How to cut window glass correctly. How to cut glass with a glass cutter at home. How does the roller position affect the cut?

To cut glass smoothly and accurately, you don’t need to be a hereditary glazier, just a high-quality glass cutter and a little preliminary practice.

Today we will tell you how to properly use the two main types of glass cutters, and we will touch on aspects of choice and techniques for working with them.

Safety precautions

Cutting glass is a rather traumatic process. There are three main risk factors:

microscopic glass dust, which causes irritation of mucous membranes;
small needle-shaped fragments that can damage the eyes when they rebound;
sharp edges of workpieces.

When cutting glass, even on a small scale, it is imperative to wear glasses and cotton gloves. If you plan to work on this front for a long time, then a regular petal respirator will not hurt.

Most injuries occur due to excessive force being applied to the tool. The likelihood that the hand with the glass cutter will slip due to excess tension is quite high; this can not only lead to serious cuts, but is also guaranteed to ruin the material.

And, of course, the traditional source of injury is human inattention. There is nothing worse than a glass splinter, so do not test the quality of the cut edges by touch before grinding them and do not cut glass while hanging or on your knees. Keep your work area, especially the floor, tidy, wear covered clothing, and do not place sheets of glass at too steep an angle.

Glass cutters: which one is better

In the matter of choosing a tool for cutting glass, the dependence on professional training can be seen more than anywhere else. Roller glass cutters are great for learning and occasional use; diamond tools are preferred for experienced carvers.

Roller glass cutters differ from diamond ones not only appearance and design, they have a different effect on the material. The main advantage of the roller tool is the absolutely clear process of marking. It is almost impossible to make a mistake when using such a glass cutter, but the quality of the edge and the speed of work usually leave much to be desired.

In addition, rollers, as a rule, have a short service life. Depending on the cost and, accordingly, the alloy used, one roller can be designed for 200–500 m of cutting, subject to operating rules. After this, it needs to be replaced, which is not very convenient for large volumes of work; moreover, not every glass cutter model provides this option.

More or less experienced glaziers use virtually indestructible diamonds for cutting: it’s easier to learn how to use them once than to change rollers every 40–60 minutes. These two types of tools have no other fundamental differences: of course, there may be additional “gadgets” such as a breaker or edge peeler, different shapes of handles. But these are all secondary features that determine ease of use, but not the basic technology.

As for oil glass cutters, this is a way to eliminate the ubiquitous glass dust, and an attempt to bring a roller tool closer to a diamond tool in terms of durability. The attempt, by the way, is quite successful: with lubrication, the roller can perform several kilometers of cutting, which is still far from a diamond tool, but not bad. The only criterion for the quality of such a tool is the reliability of the lubricant supply mechanism: with operating pressure, the roller should leave a small point, but not a spreading stain.

Preparation of the workplace

When cutting glass, the quality of the result is determined by the ease of use. Regardless of whether you just want to shorten the mirror or are going to earn extra money by cutting, the place must be equipped taking into account several requirements. But the approach to their implementation can be completely different.

The first is a soft surface of the table, to which dust and grains of sand cannot be pressed with a sheet of glass. For professionals, brushed skirting boards are recommended; for a one-time job, an old carpet or a soft, thick sheet will do. The size of the table should allow the part to be placed on at least 2/3 of the area, and the cutting line should be entirely on the table.

One of the keys to success in glass cutting is high-quality lighting. Additional tools you will need are a thick metal strip with a straight edge and a small thin bead for breaking off. Before cutting, all glass must be thoroughly washed and dried; markings on dirty glass are applied intermittently, and the workpiece cannot be broken off evenly.

How to use an oil glass cutter

Due to its amorphous structure, glass has an interesting fracture pattern. It always breaks “along the shortest path,” that is, in the thinnest place. Therefore, the slightest scratch is enough, as long as it starts from one edge and ends on the other.

A roller glass cutter does not scratch; it presses through the groove, breaking off the edges with many small flakes. The pressure on the tool must be commensurate with the thickness of the glass being cut and, accordingly, the diameter of the roller. Remember also that there is only one attempt to apply the marking; when you pass the mark again, the roller almost immediately becomes chipped and dull.

