How to cut glass with a glass cutter? Tips and advice from experts. How to cut glass with an oil or diamond glass cutter How to cut glass with a roller glass cutter

Almost all of us have faced the need to process transparent material, but in fact, not everyone knows how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter. In addition, this material is quite fragile, and injuries cannot be ruled out when working with it. varying degrees. Of course, you can entrust this matter to specialists who will do everything quickly and professionally. But at the same time, they will ask for a decent wage for their work, and many of us want to save money.

But if in fact, then cut the glass required size You can do it at home or in your own garage. The work, although it can be dangerous, is not as difficult as it may seem. You just need to know the technology and follow the safety precautions.

Safety above all!

Most owners of apartments or private houses are engaged in home repairs on their own, of course, when there is time for this. As in any other business, safety precautions must be followed when working with glass to avoid serious injury. Simple ignorance of how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter can lead not only to cuts, but also to injury to the eyes from splinters.

Cutting glass on your knees or on moving objects is highly discouraged and should be done on a hard and level surface. You should not grab the raw edges, it is better to lift the workpieces from the side edges. Working with glass requires working clothes made of thick, dense fabric. Shoes must be closed so as not to injure the feet. Having changed into it before starting work, you must also take care of the safety of your face and hands. Always wear gloves and goggles for this. At the end of the work, it is necessary to change clothes and change shoes so that the fragments (and they will certainly be on clothes) do not leave the work area.

Glass selection

As experts in glass craft point out, the main thing is to choose good material, otherwise cutting glass will lose its meaning. This is especially important when deciding to replace the window glass yourself.

When choosing glass in a store, if you look at its ends, you can see a bluish or slightly green tint. This indicates the material High Quality. However, products may be defective. Even if this is a home repair, you should not take glass with scratches. It also happens that during the production of the material the rules are not fully observed, and then various defects appear on the sheets. Characteristic of them are stripes, which significantly distort the view.

When choosing glass for windows, you should choose optimal thickness, which depends on the dimensions of the frame. For example, its height is not more than 60 cm, then the thickness of the sheet can be from 2 to 2.5 mm. Otherwise (more than 60 cm) you need to pick up greater thickness- up to 3.5-4 mm. When cutting glass, it is necessary to form a sheet 3-5 mm smaller than the frame. Otherwise, at the slightest skew, the glass will not be inserted into the opening.

Types of glass cutters

Used to cut glass special tool which is known to all. It can be of several types:

• roller;
• diamond;
• oil;
• compass.

Roller glass cutters have a cutting tip round shape. For its manufacture, an alloy of cobalt and tungsten is usually used. The number of rollers in one tool can vary from one to six. Unlike other analogues, such a tool is inexpensive, due to which it received great appreciation.

Diamond glass cutter enjoy despite high price, he was, remains and always will be the undisputed leader in the field of glass cutting. It is better for home craftsmen to choose a professional diamond glass cutter, which has a beveled cutting edge, since he will cut more running meters almost any thickness. Just store it in a special case. The cutting tip uses a diamond crystal, and it is known to be the hardest mineral that can only be found on Earth. It is worth leaving a small scratch on the glass, as it will crack at the slightest effort. Diamond glass cutters need periodic sharpening with a special bar.

oil tools similar to roller counterparts, with the only difference being that there is an oil capsule in the handle. It is automatically fed to the roller during operation and on glass surface. Such a cutter is well suited for deciding how to cut thick glass glass cutter.

With help compass It is convenient to cut round or oval shapes. It consists of several elements and outwardly resembles a well-known school stationery item.

Workplace preparation

Before proceeding to cutting glass, it is necessary to prepare workplace. Usually little attention is paid to this, but in vain. It is important to prepare the material itself for work. If the glass is new, then there is no need to wash it. Otherwise, it may have small chips, cracks, scratches or plaque. Then you need to rinse the sheet well detergents and then dry by wiping with paper or newspaper. It is better not to use the fabric, because there are villi and stains that are useless. Dry glass needs to be degreased. To do this, you can use a rag soaked in kerosene. After this operation, the sheet is dried, but without wiping dry and in a closed room to avoid dust.

