need advise on cutting glass

sandymc

True Grumbler
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Posts
69
Loc
mississippi
I have a small two person art and frame shop. We are really new to the business but our framing has really taken off. I use a local glass shop for all my glass but feel I could cut cost by cutting my own glass. Unfortunately I do not have the budget to buy the expensive wall unit that does all three. I have a Simplex 750 mat cutter that I like and there is an attachment you can buy that scores the glass. Any advise for a rookie from all you "old pros?"
 
I started the same way Sandy. I just recently retired my Logan 750. I tried the glass attatchment....you would be better off just using a hand (such as Fletcher) cutter and using your guide rail for squaring. BUT! I would advise against using your mat cutter to cut your glass! The small shards left after cutting are way to troublesome to your machine that should be dedicated only for cutting mats!
Just cut your glass by hand on a good clean solid surface with a non-slip straight edge and you will be fine. Fletcher makes a nice hand cutter with a carbide wheel that is self oiling that works nicely. I still cut some glass by hand even though I finely purchased a wall cutter. Good luck...
 
I second the hand-cutter method! It takes some practice, but then, there is always a lot of scrap glass, right?

I have never had any luck trying to use a straightedge. I just cut my backing foam board, lay the lite on top, line it up with 2 edges, and cut off the other two! I use the top of my paper cutter table, which is lower than my benches and gives me more "oomph" when cutting.

I also just use a regular olf Fletcher Ball End cutter - they last for months and I never use oil! You can tell when you need to replace the cutter or the wheel when the procedure starts getting hard to do and the glass starts making too much noise.

Practice, practice, practice!!!

The only lites I have cut to size from my supplier are ones larger than 32 x 40. I hate expensive mistakes!

Dermot is the REAL glass cutting expert around here - maybe he will chime in with some tips...

Dermot???
 
What is it with all the newbies. No offence but all that new high tech stuff is exactly that "STUFF".

Buy a hand glass cutter. Take your sheet of glass and stick the upper left corner (if you're right handed) of the glass into the corrisponding frame corner. The glass now is resting on the "foot" of the frame on the right side and the lower (which is closest to you). Take your glass cutter and place the wheel over the corner of the frame ready to "drive" west along the lower rabbit. You want to be looking as straight down on the rabbit as possible. The wheel needs to be lined up in the middle of the rabbit. Slowly with "Light" pressure, (just enough to here a whisper of or hisssssing sound) drive the wheel to the left edge of the glass.

DO NOT BREAK YET.

Now if the frame is large, turn the frame and glass, keeping the alignment the same.
Score the second side. and then gentle press down on the waste untill it breaks or grab the glass on both sides of the glass score and "break the cracker". (Sorry GumboGirl, it had nothing to do with Georgians.)

My partner likes to hold the cutter high and look under her hand as she drags the cutter towards her. I like to start close looking down and push away. Both work. I think it is what you learn to do.

My advice, if this wasn't plain enough, is to take a frame or two (including an oval) to your local glass house; slap a $100 bill on the table and ask if they will ether teach you there, or come to your shop and teach you how to cut glass.

You will never take a second look at a $950 "glass cutter" again. And they don't cut ovals either.

baer
 
Oh Baer - now you're cookin'! MOST of the time I cut glass the way you describe - BUT how do you cut glass then for METAL FRAMES??? (insert evil chuckle here)

That is why I use the backing board as a guide.

Welcome to the Grumble, Sandy - the home of many opinions!
 
You just can't go wrong if you follow Baer's advice.

The only thing that I would add, is that glass, like a dog, has the ability to sense fear. Approach either with confidence and they will give you very little trouble.
 
Welcome to the Grumble, Sandy. I cut by hand, using the oiled cutter and a straight edge.

I went down to the local stained glass shop and they only charged $10 to train me on how to cut.

There is a tool designed to actually break the glass after it's scored. It works very well. It looks similar to a pliers but the head is wider and the biting surface is curved. I can get the name of it if you like - it's not coming to me just now.

Take your time and be prepared to have some Oops pieces. Some types of glass scratch very easily, so be careful not to slide the lite over the area where you just made a break. There are likely to be very small shards that have scattered and would rub.

Good luck.

Amy
 
I second all that has been said above, but I use a diamond tipped glass cutter that I bought a bunch of a few years ago for about $3.00 each. It requires very little pressure, will last forever if you don't drop it on a concrete floor and makes a smooth cut every time. If need be, I can probably spare one if you like.
 
For cutting glass for a metal frame I simply draw a line in my table cover (kraft paper) and follow the line after aligning the glass to where I want to cut it.
 