It is correct to hold the glass cutter like a handle, using the edge of your palm as a support and sticking your little finger forward for greater stability. The movement is always directed towards oneself, that is, the glass cutter simply reaches behind the hand, the necessary pressure is provided by the fingers. The position of the glass cutter in the longitudinal projection is always strictly perpendicular.

All the talk about the correct tilt of the handle in the direction of the cut is pure heresy: the round roller doesn’t care at what angle it is turned. However, for oil glass cutters, it is preferable to hold the handle closer to the perpendicular position for normal pressure on the lubricant supply wick.

So, placing the video on to the far edge You need to stretch 3–5 mm of the mark with minimal pressure so that the marking is guaranteed to touch the end of the glass sheet. After this, the main line stretches along the same line, this time with normal pressure. If the marking is forced to be interrupted, you need to start with a small approach to the scratch made and mark the place of interruption so that you can tap it carefully afterwards. The main specificity when working with an oil glass cutter is to provide enough pressure to press the feed wick. Otherwise, such a tool cuts like a regular roller one.

Selection of rollers and lubricant

There are many types of rollers for different tasks and different types glass For oil glass cutters, rollers are used from the same material as for conventional ones - tungsten carbide or tungsten-cobalt alloy; products made from hardened stainless steel are somewhat less common. It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the quality of the cut of each material: all alloys are definitely harder than glass, and assessing the ease of working with them is mostly subjective.

The diameter of the roller is selected exactly according to the thickness of the sheet being cut. If the roller is smaller, there may be problems with breaking; a larger one will leave an unsightly chipped edge. For cutting curved contours or if glass has uneven surface, very small rollers are used, but in this case the markings should be tapped very carefully.

The rollers may also differ in sharpening angle. Glass up to 4–6 mm thick can be cut perfectly with a roller with an edge of 135°, this is the minimum value. The thicker the glass, the more obtuse the sharpening angle is used; in some models the angles reach 160°.

There are also nuances with lubrication. For safety quality instrument it needs to be filled with a special composition for water based. The oil has a certain consistency, due to which it is ensured minimum consumption, and is easily washed off with water. If you don’t have it, you can use Vaseline lubricant: the consumption will be slightly higher, but there will be no problems with cleaning.

Raising the skill level: working with a diamond glass cutter

If the resource oil glass cutter Still not enough, buy a diamond one. But be prepared to do a series of trial cuts - about a couple of hundred meters in total. This is necessary to determine individual characteristics diamond - sharpening angles and edge rotation.

First, look closely at the crystal under a magnifying glass. The diamond stone has the shape of a tooth with two slopes - one gentle and straight, the second steeper and with two edges. The normal direction when working is with a flat, straight edge towards you.

The main task when mastering a diamond tool is to find the most favorable tilt of the handle towards you/away from you, at which the diamond tooth will scratch out a miniature groove as easily as possible. At the same time, the markings on the glass itself are almost invisible, and when the glass cutter moves, a characteristic ringing sound is heard.

Don’t forget that you can’t tilt the diamond glass cutter left/right: if the roller moves by a couple of degrees tolerable, then when working with a diamond cutter the scratch will get torn edges and the quality of the edge will be disgusting. Therefore, practice on scraps of glass, build up your hand and form muscle memory: a good diamond glass cutter lasts almost a lifetime for many.

Glass products are very popular in interior or exterior design. They decorate both apartments, houses, and public spaces. We can often see stained glass windows, frescoes or dishes created on the basis of glass scraps, which amaze with their grace and beauty.

Looking at things like this, it seems that in order to make them, you need to have serious skills and have extensive experience working with glass, as well as other complex instruments. Moreover, few people know that anyone can learn the basics of working with this material. In particular, you can learn how to cut glass for work without leaving your home.

Preparing for cutting

The preparatory stage is one of the most important in the work; the preparation process largely depends on what kind of glass you plan to cut. So, if it is new, you can simply wipe it with old newspaper or paper so that small fibers do not settle on it and streaks do not appear.

If the working material has already been used, then preparation here will take more time and effort. First you need to rinse it well using a special chemical agent for glass. Next, degrease with a rag dipped in kerosene, and finally dry it indoors so that dust does not fall on the surface.

In addition to such preparation, the material will also need to be cut. Naturally, you should understand that you will not be able to achieve ideal waste-free work when working with this material, especially if we are talking about manufacturing a product of irregular geometric shape.

