cutting mirror glass

[Larry Jaques]

On Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:22:34 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, "no(SPAM)vasys" quickly quoth:

(Why do men have nipples, Pop? Why do ballots come with Reps and Dems listed on them? They're also quite inappropriate and useless, but inertia keeps things going. Besides, it's expensive to change the dies.)

You've obviously never used running pliers, Yack. The curved tips work really great.

source:

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[Robert Shanks]

I was a glass cutter in a stained glass studio in an earlier life. I cut glass all day long for a couple of years. This is what I would do:

- Dip the glass cutter's wheel in kerosene.

- Holding the glass cutter almost vertical, use firm pressure and make one clean line the length of the cut against a straight edge.

- Immediately, with thumbs on top and pointer fingers curled underneath, one hand on each side of the cut line, snap like a cracker. From -- to /\ . It's important that you do this within a few seconds after the cut is made. As I was taught, part of the weakening of the glass is due to heat from crushing the surface with the wheel. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get a clean break. If you have a good clean cut, the break will just run down the line. Tink... and you're done.

Also, practice doesn't hurt. Go to Lowe's, HD, wherever and ask for some scrap glass. A couple three cuts and you'll have it.

Good luck - Robert

[CW]

Thin mirrors are float glass too. Most all glass produced these days, other than decorative, is float glass.

[bent]

sections 3,4,5 of

I used a lighter fluid (heptane) & WD-40 combo for lube..

I used a level on "spongy fabric" as a straightedge after measuring offset of spinning wheel center to edge. The ~1" thickness of the level guided the 1-3/8" high flat edge of the cutter along perfectly perpendicular. I would recommend this orientation. Held it at 90 degrees and pulled toward me. The balled handle had a flat. Started 1/8" in from edge, and finished pulling through, which did leave a 1.5mm chip, which will be hidden.

Looked with magnifying glass and couldn't see the score line after one score (I thought of lifing 15 lbs. off ground)

Used a plywood sandwich on TS edge, and gloved hand in center of waste about

3" away (at end) and it snapped apart perfectly.

[RicodJour]

You should always start and finish the cut right to the edge. Just let off on the pressure a little so you don't blast a crater. The cutting wheel is round so the cutting force isn't affected by an angle (math freaks, yes, thanks, I know about vectors) - no need to hold the cutter at an unnatural angle like 90 degrees. Lean it back some so it's comfortable then push or pull as is your preference. There was no need to make the plywood sandwich, it would have broken cleanly without it on the edge of the table.

Glad to see you had success on your first outing. Keep going.

R

[no(SPAM)vasys]

I have the running pliers (I occasionally do foiled and leaded glass work). For a straight cut, of say 2" or greater, I still find using just my fingers or snapping the glass over a straight edge easier.

[O D]

You may want to consider going to a stain glass shop and see if they will cut it. Otherwise with only 3/8"waste you might want to consider grozzing pliers. Used in stain glass. they are about 1: wide and there is a slight angle in the bill. You would put the center of the pliers on your score line and squeeze firmly. This should give you a running crack along the score. All this said and done the pliers about $15-16 . you spent $5 for a basic glass cutter. Mine are $25-30 . So now you have $20 or so into it. Maybe the glass shop will cut for less, Then again if they break it they will cut you a new one from their inventory. As for sealing the edge from the moisture and turning black, just put a good coat of fingernail polish on the edge and on the mirroring back . Aint nothing cheap about this but wanting to do this without the right tools is kind of harbor freight style. Good luck