Practical advice to a radio amateur, a radio installer, a circle of skillful hands. Encyclopedia of Technologies and Methods Cutting glass with nichrome wire

K category: Glass works

Cutting glass with electric current

Glass cutting method using electric current is based on intense and one-sided heating of the glass, as a result of which it bursts strictly along the heating line. This glass cutting method gives a good cutting line and high productivity.

Electric glass cutter with nichrome wire(Fig. 1) consists of a wooden table, in the lid of which two slots are made, to which a wooden ruler is attached using wing screws.

A strip of asbestos-cement sheet is laid on the edge of the table, over which a nichrome, tungsten or other wire (filament 9) passes with a thickness of 1 to 1.25 mm. This wire heats up when an electric current passes through it in 5-6 s.

One end of the wire is tightly attached to block 3 on the edge of the table cover, and a load 2 is suspended from its second end so that, when heated and lengthening, the wire does not weaken, but is always tightly stretched.

Glass 8 is placed on the wire along the line of the required cut and the current is turned on. From one-sided heating with a hot wire, the glass bursts strictly along the line of the wire. The electric current is switched off and the operation is repeated.

Up to 200 cuts can be made per hour. During operation, the movable ruler can be rearranged at a predetermined distance from the wire and fixed again with screws.

Rice. 1. Electric glass cutter with nichrome wire: 1 - wooden table, 2 - load, 3 - block, 4 - asbestos cement sheet, 5 - slots, 6 - lamb. 7 - ruler, 8 - glass, 9 - filament, 10 - wires, 11 - transformer

To protect against electric shock during operation, it is necessary to lower the voltage in the network using a transformer (the permissible voltage is not higher than 36 V). When working with an electric glass cutter, care must be taken to avoid burns and electric shock.
Electrical installation for cutting glass ERS-1 (Fig. 2) consists of metal frame having the shape of a rectangle. Couplings with a diameter of 22 mm are welded to the frame, into which tubular legs are screwed, connected by stiffeners. On the working side, the frame is reinforced with a 50×50 angle to avoid warping when heated. The working surface of the table is made of sheet steel 2 mm thick.

Rice. 2. Electrical installation for cutting glass ERS-1: 1 - stiffeners, 2 - tubular legs, 3 - coupling, 4 - frame, 5 - electrical wire with terminal, 6 - bracket, 7 - clamps-contacts, 8 - nichrome spiral, 9 - asbestos-cement rail, 10-dimensional rulers, 11 -. guide tubes, 12 - lamb, 14 - metal base, 15 - ruler - stop, 16 - ruler bracket, 17 - electric cord with plug, 18 - electrical socket, 19 - screw with nut, 20 - ceramic insulators, 21 - spring, 22 - electric switch, 23 - pipe for wiring

The ends of the spiral, which lies in the groove of the asbestos-cement lath, are connected to clips-contacts inserted into ceramic insulators with return springs at the ends. Electric wire 5 of the APR brand with a cross section of 2.5 mm2 in a pipe with a diameter of 14 mm was laid from the UV electric switch for 220 V to the contacts.

A universal template is installed on the working surface of the table for adjusting the glass blank of the required dimensions. The template consists of two rods with a diameter of 12 mm, guide tubes connected to a stop ruler.

Table length - 1250-1800 mm, width - 800-900 mm, height - 780 mm. largest size cut glass - 2000 mm. Electricity consumption - 2 kW / h. Thickness performance window glass 2 mm - 2100 cuts per shift, at 2.5-4 mm - 840, at 4-6 mm - 520; patterned glass up to 5 mm thick - 550; reinforced glass - 500 cuts per shift.

Before starting work, you must make sure that the machine is in good condition. Work is done from left to right. The spiral should not reach the upper edge of the groove by 0.2 mm so that the glass does not touch the spiral. The template is installed on right size glass blanks and fixed with locking winglets 12. Then the installation is connected to the network.

Glass is placed on a spiral heated to a faint glow so that one side of it rests against the ruler-stop. Under the influence of a sharp temperature drop, the glass bursts along the heating line, after which the installation is turned off, the workpiece is removed and the process is repeated. This method cuts glass up to 2.5 mm thick. When cutting glass with a thickness of 3-6 mm, the electrical installation is turned off every 3-5 seconds until the glass begins to burst along the heating line.

During the cutting of reinforced glass, the installation is turned off when glass crackles along the heating line. The glass is moved to the edge of the working surface of the table and the workpiece is separated with light pressure.

Laser glass cutter works in glass factories. The narrow light beam of the gas quantum generator replaces the diamond. The laser machine can cut profile and sheet glass during its continuous production. Cutting speed - up to 3.5 m per second, and the mode of operation of the laser "glazier" is fully automated.

Cutting glass without a diamond

A small hole in the glass can be drilled with a flat file sharpened like a sharp chisel.

The file is fixed in the drill chuck and drilled, allowing it to cool, and periodically sharpening. Glass 6 mm thick is drilled in 10-15 minutes.

In order to cut any glass vessel, you need to fill it with water to the level at which you want to get a cut.

Then, at the same level with the poured water, they tie the vessel with twine moistened with kerosene or gasoline, and light it. The vessel will burst exactly along the twine line.

In order for the vessel to burst evenly, you need to monitor the tightness of the twine to the walls of the vessel (avoid sagging).

Cutting glass using electric current

The installation diagram for cutting glass cylindrical vessels is shown in Fig. 1

To secondary winding step-down transformer with a voltage of 10-12 V, an iron or nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm is connected. This wire is wrapped around a glass vessel in one turn along the cut line.