It is not enough to know how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter, it will not hurt to cut it to minimize unnecessary waste of material. A competent drawing drawn up on a sheet of paper will allow you to achieve almost waste-free home production. It will be especially useful if you need to cut a complex or uneven shape. At the same time, it is optimal to have the most long side blanks on a similar glass parameter. Sheets should be cut flat surface, excluding slopes. As an impromptu table fit plywood or fiberboard. From above, you can lay an oilcloth or a soft cloth.

cutting technology

A clean and dry sheet is placed on the glass cutting table, and it must be located entirely on the working surface. It is more convenient to first make notes with a marker or a special pencil. For straight lines, you need a ruler, and for complex cuttings, a template prepared in advance. The thickness of the ruler must be at least 7 mm for a snug fit of the instrument. And so that it does not slip on the glass, you can stick small rubber pieces to it.

The diamond glass cutter should be held like a pen or pencil, at a slight angle, while applying light pressure. If a thin colorless line is visible, then everything is done correctly. The roller tool must be held strictly perpendicular to the glass surface, holding it with the thumb and middle fingers, and pressing with the index finger from above. Unlike a diamond glass cutter, when cutting 3 mm glass, a little more effort is needed here. The trace remains white.

The guiding of the tool should usually be accompanied by a slight crackle, which indicates good work. Simple Rules help avoid mistakes:

• The driving speed must be uniform and not interrupted.
• It is better to drive the glass cutter faster than slower, but not too fast.
• Regardless of the type of instrument, the movement is always directed towards itself, that is, the instrument follows the hand.
• Do not press hard with the tool on the glass, you need to apply a uniform force over the entire segment.
• Along the line, the glass cutter must be carried out only once, no more, so that the glass does not break.

In the absence of experience, it is better to pre-train on some pieces. This way you can avoid mistakes, learn how to hold the tool and gain experience with different material, including corrugated glass.

Correct glass break

After cutting, the glass breaks. Thin and small pieces can be broken off by hand. Sheets bigger size you need to move to the edge of the table so that the cut is 3-5 cm from its edge. The handle of the tool should be lightly tapped along the entire line with reverse side glass. Do not forget to hold the hanging part of the sheet. After a while, tapping will give the desired result.

But there is one more safe way. Matches are placed under the sheet on one side and along both edges, and then you need to gently and sharply press on the glass. The fracture must pass exactly along the notch line.

In some cases, the part of the glass to be cut is too narrow. For this, the glass cutter has special recesses in the “head”. They must be inserted into the edge of the strip to be separated, for example, 4 mm, after which they should be pulled down with a little effort - the material will break off just along the notch.

Edge processing

After breaking the glass, there is still a risk of cutting yourself on the sharp edges of the edges. Therefore, they need to be "disarmed". At home, this can be done using an ordinary donkey, which is usually sharpened kitchen knives. Just soak it in water first.

The corner touchstone, which has a diamond coating, will allow you to process both edges at once. Also for handmade a diamond-coated sponge works well. But if there is a drill, then the process can be accelerated. It is enough to use a grinding nozzle.

corrugated glass

Corrugated or patterned glasses are sheets on which a relief pattern is periodically repeated. Such material performs different functions:

• is a decorative ornament;
• able to partially scatter light;
• restricts visibility.

At the same time, corrugated glass does not interfere with the penetration of sunlight or artificial light. As for the pattern, it can be on one or both sides. The pattern is obtained by knurling a special roller with some kind of pattern. Corrugated glass is mainly used in the field of decorating doors and furniture. For cutting such sheets, it is better to use roller glass cutter. Moreover, the work should be performed on their smooth surface.

tempered glass

Sometimes some home craftsmen are interested in the question of how to cut the answer is simple - no way! There is no way to cut or drill it, because when you try to act on it mechanically, it crumbles.

Such material was used in the automotive industry long before the advent of triplex technology. In the event of an accident, the glass simply shattered into small fragments, which eliminates injury to drivers and passengers. Therefore, in relation to such a material, you should not even wonder how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter.

How to cut circles?

In this case, it is convenient to use a circular glass cutter, but not everyone has it, and therefore you have to resort to different ways. First you need to determine and designate the center of the circle, and then fix a special suction cup. It is sold in any hardware store and you can find cheap options.

Next, you need to tie a thread to it, or rather a fishing line, with a length according to the desired radius of the circle. The other end is tied to a glass cutter. It remains to stretch the fishing line as much as possible and lead the tool. After the incision, it is imperative to make radial incisions from the circle to the periphery of the glass. If, on the contrary, it is necessary to cut a hole in the glass, then the rays should be carried out inside the outlined circle. And so that as a result to get equal sectors.

