your kaleidoscope is. It should be approximately 3 to 4 inches long. Lay the glass mirror on a flat surface.
2. Place your metal ruler along the edge of the glass about an inch away from the edge so you end up with a 1 inch by 3 to 4 inch piece of glass.
3. Dip your glass cutter in cutting oil to obtain a smoother cut. You can get cutting oil at any stained glass store or online.
4. Hold your glass cutter straight up and down perpendicular to the glass along the edge of the metal ruler. Place the glass cutter at the top edge of the glass.
5. Press your glass cutter hard on the glass and run it all the way down the glass along the edge of the metal ruler. This will score the glass so that you can break it cleanly.
6. Take a napkin or paper towel and fold it up so it is thick. Hold the glass piece with the napkin or paper towel so you do not cut your fingers and snap the piece you have cut from the main piece of glass. Examine your piece. You should now have a clean 1 inch by 3 to 4 inch piece of glass.
7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 twice more so that you have 3 glass pieces of equal size to make an equilateral triangle for your kaleidoscope.

Tips & Warnings

• If you cannot find cutting oil to lubricate your glass cutter with, try sewing machine oil, a bit of motor oil or kerosene.
• Go across the glass only once with your glass cutter. If you do it more than once your cut will not be clean and you will end up with sharp slivers of glass that could cut your hands.