Almost all of us have faced the need to process transparent material, but in reality, not everyone knows how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter. In addition, this material is quite fragile, and when working with it, injuries of varying degrees are possible. Of course, you can entrust this matter to specialists who will do everything quickly and professionally. But at the same time, they will ask for decent payment for their work, and many of us want to save money.

But essentially, you can cut glass to the required size at home or in your own garage. The work, although it can be dangerous, is not as difficult as it may seem. You just have to know the technology and follow safety precautions.

Safety first!

Most owners of apartments or private houses do home repairs themselves, of course, when they have time for it. As in any other business, when working with glass, you must adhere to safety precautions to avoid serious injury. Simply not knowing how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter can lead not only to cuts, but also to eye injury from shrapnel.

It is highly not recommended to cut glass on your knees or moving objects; for this you must use a hard and flat surface. You should not grab the raw edges; it is better to lift the workpieces from the side edges. To work with glass, you need thick work clothes. thick fabric. Shoes should be closed so as not to injure your feet. Having changed into it before starting work, you also need to take care of the safety of your face and hands. To do this, you should always wear gloves and safety glasses. At the end of the work, you need to change clothes and change your shoes so that the fragments (and they will certainly be on your clothes) do not leave the work area.

Glass selection

As experts in glass craft note, the main thing is to choose good material, otherwise cutting glass will lose its meaning. This is especially important when deciding to replace the window glass yourself.

When choosing glass in a store, if you look at its ends, you can see a bluish or slightly green tint. This shows the material High Quality. However, products may be defective. Even if it's home renovation, you should not take glass with scratches. It also happens that during the production process of the material the rules are not fully followed, and then various defects appear on the sheets. Characteristic of them are stripes that significantly distort the view.

When choosing glass for windows, you should choose optimal thickness, which depends on the dimensions of the frame. For example, its height is no more than 60 cm, then the thickness of the sheet can be from 2 to 2.5 mm. Otherwise (more than 60 cm), you need to select a larger thickness - up to 3.5-4 mm. When cutting glass, the sheet should be 3-5 mm smaller than the frame. Otherwise, at the slightest distortion, the glass will not fit into the opening.

Types of glass cutters

To cut glass, a special tool is used, which is known to everyone. It can be of several types:

• roller;
• diamond;
• oil;
• compass.

Roller glass cutters have a cutting tip round shape. An alloy of cobalt and tungsten is usually used to make it. In this case, the number of rollers in one tool can vary from one to six. Unlike other analogues, such a tool is inexpensive, due to which it has received great appreciation.

Diamond glass cutter enjoyed Despite the high price, it was, remains and will always be the undisputed leader in the field of glass cutting. It is better for home craftsmen to choose a professional diamond glass cutter, which has a beveled cutting edge, since it will cut more linear meters of almost any thickness. You just need to store it in a special case. A diamond crystal is used for the cutting tip, and it is known to be the hardest mineral that can be found on Earth. Once you leave a small scratch on the glass, it will crack with the slightest force. Diamond glass cutters require periodic sharpening using a special whetstone.

Oil tools similar to their roller counterparts, the only difference being that the handle contains an oil capsule. It is automatically fed to the roller during operation and to the glass surface. This cutter is well suited for solving the question of how to cut thick glass with a glass cutter.

With help compass Convenient to cut into round or oval shapes. It consists of several elements and looks like a well-known school stationery item.

Preparation of the workplace

Before you start cutting glass, you need to prepare workplace. Usually little attention is paid to this, but in vain. It is important to prepare the material itself for work. If the glass is new, then there is no need to wash it. Otherwise, it may have small chips, cracks, scratches or plaque. Then you need to rinse the sheet well detergents, and then dry by wiping with paper or newspaper. It is better not to use fabric, as lint and stains remain, which are useless. Dry glass needs to be degreased. To do this, you can use a rag soaked in kerosene. After this operation, the sheet is dried, but without wiping it dry and in indoors to avoid dust ingress.