Cutting complex shapes

To cut with a roller glass cutter a complex arch or different geometric shapes for stained glass, you should prepare tracing paper. But it is better to make a template from plywood or very thick cardboard. Just take into account the allowance for the width of the tool. The template should be held firmly and the glass cutter should be guided along its edges, preferably without interruption. After the contour is outlined, it is necessary to draw lines perpendicular to the curves with a cutter at a distance of 7-14 cm from each other. Then you can move on to tapping. Thin strips are broken off by the grooves of the glass cutter. In conclusion, you must not forget to grind off all the edges.

Quite often when repairing an apartment or repairing old wooden windows cutting glass with a glass cutter. In order to properly carry out this operation, you must follow a few simple rules.

Before starting work, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the glass and dry it. It is necessary to cut glass with a glass cutter on a flat surface. Work must be carried out in such a way that a minimum amount of waste remains, the remaining waste can be subsequently used.

It is worth noting that factory sheets in some cases may have oblique corners, and it is necessary to check them with a square.

We cut glass with a glass cutter ourselves

Before as cut glass with a glass cutter, it is necessary to mark it with a regular or special pencil. It is worth noting that it is more convenient to cut glass with a ruler (at least 8 mm thick, otherwise the glass cutter will not fit snugly). To do this, the ruler must be placed on the glass, and pressing the glass cutter against it, cut the glass. To prevent the ruler from sliding on the glass surface, you can stick pieces of rubber on it (from a medical bandage or a bicycle inner tube). The ruler on the glass must be positioned so that it is slightly away from the marking line (by the thickness of the glass cutter).

Glass can be cut with a roller or diamond glass cutter. It is worth noting that the best opportunities has a diamond glass cutter, but for cutting corrugated glass it is better to use a roller. Patterned, corrugated and frosted glass must only be cut from the smooth side.

It is worth noting that tempered glass you can not cut it, as it usually splits. Such glass is processed before it is tempered.

start cutting glass it is necessary to draw a line to yourself from the main edge of the sheet and along the ruler without stopping. It must be remembered that the main condition successful work is an correct location glass cutter.

Diamond glass cutter must be held in the hand like a pencil (almost vertically). It is necessary to lead in such a way that the mark indicating the diamond is facing the ruler. When done correctly, the cut line is thin and colorless.

Roller glass cutter must be kept perpendicular to the glass surface. It is more convenient to hold it between the thumb and middle finger, pressing from above index finger. The pressure must be stronger than when working with diamond glass cutter. The notch line in this case is white.

In most cases, cut glass is broken on the edge of a hard surface.

It is worth noting that before cutting glass with a glass cutter, you need to practice on small parts of the glass. In this case, during subsequent work it will be possible to avoid most of the errors.

If a person rarely encounters chores around the house, then the question of how to cut glass with a glass cutter can confuse him. Especially if you need to change broken glass in window frame or at the door. However, having delved into the essence of this process, many owners come to the conclusion that cutting glass with a glass cutter is not at all as difficult as it might seem at first. The main thing is to study everything in detail and prepare necessary tools, accessories and workplace.

Ordinary glass cutting can be done at home with a glass cutter.

More about glass cutter

Currently, the most common 3 main types of glass cutters:

• diamond;
• roller;
• oil.

The diamond glass cutter remains the most popular tool for cutting and cutting glass. This is due to the fact that they can cut glass of any thickness and type. It is not difficult to work with them, even without sufficient experience. The diamond tip of such a glass cutter has high wear resistance, provided proper care and regular editing. Keep the diamond glass cutter in a special case to protect it from dust and accidental damage.

A diamond glass cutter can cut glass of any thickness and type.

Roller glass cutter is popular due to its high reliability, ease of use and low cost. It is preferable to purchase for infrequent use. The working element of this tool is a thin roller freely rotating on the axis with a sharp cutting side edge. Rollers for the glass cutter are made from a pobedit (cobalt-tungsten) alloy. The most common roller glass cutter with one working roller. More expensive instruments may have a rotating drum with several interchangeable rollers - 3 or 6 pcs. The design of such a glass cutter allows you to quickly replace a dull roller during operation, which significantly extends the life of the tool.

The oil glass cutter is an improved version of the roller glass cutter. The main difference is a can of special quick-drying oil placed in the handle of the tool. During operation, oil is automatically supplied to the roller, lubricating it. This allows you to simplify the workflow and improve its result. An oil glass cutter usually cuts the thickest glass.