But if you make an accurate calculation in advance, you will significantly reduce the amount of waste generated.

In this case ideal option will align the longer side of the glass with the long side of the prepared workpiece. The scraps remaining after work do not need to be thrown away; they can also be useful in the future when creating other glass products.

Glass cutter and its classification

Most often, a special tool is used to cut glass - a glass cutter. It is good because it is very convenient to use. In order to properly learn how to cut glass with its help, you need to follow the operating rules and choose the right tool of one type or another. And since the range of glass cutters is wide, this will not be a problem.

Glass cutters come in the following types:

How to cut correctly

Before you start working with this tool, you need to mark it with a simple or special pencil. It will be much more convenient to cut the material using a ruler at least 8 mm thick so that the glass cutter fits as tightly as possible. The ruler is placed on the surface of the material, then the tool is pressed against it, and then the cutting process is performed. To prevent the ruler from slipping on the surface, you can stick rubber particles on it, which can be taken from a bicycle inner tube. The ruler should be placed so that it is slightly further from the marking line.

For home work, a diamond or roller glass cutter is suitable. Diamond is more functional, but if we are talking about a corrugated surface, then only a roller will do. Remember that grooved, matte or patterned surfaces should only be cut from the smooth side.

The cutting should start from the main edge of the glass sheet. Further along the ruler, without stopping, draw a line in your direction. An important condition for ensuring that the work is completed efficiently is the correct placement of the tool. Here the situation depends on its type:

When working with a diamond tool, it must be held in your hand almost vertically - like a pencil. Lead it in such a way that the mark that represents the diamond faces the ruler. If the work is done correctly, the cut line will turn out colorless and thin;
but the roller glass cutter is held perpendicular to the surface of the glass. It is best to hold it between your middle and thumb and press on top with your index finger. In this case, you need to press harder than with a diamond tool. And the cut line has White color.

Sometimes cut glass may break on the edge of a hard glass surface.

Cutting with scissors

In addition to a glass cutter, scissors can also be used to cut glass. But this also needs to be done correctly. To work you will need:

the scissors themselves, it’s better to take sewing ones;
tank with (preferably) hot water.

As in the previous case, apply markings to the glass in advance. During the work process, when cutting with scissors, a microcrack is created, and in the end everything ends with a capillary effect. This is all elementary physics.

The result obtained, of course, will not be ideal, but if there is a need to do something urgently, then this cutting method will do.

Features of working with different types of glass

If you work with ordinary glass, cutting will not cause any difficulties. Both a glass cutter and a glass cutter are suitable for this purpose. simple scissors. But if you use glass with a complex configuration to produce products, then things are more complicated. Features of the work will largely depend on the properties of the materials:

Safety regulations

Regardless of what type of glass you process or what tool you use, be sure to follow basic safety precautions. Remember to wear safety glasses and thick gloves. This is a key requirement for safety.

It is also recommended to provide for the arrangement of your workplace. Since glass work involves the appearance of splinters, it is recommended to cover the work surface with something that you won’t mind getting rid of later.

Compliance with safety rules will allow you not only to ensure high quality work, but also to take care of yourself.

So, now you know how to properly cut glass at home if you need to use it for home needs.

Glass is actively used in all spheres of human life, so special tools were invented for its proper cutting and processing - glass cutters. These devices exist in different modifications, each of which has its own operating rules. Also, the answer to the question of how to cut glass with a glass cutter depends on the type of glass that needs to be processed.

Preparing glass for cutting

Cutting glass with a glass cutter begins at the stage of preparing the material; the entire quality of the work depends on it. If the glass is new, then you just need to wipe it to remove dirt. It is best to use newspaper, rather than fabric, for this purpose, as it will remove moisture and will not leave streaks. If the glass has already been used for its intended purpose or has simply been stored for a long time and has become coated and chipped, then it will require a more careful approach in preparation.

Used glass must be thoroughly washed and used special means for cleaning glass surfaces. Next, the cleaned glass is degreased using suitable means. These include, for example, rags soaked in kerosene. On last stage glass is dried in closed room where there is no possibility of dust getting on the glass.