It’s not enough to know how to cut glass correctly with a glass cutter; it won’t hurt to cut it to minimize extra expenses material. A competent drawing drawn up on a sheet of paper will allow you to achieve virtually waste-free home production. It will be especially useful if you need to cut out a complex or uneven shape. It is optimal to place the most long side blanks on a similar glass parameter. Sheets must be cut on a flat surface that excludes slopes. Plywood or fiberboard is suitable as an impromptu table. You can lay oilcloth or soft fabric on top.

Cutting technology

A clean and dry sheet is placed on the table for cutting glass, and it should be located entirely on the working surface. It is more convenient to first make notes with a marker or a special pencil. For straight lines, you will need a ruler, and for complex cutting, a template prepared in advance. The thickness of the ruler must be at least 7 mm for a snug fit of the tool. And to prevent it from sliding on the glass, you can glue small rubber pieces to it.

The diamond glass cutter should be held like a pen or pencil, under small angle while applying little force. If a thin colorless line is visible, then everything is being done correctly. The roller tool must be held strictly perpendicular to the surface of the glass, holding it with your thumb and middle finger, and pressing from above with your index finger. Unlike a diamond glass cutter, when cutting 3 mm glass, a little more force is needed here. The trace remains white.

When holding the instrument, there should usually be a slight crackling sound, indicating good performance. Simple rules will help you avoid mistakes:

• The driving speed must be uniform and not interrupted.
• It is better to move the glass cutter faster than slower, but not too fast.
• Regardless of the type of tool, the movement is always directed towards itself, that is, the tool follows the hand.
• You should not press the tool too hard on the glass; you should apply even force throughout the entire segment.
• The glass cutter must be carried along the line only once, no more, so that the glass does not break.

If you have no experience, it is better to first practice on some pieces. This way you can avoid mistakes, learn how to hold the tool and gain experience working with different materials, including fluted glass.

Proper glass break

After the cut, the glass breaks. Thin and small pieces can be broken off by hand. Sheets bigger size you need to move it to the edge of the table so that the cut is 3-5 cm from its edge. Use the handle of the tool to lightly tap along the entire line on the back of the glass. Do not forget to hold the hanging part of the sheet. After some time, tapping will give the desired result.

But there is one more safe way. Matches are placed under the sheet on one side and on both edges, and then you need to gently and sharply press on the glass. The fracture must pass exactly along the cut line.

In some cases, the piece of glass being cut is too narrow. For this purpose, the glass cutter has special recesses in the “head”. They need to be inserted into the edge of the strip to be separated, for example, 4 mm, after which they should be pulled down with a little force - the material will break off just along the cut.

Edge processing

Once the glass breaks, there is still a risk of cutting yourself on the sharp edges of the edges. Therefore, they need to be “disarmed.” At home, this can be done using an ordinary whetstone, which is usually used to sharpen kitchen knives. Just moisten it with water first.

A diamond-coated corner whetstone will allow you to process both edges at once. Also for self made A diamond-coated sponge works well. But if you have a drill, then the process can be speeded up. It is enough to use a sanding attachment.

Corrugated glass

Corrugated or patterned glass is sheets on which a relief pattern is periodically repeated. This material performs different functions:

• is a decorative decoration;
• capable of partially scattering light;
• limits end-to-end visibility.

At the same time, corrugated glass does not interfere with the penetration of sunlight or artificial light. As for the pattern, it can be on one or both sides. The pattern is obtained by rolling a special roller with some kind of pattern. Corrugated glass is mainly used in the decoration of doors and furniture. To cut such sheets, it is better to use a roller glass cutter. Moreover, the work should be performed on their smooth surface.

Tempered glass

Sometimes some home craftsmen are interested in the question of how to cut it. The answer is simple - no way! There is no way to cut or drill it, because when you try to influence it mechanically, it crumbles.

Such material was used in the automotive industry long before the advent of triplex technology. During an accident, the glass simply shattered into small fragments, which prevented injury to drivers and passengers. Therefore, with regard to such material, you should not even ask yourself the question of how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter.

How to cut circles?

In this case, it is convenient to use a circular glass cutter, but not everyone has one, and therefore you have to resort to different methods. First you need to determine and mark the center of the circle, and then attach a special suction cup. It is sold in any hardware store, and you can find cheap options.