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Preparatory activities

Enough glass to cut big table so that the glass sheet is placed on its surface completely. The table must be stable and stand without a slope. The countertop is best made from fiberboard - fiberboard. If small irregularities are found on its surface, then under the glass it will be necessary to lay a sheet of thick cardboard or thick flannel fabric.

Everything you need should be conveniently placed near the desktop. In addition to the glass cutter for cutting glass, you will need:

A roller glass cutter is preferable to purchase for infrequent use.

• tape measure or measuring tape;
• sandpaper;
• marker;
• long ruler or straight rail;
• template for parts irregular shape;
• pliers;
• hammer (small)

Before you start cutting glass, you need to take careful measurements to determine the size of the required glass sheet.

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Preparing glass for cutting

New glass does not require special preparation. It is enough to clean it from dust with a sheet of newspaper. It is better not to use rags for this, so that there are no streaks left on the glass.

If it is intended to cut used glass, then in addition to cleaning it from dirt and dust, it must be degreased. For degreasing, it is best to use a rag moistened with kerosene or alcohol. Cleaned sheets of glass should be stored indoors to prevent dust and small debris from getting on them.

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How to cut glass correctly?

After carrying out all the preparatory activities, you can start working with glass. In order for the first cutting of glass with a glass cutter to be successful, you first need to practice a little, fill your hand. It is desirable that the first glass cutting takes place in the presence of an experienced person - a mentor. Especially if it is supposed to cut out large glass sheets. Help is definitely needed here.

An oil glass cutter is usually used to cut the thickest glass.

Dry and clean glass is placed on the desktop. The necessary markup is made on it. Small incisions are made at both ends of the intended line. The glass should fit snugly against the countertop. The slightest vibration can ruin everything.

Then a ruler or rail is laid on the glass to replace it. A line is drawn along it with a glass cutter. The diamond glass cutter should be held in the hand like a pencil and guided along the intended line with little effort. When a serviceable tool moves along the intended line, a sound is heard that looks like a slight crackle. A creaking or screeching sound made by a glass cutter indicates that its cutting element needs to be sharpened on a special bar.

The incision must be made in one go. The second attempt will result in the glass shattering. If everything is done correctly, an almost imperceptible mark, a shallow scratch, will remain on the glass surface. You need to move the glass cutter quickly enough, making a cut 1 m long in 2 seconds. 5 mm before the end of the cut, you need to slightly loosen the pressure on the glass cutter. This will help preserve its cutting edge.

The roller glass cutter must be held strictly at right angles to the surface of the glass, clamping it with the middle and thumb, and pressing on it with the index finger. The line drawn on the glass with a roller should be white.

Embossed glass is marked and cut only from the reverse (smooth) side. To cut pieces of irregular shape, a pattern is placed on a sheet of glass and the cut is made along its edge. In order to cut a circle or an oval, a special device similar to a compass is used. It is attached in the middle of the future circle with a special suction cup. The radius is set according to the existing scale. After that, a glass cutter is inserted into the holder, and the glass is cut.

The cut glass must be lightly tapped along the entire line of movement of the glass cutter so that it breaks evenly and neatly. Tapping is carried out from the reverse side of the cut with a small hammer, glass cutter handle, pliers. To do this, the cut glass must be lifted or moved to the edge of the table so that the cut line is in a suspended state (about 5 mm from the edge of the table).

If the sheet is very large and heavy, it is better to break it with four hands.

If it is necessary to separate a narrow strip from the glass, you can use a special groove on the side of the glass cutter, into which the glass strip intended for separation is inserted. Ordinary pliers can also be used to separate narrow strips of glass.

Glass cutting can be attributed to jewelry craftsmanship. After all, real experts can make from a piece this material a real masterpiece. However, this will require a large number of experience. At the same time, many people cannot simply cut glass in half, because they do not know the very basics of cutting glass.

We do not say that we will make you a sculptor with a glass cutter instead of a chisel. However, do glass top and other similar things you will learn.

Choice of glass cutter

Any training begins with an introductory part. There are no exceptions in our business. Before getting down to business, you need to familiarize yourself with many at least important aspects. One of them is the choice of glass cutter. There are 3 main types of these tools:

1. Glass cutter with cutting tool made of natural diamond. This tool is the most popular. It has a tip that can cut glass up to 10mm thick. In this case, the cuts are always obtained perfectly even and without various defects Of course, if you use it correctly.
2. Roller cutting tool. His working tool is made in the form of a roller. Unlike the first option, instead of diamond, a special alloy of solid metals, which are often tungsten and cobalt.
3. Oil glass cutters are not much different from roller counterparts. And to be more precise, there is only one difference. It lies in the fact that during cutting, to cutting tool special oil lubrication is supplied. It will not speed up the cutting process, however, this is not the advantage of the tool. A constant supply of oil will prolong the life of the roller mechanism.