In addition to cleaning the glass, preparation includes cutting it. It is very difficult to achieve a completely waste-free process when working with glass, especially if you need to cut a piece irregular shape. But if you calculate the cutting correctly, waste will be reduced to a minimum, which means costs will be minimized. The most convenient and the right option cutting will be the alignment of the longest side of the workpiece with the corresponding side of the glass. There is no need to throw away the trimmings after work, as they will be useful in the future.

Types of glass and features of working with them

To understand how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter, you need to understand what types of glass there are and which of them you will be working with. Each type of glass requires a different approach. The following types are distinguished:

Products made of tempered glass are practically not subject to cutting. If you need to use products made from such glass, then you need to take care of cutting it in the early stages, since this type of glass loses its properties when cut at home. Work with tempered glass performed by professionals using specialized equipment;

corrugated glass is a patterned product, often used to decorate doors, furniture and interiors. It is quite possible to work with such material at home; the process of cutting it is not much different from smooth surfaces. For corrugated glass, a roller glass cutter is optimal, and the cut must be made from the smooth side;
acrylic or organic glass - is a transparent plastic, it is made on the basis of synthetic resins. Cutting such material does not require specialized tools; a regular hacksaw, cutter and tools for straightening the edge will do. If the thickness of the plexiglass is no more than 2 mm, then it can be easily cut with an ordinary stationery knife. If you need to learn how to cut glass without a glass cutter, then we are most likely talking about plexiglass, although some skilled craftsmen cut ordinary glass using household scissors.

The main rule when working with any glass is protective equipment, which includes gloves and safety glasses. The work surface must be covered with newspapers or cloth, which you won’t mind throwing away, since cutting glass involves the presence of many small fragments.

Selection of cutting tools

In fact, cutting glass with a glass cutter is quite simple; this process only requires certain skills that come with experience. Often, an inexperienced master technologically performs everything absolutely correctly, but at the same time the process proceeds with disappointing results. Often the problem lies in correct selection tools, the following types of glass cutters are distinguished:

Diamond glass cutter is a classic tool that has been used for many years. For home use A glass cutter with a beveled cutting edge is optimal; it can withstand approximately 10 km of cuts. Periodically it is necessary to re-sharpen the tool on the beam;

roller glass cutter - the cutting element consists of 1 to 6 rollers made of durable cobalt-tungsten alloy;
oil glass cutter - has the same design as a tool with a cutting roller, but with the addition of a container with oil from which liquid is supplied to the surface to be cut; such a glass cutter is optimal for working with thick glass;
glass cutter for cutting circles and ovals - the tool resembles a compass or a mechanism consisting of several devices. If it is a compass-like glass cutter, then it has a suction cup that is attached to the center of the required circle, a controlled scale with which the required radius is set, and the glass cutter itself. Most often, such tools are oil-based, that is, they have a container for lubricating the cutting part.

In addition to the glass cutter itself, you will also need a ruler along which to draw the cutting line. In glass cutting, this device is called a pattern. If you need to make a simple cut on ordinary glass of small thickness, then an ordinary, flat and long object will do. For complex cuts, a specialized pattern is required.

When choosing the glass cutter itself, you need to choose a tool that allows you to break the glass into pieces with only one cut. If the glass cutter is not of very high quality, then the line will need to be drawn several times. When cutting, you need to be as precise and attentive as possible; much more depends on this than on the quality of the glass cutter. The third necessary tool is a perfectly flat surface; if there is none, then cardboard is placed under the glass for leveling.

The process of cutting glass with a glass cutter

the glass is laid out on a flat plane and the pattern is pressed against it;
use a glass cutter to mark the beginning and end of the cut line;
when marking, it is necessary to take into account the distance from the cutting part to the edge of the glass cutter, since while drawing the line, the glass cutter will rest against the ruler with its edge;
to accurately determine the size of the required indentation, the glass cutter is tested on any surface;

When the beginning and end of the line are marked, the cutting edge is scratched along the edges of the glass, this is necessary so that the glass does not crack during cutting, since highest pressure created at the edges;
a glass cutter is used to move along the glass, the pressure depends on the thickness of the material, you should not apply excessive force, as very thin glass will crack under pressure;
to understand how to cut correctly with a glass cutter, you need to learn how to make a line quickly, at a time, applying the same force along the entire length, this does not apply to the edges of the tool, which are cut in advance;
while working with the tool, it is necessary to protect the organs of vision, since sometimes the glass cutter jumps off and breaks the glass, resulting in the formation of many small fragments that can damage the mucous membrane of the eye;

Once the line is drawn, it is assessed and it is determined whether a cut needs to be added;
if there is no need to draw a line, the glass is carefully tapped along the cut and broken;
edges are processed sandpaper.