Next, you need to tie a thread to it, or better yet, a fishing line, the length corresponding to the desired radius of the circle. The other end is tied to a glass cutter. All that remains is to tighten the line as much as possible and guide the tool. After the cut, it is necessary to make radial cuts from the circle to the periphery of the glass. If, on the contrary, you need to cut a hole in the glass, then the rays should be drawn inside the outlined circle. And in such a way that the result is equal sectors.

Cutting complex shapes

To cut a complex arch or different geometric shapes for stained glass with a roller glass cutter, you should prepare tracing paper. But it is better to make a template from plywood or very thick cardboard. Just take into account the allowance for the width of the tool. The template should be held firmly and the glass cutter should be guided along its edges, preferably without interruption. After the contour is outlined, you need to draw lines perpendicular to the curves with a cutter at a distance of 7-14 cm from each other. Then you can move on to tapping. Thin strips are broken off by the grooves of the glass cutter. Finally, don’t forget to grind down all the edges.

Reading time: 7 minutes. Published 11/15/2018

Cutting glass sheets requires a special tool such as a glass cutter. It greatly simplifies the work process. Despite this, you can cope with the task using other materials. If you urgently need to cut glass into pieces, and suitable tools are not at hand, they can be replaced with improvised means.

What can be replaced

All existing methods Glass cutting differs from each other in the type of impact on the base material.

For example, there is thermal method, which involves heating a certain area glass

Also very common physical method- this is the impact on the material with brute force.

On industrial production Typically, a waterjet method is used, which allows the material to be processed using water pressure.

If you need to cut glass thermally, then a simple string, matches and flammable liquid (alcohol or acetone will do). You can also use a burning machine or soldering iron at home. When physically impacting glass, nails, a Pobedit drill, a file, a diamond disc or simple scissors are usually used.

Of course, many of the methods listed will not allow you to get a perfectly even cut on the glass. But with due diligence and some practice, you can achieve excellent results.

Important! When working with glass, you must remember safety precautions: avoid cuts on the body and getting splinters and dust into your eyes. To do this, use work gloves (thick fabric) and safety glasses (bicycle or special).

File

For the first method, you need a file with corners; a round tool will not work. To cut glass, you should make several even thin stripes on it with a tool. You need to press the file a little harder than average, and in the end you will get a clear, shallow strip, as if using a glass cutter. After this, you should simply break the glass on the edge of the table, or do this by placing a match under the cut.

Soldering iron

This method is unusual, but takes a lot of time.

It is perfect for situations where a beautiful curly line is needed.

In order to cut glass, you will need a soldering iron itself (or a burning machine), as well as a regular file.

The operating principle is as follows:

1. Stripes are drawn on the glass corresponding to the future cutting line;
2. A small groove is made with a file near the edge;
3. At a distance of 1-2 mm from it, the glass is heated with a soldering iron until a small crack forms;
4. The same indentation is made from it, and the glass space is again heated with a soldering iron;
5. The actions are repeated until desired line the fault will not be completely processed.

To speed up the process, you can sometimes apply a wet cloth to the glass to cool it. If you need a straight, clear line, you can use a metal ruler.

Bulgarian

This is a very effective, although quite difficult to use, method of cutting glass.

To use it, take a grinder, drill or drill, as well as a diamond disc thicker than 0.1 mm.

The glass should be placed on a straight surface to work with. After this, you need to take a cutter and draw a clear, even line along the surface of the glass. You should not make deep cuts or go right through the glass; you only need to create a small hollow. Now you can simply break the glass in the marked place with your hands. To prevent the formation of chips and glass dust, you can periodically water the cut area with water.

Important! This method should not be used by people who are not familiar with the operating principle of the disk; it requires special care and precision. Otherwise, pieces of glass may fly apart in different directions.

Scissors in water

This method works on the principle of directional shearing.

With its help, it is very easy to cut out shapes with smooth round lines, but it is not suitable for creating even corners.

To cut, you need to take simple scissors and a large cup (or basin) of water. The fluid will act as a lubricant for smoother movements. This method is suitable for glass with a thickness of no more than 4 mm.

