How to Cut Tempered Glass
Tempered glass cannot be cut, except with special laser cutters used by professionals. The only way to cut tempered glass is to first anneal the glass, which involves heating the glass to approximately 900 degrees F, and then allowing the glass to cool slowly over approximately eight hours.
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Things You'll Need
- Craft furnace
- Glass cutter
- T-square
- 1/4-inch wooden dowel
- Kerosene
- Gloves
- Eye protection
- Whetstone
Instructions
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Cutting Tempered Glass
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1
Clean your tempered glass thoroughly and dry completely.
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2
Place your tempered glass into a craft oven and set the temperature to 900 degrees F. Once the glass has reached this temperature, turn the oven off and allow the oven and the glass to cool for at least eight hours before removing the glass from the oven. This process is known as annealing, and it removes stress from the glass. The glass is no longer tempered.
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3
Lay the sheet of annealed glass on a clean, flat surface.
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4
Place your T-square or other straight edge along your cut line.
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5
Dip your glass cutter into kerosene for a smoother cut and then grab your cutter as you would a pencil. Starting at the edge of the glass, run your cutter along the straight edge, applying just moderate pressure. Make your scratch with one smooth motion, applying the same moderate pressure along the entire line. Do not run your cutter over the glass a second time.
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6
Place your 1/4-inch dowel under the glass directly under the scratch. Put on your eye protection, and then apply a sharp downward pressure to the glass on either side of the dowel. The glass should snap cleanly along the dowel and scratch.
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7
Rub your whetstone along the freshly cut edge of the glass as if you are lightly sanding the sharp edges. Round the edges slightly. This makes the glass stronger as well as safer to handle.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear eye protection and gloves when cutting tempered glass.
Do not attempt cutting tempered glass without first annealing it. Tempered glass will simply shatter when you try to score it for cutting.
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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Comments
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good
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rlogan
Dec 19, 2009
I have used an alternate method of cutting tempered glass. This method is fast and easy. Most of the method is the same as cutting regular glass, so I'll just emphasize the differences from cutting regular glass. Clean the line to be scored on both sides of the glass. Mark the cutting line on both side of the glass using a straight edge and Sharpie). Score the glass on both sides of the glass with the lubricated glass cutter. Put the glass on a surface so that the smaller piece is unsupported (I use a a thick porch mat for the surface) and the score is a few inches from the supported surface (so the support surface won't burn). Use a torch (I use a MAPP gas torch) to heat the glass along the score, first with rapid strokes, then with progressively slower sweeps. In a few minutes the glass will break along the score. I invented this method without any glass cutting experience, so any... -
biolum
Jul 24, 2009
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