Cut glass with a pair of scissors

[HeyBub]

Well, I'll be damned:

Video:

[Al Bundy]

"HeyBub" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

WTF?

OK, who's gonna vouch for this one...aka, tried it. Come-on Bub!

[Jon Danniken]

Looks like a good way to slice up your fingers.

Jon

[RickH]

Well if the frozen beer thing works, then just maybe...

[HeyBub]

I saw it on the internet!

[aussiblu]

I learnt this trick the 50's from an article in the Australian Post, Pix or People Magazines where it was recommended for the home handyman to cut glass for replacing glass in domestic louver windows. However, I assumed it only worked with the thinner glass they used in those days but admit I haven't yet tried it with today's thicker domestic glass. I may experiment now though.

Remove ZX from email address to reply directly.

[aussiblu]

PS to clarify yes I have done it but only with the old style thin louver glass.

[aussiblu]

See

"According to Scientific American, water causes glass to crack more easily because when a water molecule enters the crack, a reaction occurs in which a silicon-oxygen bond at the crack and an oxygen-hydrogen bond in the water are cleaved, creating two hydroxyl groups attached to silicon. As a result, the length of the crack grows by the size of one bond rupture. The water reaction reduces the energy necessary to break the silicon-oxygen bonds, thus the crack grows faster."

[aussiblu]

"From the book The Farmer's New Guide, 1893

How to Cut Glass - It is not generally known that glass may be cut, under water, with a strong pair of scissors. If a round or oval be required, take a piece of common window glass, draw the shape upon it in a black line; sink it with your left hand under water as deep as you can without interfering with the view of the line, and with your right use the scissors to cut away what is not required."

[aussiblu]

And I had always assumed that the water was a safety measure to stop any shards flicking up into the eyes.

[Al Bundy]

"HeyBub" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Ohhhhhhh! No need to try it. It must be true.

[Al Bundy]

"aussiblu" wrote in news:NIRFi.34410$4A1.23903 @news-server.bigpond.net.au:

Uhhhhh, yeaaaaaah. Uh huh. But the real reason is because HeyBub saw it on the internet.

[DerbyDad03]

And now for the other side of the story

[RickH]

I would think that leaded glass makers would know about this too as it seems like a very handy technique for cutting the small shapes.

[HeyBub]

Well, if it's on the internet...

[Al Bundy]

DerbyDad03 wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Hmmm, then maybe a lightbulb would be better ya think?

[alvinamorey]

I'm not going to waste my time waiting for the video to download because I already know that EVERYTHING posted on Blogspot is a waste of bandwidth and everyone's time.

[HeyBub]

In future, when using the word "bandwidth," please abbreviate it as "bndwth," thereby saving precious bndwth.

Thnk yu.

[Chris Lewis]

According to HeyBub :

Heh.

It actually is for real. What's not obvious is that they're not "cutting" the glass. They're chipping it.

The scissors are chipping bits off the edge. The water is there to deaden the shock and thereby prevent the rest of the glass from shattering.

Stained glass artisans do the same thing using glass nibblers, but those don't need water, because they're taking off such small pieces.

You can't cut through the middle of a sheet of glass using that method. Cutting with scissors requires that the cut material has to bend. Glass won't bend enough - it'll break first.

Except when in a near molten state - some glassblowers _do_ use "scissors".