The pruning procedure is very simple. You just need to lower the glass into water and then start cutting off the pieces around the edges. Water will prevent the material from completely cracking, making it possible to control the chip line.

Important! Be sure to use rubber gloves when working with glass. Otherwise, you can seriously cut your hands.

Pobedit drill

To perform the job using this method, a drill with a pobedite end is required.

It's better to buy a new one so that there are sharp corners on the head.

The actions during cutting look exactly the same as if the work took place with a glass cutter.

You just need to press the drill a little harder.

The drill is picked up so that the sharpest edge of the tip comes into contact with the material. Once a thin cut has been made, the glass can be broken along the line.

Charcoal pencil

This method is useful if you need to cut various shapes with smooth edges from glass.

You can make a charcoal pencil at home.

For this they take charcoal(birch or linden) and grind it into powder.

Then add gum arabic and mix. Sticks are made from the resulting pulp and dried thoroughly.

First, markings are made on the glass, and its edges are filed with a file. Then the pencil is set on fire on one side and drawn along the drawn line. As a result, cracks appear on the glass, along which it is easy to make a break.

How to cut: instructions

First, prepare the glass surface. It should be washed well, removed from grease and dried. If stains or streaks remain on the surface, the cutting tool may slip, resulting in a crooked chip. It is better to choose a table or a piece of chipboard as a working surface. You can lay a piece of thick fabric (tablecloth, sheet) or linoleum on it.

After preparing the surface and materials, markings should be carried out. If you need straight edges, it is better to draw them using a thick ruler; for smooth lines, you can use patterns. To prevent the item from slipping, you can secure it with pieces of electrical tape from the inside out. Then, using a file, grinder or other cutting tool a straight, clear line is drawn.

When the cut is ready, you should break the glass. Place a small object (match, nail, pencil) under it and lightly press with your hands on both sides. You can also split the mirror on the edge of the table, or tap it from below with a small hammer.

Important! If you can't break the glass, you don't need to use brute force or push very hard. It is better to make a second cut at a distance of 2 cm from the first.

How to cut a glass bottle

There is a separate method for cutting a bottle.

To apply it, you will have to prepare some materials:

• A bottle that needs to be cut;
• Natural twine made of wool, cotton or linen;
• Flammable liquid (kerosene, gasoline or alcohol);
• Matches or lighter;
• Capacity with cold water(bottle, glass).

First, a line is drawn on the glass defining required dimensions and the shape of the future object. Then the twine is thoroughly soaked flammable liquid, placed on the bottle on top of the markings and set on fire. When the fire goes out completely, you can begin to pour water from the vessel in a thin stream along the marked line. The glass should crack on its own; all that remains is to break it slightly with your hands and then sand it with sandpaper.

If a crack in the glass still does not appear, you will have to repeat the whole process again. You can lay out the string in a figurative manner, then you will end up with pieces of glass of a bizarre shape. You can make holes in the bottle using the same method.

All of the above methods allow even a person without special training to successfully cut glass. There is no need to be afraid to experiment; this work is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to believe in yourself and use your wits.

Glass is used in many areas of life. Often at home you have to replace a cracked window, fireplace damper, kitchen apron, or make a plexiglass canopy or glaze a greenhouse. And the work will be with a fragile and traumatic substance. To avoid injury and significant waste of fragile material, you need to know how to cut glass.

Types of glass cutters

First of all, you need to remember that there are different types of glass: regular window glass, tempered glass, plexiglass, acrylic glass, corrugated glass, and ten more options. Also, even an ordinary one can be quite thick or, conversely, thin and very fragile. Depending on the type, the tool and cutting method are selected. But using a glass cutter is the most common option.

The construction market offers several options for glass cutters:

• diamond can cut glass almost any thickness and its service life is long. A diamond is used as a working element, which, if necessary, can be easily turned with an unsharpened edge;
• roller has a working part, which is made of an alloy of cobalt and tungsten and is characterized by increased strength. The number of rollers ranges from one to six and they can be replaced;
• oil has rollers and a reservoir with lubricant that flows to the surface and reduces friction. When worn out, the roller itself and its fastening require replacement;
• with compass function, which allow you to cut circles. Most often, an ordinary oil glass cutter is attached to special device with a scale that allows you to set the diameter of the circle.