Correct cutting of plexiglass

As mentioned above, for cutting plexiglass they are used simple tools, such as a hacksaw or utility knife. You will need tools to straighten the edge. If plexiglass is cut on a milling machine, then the edges do not need to be processed after cutting. In industry, organic glass is cut using a laser, which gives high cutting precision, low costs and cuts good quality. It must be remembered that organic glass has a low thermal conductivity, it heats up quickly in the cutting zone, so the work must be carried out quickly and at the smallest possible depth.

The easiest way to cut plexiglass at home is with a hacksaw or cutter. To make a cut, the material is placed on a flat surface, a pattern is placed on it so that it coincides with the required cut line. The cutting line will be most accurate if you place the ruler directly on it. A cutter is drawn along the marked line several times so that the cut is approximately half the thickness of the glass. Then the required piece is simply broken off from the main part.

The edges of the cut pieces are cleaned with a joiner's jointer. If the cut was made with a saw, then the resulting rough edge should be taken into account, which, when processed, will reduce the size of the piece. When working on plexiglass circular saw or milling machine its edges will foam and become rough, so care should be taken to cool the material during operation.

Tricks of working with glass

1. For a high-quality cut of glass, you need a professional glass cutter of sufficient quality, as well as a spacious, flat surface on which to work. The surface is preferably wooden or chipboard, as it is soft enough not to damage the glass during operation.

2. To work, you need a ruler or an even strip of size 5-10 mm, this width will allow you to comfortably hold the tool with your hand. The main trick to using a glass cutter is the quality of the line you make. Since when making a cut with a glass cutter, it is necessary to draw the line once, accurately and evenly. The line should not be crooked or intermittent, otherwise the glass will crack in places where there are breaks and bevels. If you have enough experience, you can easily correct the error if a zigzag was applied to the glass.

There is one rather cunning way to apply a line on glass. The line is not drawn on work surface, and on the table, then the glass is placed on this line, one cut is made on both sides, and then a line is drawn along the glass with a glass cutter, focusing on the mark made on the table. This method is only suitable for perfectly transparent glass.

3. Correct position tool during the cutting process. If the process is carried out using a diamond glass cutter, then it is held in the hand like a pencil, but with a slight tilt. The finished line is a colorless and thin furrow. If the work is carried out with a roller tool, then its position should be strictly perpendicular to the working surface, while the glass cutter is held between the thumb and middle finger and pressed with the index finger. There is more pressure on a roller glass cutter than on a diamond cutter, and the cut itself is white. When drawing a line, it is necessary to apply the same force throughout the entire pressure, with the exception of the edges of the glass, where the pressure is slightly reduced.

4. If a straight line is made on the glass required depth, then it breaks easily. If the glass has not broken, it is placed on the table so that the cut strip is approximately 0.5 cm behind the edge of the table, as if hanging. Next, hold the suspended part of the glass, and carefully tap the glass cutter head along the entire cut line. They deliver precise and light strikes.

In this procedure, the glass breaks, usually very unexpectedly. If after tapping this does not happen, then two matches are placed under its edges and then pressed onto the surface with your hands. Sometimes, after cutting, it is necessary to remove small and not wide parts of the glass; for this purpose, all glass cutters have grooves into which these parts are inserted and then broken off.

5. It is easy to determine the quality of an instrument by the tone it produces when cut. If you hear squealing and creaking, then the glass cutter needs to be sharpened. He talks in detail about how to cut glass with a glass cutter, see the video at the end of the article.

Glass- this material is special and differs from other building materials.

The construction material It is extremely fragile and is mostly transparent.

That’s why, before you buy glass and work with it, you need to start shopping with the tool.

But you shouldn’t buy the first tool you come across, because it may be of poor quality and will not be able to cut the glass as needed.

It is very important to determine what tool you need, because there are several types of glass cutters:

Roller;
Diamond;
Oily;

Roller

The roller glass cutter for cutting glass has a built-in special roller, which is made of a very durable tungsten-cobalt alloy. The usual roller diameter is 6.6 mm, this roller diameter allows cutting glass up to 4 mm thick.