Running pliers. The name of the special pliers that have a line on them you can line up with the score you make on the glass, then squeeze gently, and the pressure "runs the score." Also grozier pliers, I use for yanking off that 1/8" sometimes.

Definitely practice, esp. if you get a stained glass person to show you how to cut glass. Glass is temperamental, for example, when it gets cold, you can forget the score line running clean; it has a mind of it's own! Art glass, the stuff they (we:) )use is typically thicker, different textures, so the pressure it takes to cut that kind of glass is a little more than glass used in framing.
Slow even pressure, like Baer said, listen for that sound to be consistent. It it crunches, or flakes off, you are pressing too hard!

I like Jerome's sugg. of drawing the line to follow underneath the glass. I pull my cutter towards me, and watch the wheel. Others push. Up to you. When you are lining up your cutter wheel with your measured line, make sure your wheel is on the line, and put your straight edge flush against the cutter. This will make so much more sense when you have an oiled cutter in your hand.


Baer, none taken, not Georgian. I am from M- i- crooked letter-crooked letter -i, crooked letter- crooked letter i, hump back-hump back i!
Welcome to the G, sandym, where in MS are you?
 
Tee-Squares....anyone use them!!!!!.....measure less 1/8" and score and snap....you guys can get the big Tee-Square for cutting sheet board for a few $ take a small piece out of it where the tee is so that the glass cutter can cut to the edge....bingo you have a great way for cutting glass....and also get the TOYO 17B oil filled glass cutter you just can't beat it, it makes cutting glass a snap...
 
I have a page I wrote and illustrated in my basic framing book on how to cut glass, hold the cutter, what to listen for and how to break it without a tool. If you give me your fax number I'll fax it to you. I not only hand cut glass when I started out but I also have done a lot of stained glass work.

Glass can be dangerous, I had two emplyees badly hurt with glass so treat it with respect. Don't pick it up by a corner and hold large pieces with two hands and they should be lifted and turned over carefully. Carry one sheet at a time or no more than two and if one falls, let it go, don't try to save it. Wear closed shoes in the shop, not sandles.

Nona Powers, CPF
www.nonapowers.com
www.artfacts.org
 
Oh Nona, are we back to that NO Sandles AGAIN??

It only took off PART of the little toe, and it was the part I didn't need anyway.....

Sorry, I still wear sandles. It's a Baer thing I guess. I love the feel of the snow between my toes on a crisp Jan morning, with a hot bagel in the left hand and vanilla mocha latte in the right standing in the middle of Fremont street and not a car in sight. . .
baer
 
Another emplyee was standing there looking down at her bare sandle clad foot as an awl twanged back and forth deeply embedded in the middle of the big toenail. Sorry but I think closed shoes not only protect from falling glass, but awls, utility knives, Exacto knives, and other sundry pointy things in a shop that can so easily fall and seems to aim for uncovered toes. I wouldn't want to spoil your air flow though, so head on. To each his own I always say. By the way, It was not fun pulling out the awl .

Nona powers, CPF
www.nonapowers.com
www,artfacts.org
 
And another thing..with the glass cutting..sometimes those little bits that flake off if the pressure is wrong, can fly all over the place, and after having one land right next to my eye, I wear safety goggles always. They're goofy lookin', but I decided I only have two eyeballs! Unlike fingers and toes, which seem to be optional.


They look mighty cute with my Doc Martens, my shoes of choice for framing. I like to have shoes that I can "rest" sheets of glass on.sort of..sorry, Nona, I know that is not what you were hoping for in safety, but I do only carry one sheet at a time!
 
I second everything you just said, Gumbogirl. I just call 'em my Elvis Costello Glasses.
I do that glass resting bit too. It's really not dangerous if you have good shoes and are respectful while handling. Another helpful resting spot when removing oversize sheets from the box is the rubber comfort mat on the floor next to the worktable.
kaffeetrinker_2.gif
Rick
 
If Your framing is increasing,look at time spent
I use a Keencut 5000 over here in england and i cut the mount, backing, and glass all off the same stops and it saves time,
all are the same size,
I cut by hand for 10 years and would not now like to be without my 5000, this equipment allows me to cut glass in the vertical which I find is easier then laying it flat
spend to save
Chris
 
Get a T-square, a hand cutter and an inexpensive box of plain Tru-Vue. Then practice, practice. practice.

I used to cut ALL our glass by hand. I'd slide the 'score' to the edge of the table and snap it off. Easy-peasy.

I used the 'cutting pliers' to take less than 1/2" off. And yes, I have actually used them to take as little as 1/8th" off.

Everybody uses their own methods, and so did I, but it generally worked pretty good.
 
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