Before cutting glass with a glass cutter, you need to prepare it:

• clean from dirt, possibly wash and wipe dry;
• remove the slightest dust, since the smallest particle that a glass cutter stumbles upon can become a source of cracking;
• if used glass is used, it is also degreased with kerosene;
• drawing cutting lines.

Important! It is necessary to prepare the surface on which cutting will be carried out. It is chosen to be flat, clean, without changes in height.

Safety regulations

The approaches to how to properly cut glass with a roller or diamond glass cutter are the same. The main thing is to follow certain rules and remember safety precautions:

• wear protective equipment: gloves and goggles;
• place the glass on a flat surface and check that it fits well and does not vibrate;
• scratch along the ends of the cut line so that you can ease the pressure and avoid chipping the edge;
• a diamond glass cutter is taken at the base of the handle and guided without much pressure along the intended line;
• The roller glass cutter is clamped with a pinch between the thumb, ring and middle fingers, and the index finger is responsible for the pressure. It should be pressed to obtain a whitish cut;
• By back side lightly tap along the cut line;
• move the glass to the edge of the table and break it off along the cut line.

Expert advice! You can get an even cut line by using a ruler. To prevent the ruler from slipping, it is glued with double-sided thin tape. This will also make the break easier.

There is a relationship between the width of the glass and the width of the strip that breaks off freely:

Masters have their own style in working with glass surfaces, but you should stick to some general recommendations about how to cut glass correctly:

• there is no strong pressure applied to the glass cutter so that the edges of the cut do not crumble;
• one line - one cut, you cannot “cut” again in one place;
• movements with a glass cutter must be fast and confident. Optimal: 1 m in 2 seconds;
• towards the edge, the pressure decreases, which allows you to avoid crumbling the edges;
• mark the table, not the glass itself.

How to replace a glass cutter

Not only professional tools will help when cutting glass, but also not quite ordinary ones, for example, such as scissors or a grinder. They can easily cope with such work under certain conditions.

Scissors cannot cut glass in the air, but you can cut glass with scissors in water. In a liquid, gravity is less and the scissors make not a cut, but a microcrack. This crack plays the role of a capillary into which water will enter. Capillary water has a wedging effect at weak points of crystallization and the glass breaks off in pieces.

Interesting! If it is necessary to cut out shaped parts, the glass is placed in cold water and then boil for several hours. After cooling, the tension inside is relieved and the material becomes soft.

There are several ways and options for cutting thick glass. The simplest one is to use an oil glass cutter if the thickness is no more than 20 mm. But as an option, . The dimensions of the tool should be small and convenient. The diameter of the circle is the smallest, then it will be easier to work with.

Plexiglas: glass or plastic

Not all types of glass can be cut with glass cutters. On construction market There are materials that either cannot be cut at home at all, or to cut them you need to familiarize yourself with certain rules, and some are cut very simply.

One of the most flexible materials for cutting is plexiglass. It is a transparent plastic with thermoplastic properties. The material is very easy to process, but there is one feature: low thermal conductivity, due to which the edges of the cut immediately heat up. So before you cut acrylic glass, you need to think about how to cool it.

Basic tools for cutting plexiglass:

• hand saw for metal;
• a circular saw;
• cutter;
• milling machine;
• stationery knife.

The choice of tool directly depends on the thickness of the glass: the thinnest - with a knife, the thickest - with a circular saw or on a machine. Electric saw blades are special for plexiglass, but are suitable for copper and aluminum.

You need to work quickly with a hacksaw or stationery knife. Unlike window glass, the cut line can be drawn several times. During cutting, the blades are cooled so as not to melt the edges of the cut. The resulting cut will have roughness, which can be removed when processed with sandpaper.

The low melting point makes it possible to cut plexiglass with a jigsaw and obtain a wide variety of shaped products. The file in the jigsaw is replaced nichrome wire. which connects to a transformer with an operating voltage of up to 4 V. The heated wire easily and softly passes through the plexiglass along any trajectory. the cut is smooth and even, requiring no additional processing.

