How to Cut Glass With a Hand Held Cutter
Most people think that cutting glass is a job only professionals can do. Normal projects, such as replacing the glass in a framed picture or custom-sizing a piece of glass for an art project, all seem out of reach. But with a few instructions, you should easily be able to cut your own glass with a simple hand-held glass cutter. Save yourself the trouble of driving to the hardware store and paying for custom cuts and try it yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass cutter with carbide tip
- Straight edge
- Glass pliers
- Dry-erase marker
Instructions
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1
Clean a flat work area so that it is free from clutter as well as any sand or grit. You want your sheet of glass to lay totally flat. A little pebble will cause the glass to crack when you apply pressure to it.
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2
Lay down the sheet of glass and measure the size you want to cut. A dry-erase marker is great for marking glass. Any markings can easily be wiped off later with a paper towel.
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3
Place a straight edge along the mark, going from one edge of the glass to the next. Now score the glass by pushing the glass cutter firmly down and away from yourself along the marked edge. It is better to do one firm scratch than several light ones.
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4
Hold the glass in one hand and place your pliers on the opposite side of the scratch. Twist the pliers slightly away from the crack, and the glass should crack easily along the scratch.
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5
Crack larger scratches by laying the scratched edge along the edge of a table and push down firmly and quickly. The glass should snap cleanly along the scratch.
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6
Cut round circles by scratching a circle in the glass, either by tracing or with a protractor with a carbide edge attached. Scratch several marks from the edge of the circle and out to the edge of the sheet of glass. Twist off each section with the glass pliers until only the circle is left.
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7
Design fancy cuts in glass up to 1/4-inch thick simply by scratching in curvy lines and twisting off the sections with the glass pliers. The trick is to score the glass well the first time.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.framingsupplies.com/GlassCutters/GlassCutters.htm
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Comments
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dtwelloh
Feb 17, 2009
Excellent step by step. Well written article. I give it 5* and a rec.
