glass cutting

learner6

Grumbler in Training
Joined
May 2, 2004
Posts
5
Loc
Norwich, UK
I know this is a doddle when you get the hang of it. Take a standard 4ft x 3ft sheet of 2mm glass. I need a 40 x 26 inch piece for a large clip frame poster. Cut off 8 inches on the short (36 ins) side to give me 40in - no problem. Then try to cut the remaining 40 inches down to 26 inch wide - a longer cut & it breaks out & destroys virtually the whole sheet. I am set up with a decent flat work area with flotex carpet (rubber-backed short pile) & a quality glass cutter. I use a thin wood lath underneath the score line with gentle pressure at one end to start the run.

Tips most appreciated...........
 
Rather than using the lath….after scoring gently pull the glass to the bench with the score line “just” (no more thane 25mm 1 inch) over the edge and apply a gentle even pressure downwards and it should snap clean.

Can I ask what sort of cutter you are using…..the problem you describe is unusually …….I would suspect that there is something wrong with your cutter or the bench.

Come back here if the problem persists…or email me we will get this frustrating problem out of the way.

Rgs
 
Shopmonky

In this part of the world the only way we can buy glass is in sheets/lites of 36 x 48” or larger……you can buy smaller sizes (with great difficulty) but it will most likely be drawn glass not float…..you guys over there are spoilt for choice….
shrug.gif
 
Because I don’t know your situation, this comment may be way out of line, but ...

When we first opened, I was cutting glass by hand, too, mainly to save money. After a few weeks, I thought I was getting the hang of it. Still, I was lousing up, probably, one sheet of glass per every 12 to 15 that I was attempting to cut.

That, plus the fact that I was getting glass chip/dust on the work table on which I was assembling mouldings made me bite the bullet and buy a wall mounted glass cutter.

It paid for itself (both financially and aggravation-wise) in a very short time. It was one of the best purchases I have made.
 
I had a whole case of glass do that zig-zag thing... on the first piece I thought it was me or my glass cutter.

By the time I tried the last piece of class in the carton - there it was - a crumpled up piece of paper that had gotten behind the sheets - in the EXACT spot where the zig-zag began on every piece.

The stress from that little wad of paper transferred to all the sheets of glass rendering them totally unusable.

Thankfully it restored my confidence in cutting glass... but you may want to check for any little bump in your work surface that could cause the stress on the glass.

Good luck,

Roz
 
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