How to Cut Bull's Eye Glass
Bullseye Glass Company specializes in artistic glass for both melted glass work, such as fused glass or glass beads, and stained glass. Some of the glass produced by Bullseye is hand-rolled or textured glass, which makes it more difficult to cut than flat, smooth window glass. The glass itself is also harder than normal window glass, making it important to use a good quality glass cutter with a carbide-steel cutting wheel. Always use cutting oil to lubricate the wheel when scoring the glass. This helps prolong the life of the cutting wheel.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Glass cleaner (free of denatured alcohol, ammonia or detergent)
- Paper towels or cloth rags (lint-free)
- Glass cutter
- Glass cutting oil
- Glass marking pen
- Pattern pieces
- Glass cutting pliers
Instructions
-
-
1
Clean the Bullseye glass with glass cleaner and paper towels or rags. Bullseye recommends glass cleaner free of denatured alcohol, ammonia or detergent because they cause the glass to devitrify, or break down and become crystalline and brittle.
-
2
Lay the Bullseye glass out on a clean, flat work surface with the smoothest side facing up. This is the side on which to perform the scoring or cutting.
-
-
3
Plan what area to cut the piece of Bullseye glass from; this depends on how the texture and color fit the pattern. Near an edge is best as each score runs from one edge of the glass to another.
-
4
Trace or draw the pattern onto the Bullseye glass with the glass marking pen.
-
5
Dip the cutting wheel in the glass cutting oil, or fill the oil reservoir of the glass cutter.
-
6
Standing at the work table, roll the cutting wheel firmly and smoothly along the line of the pattern on the Bullseye glass, starting about 1/16 to 1/8 inch from one edge of the glass and stopping at the other edge. Maintain an even pressure and slow, controlled speed for the score. Listen for a smooth zzzzip noise. If you press too hard you risk breaking the glass at a random point along the line where you did not want it broken.
-
7
Grasp the piece of Bullseye glass on either side of the score line with your fingers or the glass cutting pliers and snap them apart. Break the glass immediately after scoring; waiting causes fractures along the score line and the glass will not break cleanly.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Never run the wheel back over a score line as it damages the cutting wheel.
The hand-rolled Bullseye glass, which has a variety of textures that can be difficult to cut smoothly, can be costly, so it is best to practice on a small piece.
References
- Photo Credit Stained-glass window 2 image by Viacheslav Anyakin from Fotolia.com