Rules for cutting tempered, grooved and fire-resistant glass

Very rarely, it may be necessary to cut fireproof glass, for example to replace it in an oven or fireplace door. At home and without special skills, such a procedure should not be carried out, since heat-resistant glass is a split system consisting of several tempered and non-tempered glasses. But some craftsmen use a grinder with a diamond blade of very small diameter. To avoid crumbling when cutting fireproof glass with a grinder, pour oil over the cut line.

If you use not a grinder, but a machine with a diamond wheel, you can cut tempered glass at home. In this case, a cooling emulsion must be continuously supplied to the cutting wheel. You can cut it, but all the properties of such glass will be nullified. The technology for manufacturing tempered glass often involves imparting certain properties to an already finished product, such as a fireplace door.

Another type loved by designers and often used in everyday life for decorative purposes is corrugated glass. It differs from the usual one in that it has a non-smooth surface on one side. It is necessary to cut corrugated glass on the flat side with any glass cutter, but an oil cutter is preferable. To make it convenient to work, the table is covered soft cloth, on which the glass sheet is laid.

Many people like to do minor home repairs with their own hands, because it’s so nice to feel like a master. Replacement broken glass, a fairly simple task for an experienced builder, but others should learn how to cut glass correctly and master some subtleties so that preparing a workpiece of the desired shape and size does not result in a bad mood, damage to several glasses, or even a little bloodshed.

Glass, despite its fragility, is a fairly hard material. The traditional tool for cutting it is a diamond glass cutter. As the name suggests, the cutting tip of this device is made of diamond, the strongest and hardest mineral.

Glassmaking professionals value their instruments very much; to protect them from premature damage, they carry them in a special case.

For home work, when the need to cut glass arises periodically, in one-off cases, a roller glass cutter is more suitable. The tool is much cheaper than its diamond counterpart due to its use in the cutting part hard alloy, not an expensive diamond.

Preparing for work

To get a piece of glass as a result the right size with a smooth edge without nicks or chips, you should prepare the surface on which cutting will be done. Usually this is a table with a strong, flat tabletop and sufficient area: the edges of the workpiece should not be suspended.

The tool must be good quality. A roller glass cutter is convenient because a dull cutting wheel can easily be replaced with another.

The wheel is replaced like this: the screw in the head of the tool is loosened and another one is put in place of the damaged one with one turn, which is then secured with the same screw.

The surface of the glass sheet is cleaned of dust and debris, since the slightest obstacle during cutting can ruin the result.

Be sure to prepare a ruler or even block of sufficient length.

Cutting technology

Glass markings. Mark on opposite sides with a marker desired length, and draw a straight line on the table plane using a ruler.

Then the marked edges of the glass are aligned with the line on the table. The method is, of course, only suitable for transparent glass.

A ruler or strip is laid parallel to the line of the future cut so that it does not interfere with the tip of the diamond cutter or the roller of the glass cutter to move freely exactly along the intended line.

You can make sure that the roller is on the line experimentally: having installed a ruler, apply a glass cutter and visually evaluate the accuracy of the coincidence of the cutting tip or wheel with the intended line.

Holding the ruler firmly, draw a strip along the mark with the tool.

One thing to keep in mind is that you should not put too much pressure on the glass cutter in order to cut the glass correctly. The most important thing is to guide the tool with the same pressure on the glass plane and at a constant speed. It is recommended to release the pressure at the edges of the glass. This will help avoid nicks and chips in these places.

Hold the glass cutter correctly

How to cut glass correctly with a diamond glass cutter

It must be held slightly tilted to the right towards the plane of the glass. Its cutting tip does not move, so the furrow is made by one of its edges. The diamond mark is thin, almost invisible. However, this does not prevent them from being used for cutting glass of considerable thickness.

How to cut glass correctly with a roller glass cutter

This glass cutter is held strictly perpendicular to the plane. This position is due to the structure of the wheel, where changing the angle of inclination will not allow the cutting edge of the roller to affect the plane of the glass. Note that when working with this type of glass cutter, the groove is more noticeable, usually white.