Diamond

The diamond glass cutter is equipped with a correspondingly small diamond, this diamond cuts glass. The hardness of diamond is well known and therefore it has long been used for cutting glass.

Nowadays, as before, a diamond glass cutter is considered the best tool for cutting glass.

Oily

Not long ago, an oil glass cutter was added to the list of glass cutters.

This is essentially an improved roller tool that has a reservoir built into the handle to supply lubricant to the roller. This lubricant binds particles that were formed when cutting glass while ensuring smooth movement. This glass cutter can cut glass up to 20 mm.

Before purchasing any type of glass cutter, it is best to ask the seller to check.
If you are satisfied with the instrument, then you can buy it, but buy the one that was demonstrated to you.

How to cut glass

A sheet of glass is not as easy to cut as it seems at first. To make a glass cut, preparation is necessary.

Preparation

Absolutely new glass will only need to be thoroughly cleaned of dust and wiped dry with newspaper; fabric is not suitable for such work.
If you have to cut old glass, you should first degrease it, after which the glass is washed well with water and detergents.
After all the above manipulations, the glass will need to be dried in a closed and clean room.

Cut glass

Ditto preparatory work This includes cutting glass and preparing containers for waste collection. There should be two containers, that is, for collecting small waste and for collecting larger ones, which may be useful for something in the future.

When cutting glass, it is best to start with simple window glass and then move on to more complex options.

Glass cutting technique

When using a diamond glass cutter, you need to hold it at the very bottom of the handle and draw a smooth line along the ruler, almost without pressing on the glass.

When cutting glass with a roller glass cutter A little pressure is required and when the glass cutter moves, a whitish stripe appears on the surface of the glass, deeper than when using a diamond tool.

Possible mistakes

When there is a river of glass there are two mistakes:

The pressure with a glass cutter can be too strong;
The glass cutter is carried out several times in the same place.

When cutting glass, try to press the tool evenly along the entire length of the cut.

If you notice chips while cutting glass, this only means that you are pressing too hard on the tool. To avoid this, reduce the pressure on the glass cutter.

Never double-draw along a cut line, as this may damage your tool.

The final stage is glass breaking

Thin glass is broken by hand. The piece of glass that has already been cut must be placed on the edge of the table, so that the cutting line is on top and protrudes slightly beyond the edge of the table, and the main part of the glass should lie on the table.

You need to press the glass sheet with one hand, and with the other you need to grab the protruding part of the glass and gently press down on the glass with your hand.

If the edge that needs to be broken off is small and cannot be broken off by hand, use pliers.

Knowledge of the theory of cutting steel allows you to apply this knowledge in practice. That is, you can take a small piece of glass and practice on it.

After you try glass cutting in practice, you will be more confident in your skills in the future. We hope this information is useful. We wish you good luck and patience!

In any apartment you may be faced with the need to replace glass in a window, door or closet. Select ready-made glass the right size succeeds very rarely. Of course, you can turn to a specialist for help, but this will take time and money. All necessary work It’s quite possible to do it yourself at home if you know how to cut glass correctly.

How to choose the right glass

Glassmakers advise when choosing glass to pay attention to the following points:

One of the signs of high-quality glass is a blue or greenish tint to its ends.

Scratched sheets should not be used.
If all the rules are not followed during the process of rolling glass or cooling it, then such sheets may have defects in the form of stripes. These stripes will significantly distort the image, so it is better not to use such sheets to replace glass in a window.
The thickness of the glass depends on the size of the frame into which it is inserted. If its width and height are less than 600 mm, then you can get by with glass 2–2.5 mm thick. And if one of these parameters exceeds 600 mm, then the thickness of the glass sheet increases to 3.5–4 mm.
When doing glazing at home, you need to cut a piece of glass 3–5 mm smaller than the size of the frame, because the slightest distortion will not allow the glass to be inserted into the opening.

Glass preparation

Often many people simply forget about this important point. But high-quality glass cutting with your own hands is impossible without it. preliminary preparation. New glass should be wiped with a damp cloth. After it dries, wipe dry.

Glass that has already been used cuts much worse and requires more careful preparation. They are washed using special detergents, and after drying, degreased with turpentine or kerosene. During the drying process, it is necessary to prevent dust from entering the sheet.