Returning to the first view, it is worth noting that the tool is not cheap. However, there are also their counterparts, which cost less. The difference lies in the fact that instead of a real diamond, its artificial counterpart is used. It is worth noting that in terms of cutting quality it is not much inferior to the original, but it is effective when cutting glass up to 5 mm thick.

Glass preparation and workplace

Glass must be prepared before cutting. If used new material just wipe with a dry cloth. But glass, which has already been used in everyday life, should be treated with special detergents, and then degreased with kerosene. Finally, dry it thoroughly.

As for the workplace, there are few requirements for its preparation, or rather, there are none at all. It is enough just to have a flat free table and a container for waste glass.

The diamond glass cutter is not only reliable, but also convenient. The principle of operation is quite easy. The tool is taken by the handle like a pencil. Next, an incision is made along the glass. In order not to screw up, it is recommended to use a ruler or a pre-cut template.

You can also use another trick when marking. It is suitable if you need to make a straight incision. So the bottom line is this. A straight line is marked on the table with a marker. Glass should also be marked. But to draw a thick line is useless. It is enough to make marks on the edges of the material, between which the cut will be made. After that, the marks should be set so that the line on the table connects them.

Let's go back to the cutting process. The essence is clear, but there are some nuances that should be considered.

1. The diamond glass cutter should be held at an angle. At the beginning of the section, it was said that it looked like a pencil. So you need to “draw” as well as with a pencil.
2. You can not put much pressure on the tool, otherwise the cut line will be uneven and full of chips.
3. Re-cutting along a line already drawn by a glass cutter is taboo. Don't ask unnecessary questions, just try to do it right the first time. If the fault has not already turned out, you should move a little and repeat the procedure.
4. Make the cut quickly. It should take about 2-3 seconds for a meter segment.

What to do after the incision line has been drawn? You should move the glass to the edge of the table so that its unnecessary part is overhanging. Further, one simple procedure should be carried out along the entire incision line. From below, with the reverse side of the notch, you need to lightly tap on the glass. If everything is done correctly, the unnecessary part will easily fall off. The main thing - do not forget to substitute a container under it or hold it with your hand.

Before figuring out how to cut glass with a roller cutter, remember that it is not as durable as a diamond glass cutter. The roller regularly cuts the first 300 meters. After that, the working part should be replaced.

Now we can get down to business. The first step is to mark up. You can do this in the same way as in the first way, so there is no point in describing these methods again. The principle of operation as a whole is also no different. However, there are still some differences in the subtleties of the process.

1. Unlike a diamond glass cutter, which must be held at an angle, in this case the tool must be perpendicular to the plane of the glass.
2. The roller glass cutter must be pressed harder, otherwise the glass will not cut through.

Cutting with an oil glass cutter

For this cutting method, it was possible not to create a separate section in the article. After all, the method is no different from the above, only the roller is lubricated with oil, due to which the cutting process is facilitated, and the service life of the working part is increased.

How to cut a circle

We have already figured out how to cut glass in half. But it is also worth paying attention to one important issue. Namely: how to cut a circle out of glass? In this case, you can use two options:

• Place a round solid template on the glass;
• Use a special circle.

The second option is more reliable and simple. Therefore, it is recommended to use round templates only if it is not possible to get compasses.

Let's see what a compass like this is. Actually, it's pretty simple design, which consists of the following components:

• Sucker;
• glass cutter;
• Tripod.

How to use the compass is intuitive. The suction cup is attached to the glass, and the glass cutter is set on a tripod with the necessary measurements. After that, a quick but smooth incision is made on the glass. Then along the contour should be lightly beaten with a hammer. Ready.

1. Working with cutting glass is quite dangerous. Therefore, you should stock up on gloves and special glasses.
2. Glass cutters are more functional than it might seem. Almost every model has a recess that allows you to break off small pieces of glass.

Worth repeating. These tips and tricks will not make you a glass cutting pro. However, by following them, you will immediately understand the basics of this business and will be able to cut simple shapes.

Video: how to cut glass at home