Glass fracture along the cut line

It often happens that the glass breaks into two halves at the cut site from a light touch when trying to move or lift it. However, this does not always happen; for other cases, the following methods are used:

The glass is moved to the edge of the table so that the cut line protrudes slightly beyond the edge (about 1 cm). Then, with the handle of the tool, they begin to lightly tap along the notched line, in the direction from one edge to the other on the underside of the glass.

While tapping, you need to hold the side that is in weight. At some point, microvibrations from tapping sometimes unexpectedly lead to the desired result.

Place a match under the glass along both edges of the line on one side, and then press lightly. This method is simpler and safer, since both parts lie on the table, this allows you to not be afraid that one half will slip out of your hands and break.

Sometimes the part to be cut is very narrow. To separate such strips, the glass cutter has special grips in the form of recesses in the head; they are inserted into the edge of the glass and gently pressed down, after which the glass breaks exactly along the cut.

You should not neglect safety precautions and first you need to thoroughly study the question of how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter. Safety glasses and gloves will protect you from minor accidents such as cuts or falling glass chips getting into your eyes. Experienced glaziers say that the correct movement of the glass cutter is accompanied by a clear sound.

Sooner or later in household You may need to replace the glass yourself. But working with such fragile material is very dangerous. Therefore, in order to avoid injuries and unnecessary consumption of material, you should know the basic rules for working with this material and the selected tool.

Cutting ordinary glass is very simple and will not cause any difficulties for a person. You can cut such glass with a special glass cutter or even ordinary scissors.

If you have no idea how to properly handle this tool, you can watch numerous videos on this topic on our website. They will help you cut out the desired shape and provide the necessary information on working with a rather complex and fragile material like glass.

Content:

In order for the cut to be of high quality, it is necessary to first prepare the material for work. If the glass is new, then just wipe it. Newspaper is best suited for these purposes; it mainly wipes the surface dry and also does not leave lint or stains behind.

If the glass has been used before, then before cutting the material with a glass cutter, you will need to spend a little more time preparing it. First of all, such a surface will need to be washed thoroughly using special means for cleaning glass. A thorough degreasing process should then be carried out. Alternatively, you can use kerosene. To do this, use a rag soaked in kerosene to thoroughly wipe the glass and wait until it dries completely.

At the same time, the glass preparation stage also includes cutting it. There is no doubt that you will be able to achieve a final result without waste, especially if you need to cut the product incorrectly geometric shape. But if you make the calculation as correctly as possible, you can reduce the amount of waste several times.

Also, make sure that the working surface is fairly level and without slopes, but not too hard, preferably work surface made from plywood or fiberboard, and covered with oilcloth or soft cloth on top.

If you plan to carry out glass cutting work, then first of all you should decide which one is best suited for your case. On this moment There are two types of tools - diamond and roller.

The diamond model is rightfully considered the leader among tools of this type. If you are going to use it at home, then the perfect model is one that has a beveled edge, which is very convenient for breaking off cut pieces. You can cut glass with such a glass cutter, almost ten kilometers of material, with a thickness of up to one centimeter. But at the same time, it should be taken into account that there are also cheap types in which an artificial diamond is installed, which allows cutting glass with a thickness not exceeding 5 mm.

Unlike a diamond cutter, a roller glass cutter has a working element in the form of a small roller, usually made of carbide materials, usually a tungsten-cobalt alloy, which is capable of cutting material up to 4 mm thick. The advantage of this type of tool is that the roller can easily move along the glass, without putting much effort into making a furrow.

The work process is carried out in the following order:

Clean and dry glass is placed on the surface of the work table. The necessary markings are made with a marker. Next, small cuts are made at both ends along the marked line. Please note that the material used must be in close contact with the surface of the desktop.

How to properly use and cut glass with a glass cutter video

Afterwards, you need to put a ruler on the glass and draw a line along it with a tool. Holding a diamond glass cutter in your hands is exactly the same as a regular pencil; when passing along the marked line, you should only apply a little force. As a result, only a barely noticeable mark remains on the glass, which looks like a scratch. If the instrument is in good working order, then there must be a characteristic sound reminiscent of crackling. If the sound is creaking, then this means that its cutting element needs to be sharpened on a special block for this purpose.