Checking tools and arranging the workplace

Before discussing how to properly cut glass, you need to decide on the tool that will be used for this specific job. In order to cut a glass sheet with your own hands, a glass cutter is most often used. There are three types of glass cutters:

roller;
diamond;
oil

The last two are used mainly by professionals. The cheapest and most common option is a glass cutter with replaceable rollers.

Regardless of the model used, before cutting glass, it is better to check the sharpness of the glass cutter. To do this, you can try cutting some unnecessary piece of glass. Ideally, the glass cutter should move with a slight rustle, leaving a thin, continuous line. If it moves with a creak, the cut line is interrupted or looks like a white scratch, then either the cutting element is dull or errors were made in the cutting technique.

It is also necessary to prepare a flat surface, the dimensions of which must exceed the dimensions of the sheet being cut. At home, this could be a table covered with soft cloth. If the table is not large enough, you can put a sheet of plywood or chipboard on top of it. You will also need a marker and tape measure for marking. If the glass will be cut with a glass cutter, then you need to prepare a thick metal ruler. Its thickness should be 8–10 mm - this is the only way you will create the necessary support for the cutting tool.

How to use a glass cutter correctly

To cut glass with your own hands, you must follow the technology and sequence of actions.

The starting and ending points of the cut are marked on the sheet.
Place the glass cutter at the starting point and attach a ruler to it.

Note! The ruler should not be located along the cut line, but at a distance of several millimeters from it. This value corresponds to the distance between the tip of the glass cutter and its side surface.

The cut is carried out smoothly, from start to finish in one movement and with one effort. And only once. If you run a glass cutter over one place several times, the glass will simply crack.
The cut piece is chipped. To do this, the cut line is aligned with the edge of the table. They cause a crack by lightly tapping the cut with a glass cutter, and then break it off in one motion.

If the chip is uneven, then excess glass You can remove it with pliers or use special cutouts in the handle of the glass cutter. To avoid cracking, the cut line should be lightly moistened with turpentine or kerosene.
At the final stage, the cut line is processed with sandpaper, a velvet file or a grindstone.

How else can you cut glass?

What to do if you don’t have a glass cutter at hand? There are ways in which glass is cut with non-standard tools. This operation can be carried out with a soldering iron, grinder, nichrome thread and even ordinary scissors! Let's find out how to properly cut glass with your own hands using each of these methods.

Using a soldering iron. First, cuts are made with a file at the beginning and end of the cutting line. Then you need to carefully run a well-heated soldering iron along the entire line. Due to the temperature difference on the sides of the surface, the glass will crack, after which all that remains is to carefully break it off.
Bulgarian. This tool is found in almost every home, so it is not surprising that it has also been adapted for working with glass. In order to cut glass with a grinder, you will need a thin diamond blade. With its help, a thin groove is made along the entire cutting line, along which later chipping occurs. But when cutting with a grinder, you need to make sure that the glass does not overheat, and be sure to use coolant. Required good tool, otherwise the glass will simply shatter from its vibration. When working with an angle grinder on glass, it is imperative to protect your respiratory organs and eyes. Getting the smallest glass dust into them will not lead to anything good. Therefore, if you cut a sheet of glass with a grinder, you need to stock up on glasses and a respirator.

Using heating and cooling. A thread soaked in a flammable substance is laid along the cutting line and set on fire. Immediately after it goes out, the cutting line is cooled with water. A sudden temperature change will cause the glass to crack. Another option is to heat the glass with a nichrome thread through which electricity. In this case, no water is required, the temperature difference between the two surfaces of the sheet is sufficient.
Scissors. Thin glass up to 3 mm can be cut with ordinary tailor's scissors, if this operation is performed by immersing the scissors and glass in a container of hot water. The process feels like cutting thick cardboard.

Tempered glass processing

The question often comes up on forums: how to cut tempered glass? The answer is simple: tempered glass cannot be cut or drilled. Whenever you try to do this, it loses all its properties and simply shatters into small pieces. Tempered glass was used in cars before triplex technology was invented. During the accident, glass shards should not have injured passengers. So you shouldn’t even try to cut tempered glass with any tool.

To understand how to cut glass with your own hands, you just need to take it and try it. The choice of method depends on individual skills and availability necessary tools. But all these options are quite feasible at home.