During operation, such a tool should be held at a slight angle, the correctness of which is determined experimentally. Please note that a tool that is in the correct position relative to the glass will leave a colorless thin line.

A roller glass cutter, unlike a diamond cutter, must be held strictly at right angles to the surface of the glass, while pressing it with the middle and thumb, and pressing on it with your index finger. Please note that the roller tool is pressed a little more than a diamond tool, and the cut itself should turn out white.

In order to get a high-quality and, of course, even cut, remember a few simple rules that must be performed when working with glass using a diamond tool:

• Do not press on the glass while moving the glass cutter, otherwise the cut will be too deep and the edges will be uneven.
• Under no circumstances should another cut be made along the resulting line. Otherwise, the glass may break. The cut must be made as quickly as possible. For example, if we are cutting a length of a meter, then you need to spend no more than two seconds on it.
• In order for the workpiece to break quickly and accurately along the cut line, you need to lightly tap on the back side of the glass. After which you will not need any effort to break it off.

How to cut glass correctly oil glass cutter video

If you are just a beginner master, then it is best to practice on small pieces, this will help determine correct angle tilting the tool, gain experience, reduce losses, and also avoid mistakes in the future.

How to cut a circle from glass

In order to cut a circle out of glass, you can use several different ways, which may differ depending on the diameter of the future circle and, of course, the thickness of the glass.

The simplest and most common cutting method even circle is the use of a circular glass cutter. Usually, the presence of such a tool in the household is quite rare. But for these purposes you can use a regular tool.

How to correctly cut a circle from glass using a glass cutter video

First of all, you need to indicate central part future product and attach a special suction cup to it. Then you need to tie a strong thread or fishing line to this suction cup with a length equal to the radius of the planned circle. The glass cutter itself must be tied to the end of this rope. Pull the rope as tight as possible and then draw a line with the tool in a circle around the suction cup. When the circle is drawn, it is very important to additionally make ray lines that will eliminate excess pieces of glass around the finished product.

How to cut glass without a glass cutter

You can cut glass without the help of a glass cutter. Very often the simplest scissors are used for this procedure. To cut fragile material with scissors, it must be placed in warm water and under it cut out pieces of the size you need. Regular glass will be cut with scissors no more difficult than cardboard or other durable paper.

If you need to cut big piece glass, then it can be placed in a basin or bathtub big size. Then run the sharp part of the scissors along the glass and break off the unnecessary parts of the glass. To avoid cutting yourself on a sharp edge, be sure to wear gloves first. At the same time, it is also advisable to protect your eyes.

In this way you can cut glass no more than 3 mm. Shapes can only be cut with straight contours. It is imperative to prepare a template in advance and glue it to the glass using glue. It is worth noting one interesting point: the more water is above the glass, the easier it will be to cut the future product.

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You can also use twine, some hot liquid and a small vessel that needs to be filled with cold water. You need to make the necessary marks on the glass, then soak the string in alcohol or gasoline, fold it onto the marks and set it on fire. Immediately after the fire goes out, you need to pour a thin stream of water over the line. The glass must crack at this point. Then break off the glass along the crack that has appeared and clean all the edges. If no cracks appear, then you need to repeat the entire procedure again. You can cut very complex shapes this way, everything will depend on how you lay the twine.

Compliance with safety regulations

When cutting glass, it is very important to follow safety precautions, because the material is quite fragile and dangerous. You can not only cut yourself, but also injure your eyes from shrapnel.

Under no circumstances should you use a glass cutter to cut glass on your knees or on unreliable objects. Never grab the edge of the glass as the raw edges can be very sharp. If you want to lift the workpiece, you should grab it with your hands from the sides.

To avoid cuts, wear protective gloves and goggles before working. It is also important to wear closed shoes so that glass does not cut your foot if it accidentally falls. Clothing should be made of dense and thick fabric, which will also help avoid accidental injuries.

How to properly cut thick glass with a glass cutter video

To prevent small glass fragments from falling outside work room, clothes and shoes must be changed at the end of work.