In the place where the beginning of the coil converges with its end, pieces of asbestos or mica are laid so that a short circuit does not occur.

Transformer include in electrical network.

As soon as the wire warms up, a crack forms in the place where the glass is heated. The glass vessel is easily split (cut) along the heating line.

glass vessels large diameter cut with an electric glass cutter, the design of which is shown in Fig. 2.

The electric glass cutter is mounted on an ordinary clothespin, the sponges of which are sawn off and pasted over with asbestos. The spiral is a nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.6 mm.

The spiral covers the vessel to be cut, and its ends are fixed between the jaws of the clothespins so that they do not connect to each other. Porcelain beads or ceramic insulators are put on the free ends of the spiral (they isolate the ends of the spiral in electrolytes).

The ends of the spiral are connected to mounting wires of the MGSHV type with a cross section of 0.5-0.75 mm² and connected to a step-down transformer with a voltage on the secondary winding of 10-12 V. If it is not available, a car battery can be used.

With the help of electric current, you can easily and quickly cut display glass 10-12 mm thick.

First, dirt and dust are removed from the glass surface. Then a cut line is drawn, for which two marks are made on the glass with a diamond at the ends of this line in the form of short dashes.

Glass is placed on flat surface table and along the ruler make an incision with a diamond according to the marks. Then a nichrome wire 0.8-1 mm thick is laid along the notch line, as shown in Fig. 3, and a load weighing 0.5-1 kg is suspended so that the nichrome wire fits snugly against the glass surface.

Wires with a cross section of 1.5-2 mm² are connected to the ends of the nichrome wire. The ends of the electrical wires are connected to a 9 A LATR and connected to the electrical network (the voltage is first selected at which the nichrome wire becomes red-brown).

Glass breaks easily along the cut line made by the diamond.

Glass work

Cutting glass using electric current

The installation scheme for cutting glass cylindrical vessels is shown in fig. 172.

An iron or nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm is connected to the secondary winding of a step-down transformer with a voltage of Yu-12 V. This wire is wrapped around a glass vessel in one turn along the cut line. In the place where the beginning of the coil converges with its end, pieces of asbestos or mica are laid so that a short circuit does not occur. The ends of the wire are fixed with clamps. The transformer is connected to the electrical network. As soon as the wire warms up, a crack forms in the place where the glass is heated. The glass vessel is easily split (cut) along the heating line.

Glass vessels of large diameter are cut with an electric glass cutter, the design of which is shown in Fig. 173.

The electric glass cutter is mounted on an ordinary clothespin, the sponges of which are sawn off and pasted over with asbestos. The spiral is a nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.6 mm. The spiral covers the vessel being cut, and its ends are fixed between the jaws of the clothespin so that they do not connect to each other. Porcelain beads or ceramic insulators are put on the free ends of the spiral (they insulate the ends of the spiral in electric stoves). The ends of the spiral are connected to mounting wires of the MGSHV type with a cross section of 0.5-0.75 mm2 and connected to a step-down transformer with a voltage on the secondary winding of 10-12 V. In the absence of it, a car battery can be used.

With the help of electric current, you can easily and quickly cut a display glass with a thickness of 10-12 mm.

First, dirt and dust are removed from the glass surface. Then a cut line is drawn, for which two marks are made on the glass with a diamond at the ends of this line in the form of short dashes. The glass is laid on a flat surface of the table and a cut is made along the ruler with a diamond along the marks. Then a nichrome wire 0.8-1 mm thick is laid along the notch line, as shown in Fig. 174, and hang a weight of 0.5-1 kg so that the nichrome wire fits snugly against the glass surface. Wires with a cross section of 1.5-2 mm2 are connected to the ends of the nichrome wire. The ends of the electrical wires are connected to JIATPy at 9 A and connected to the electrical network (the voltage is first selected at which the nichrome wire becomes red-brown).

Glass breaks easily along the cut line made by the diamond.

The methods of cutting glass with the help of simple home-made devices are considered. You will learn how to cut glass without a diamond and using electric current, how to cut display glass, how to cut circular glass.

A glass cutter or a diamond is usually used to cut glass. However, you can do without them. It is convenient to cut out various figures from glass using a charcoal pencil (Fig. 1). Charcoal pencil is made as follows.

Charcoal (birch or linden) is ground in a mortar into a fine powder. The powder is kneaded with gum arabic. The resulting thick dough is rolled into round sticks and dried well.

Rice. 1. Glass cutting without diamond.

Before cutting, the edge of the glass is filed with a trihedral file. Then a pencil is lit from one edge and touches the sawn edge of the glass with it. The hot tip of the pencil is led in the right direction. Glass cracks break easily.

In order to cut any glass vessel, you need to fill it with water to the level at which you want to get a cut. Then, at the same level with the poured water, they tie the vessel with twine moistened with kerosene or gasoline, and light it. The vessel will burst exactly along the twine line. In order for the vessel to burst evenly, you need to monitor the tightness of the twine to the walls of the vessel (avoid sagging).

Cutting glass using electric current

The installation scheme for cutting glass cylindrical vessels is shown in fig. 2. An iron or nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 mm is connected to the secondary winding of a step-down transformer with a voltage of 10-12 V. This wire is wrapped around a glass vessel in one turn along the cut line.

Rice. 2. Cutting glass with electric current.

In the place where the beginning of the coil converges with its end, pieces of asbestos or mica are laid so that a short circuit does not occur. The ends of the wire are fixed with clamps. The transformer is connected to the electrical network.

As soon as the wire warms up, a crack forms in the place where the glass is heated. The glass vessel is easily split (cut) along the heating line. Glass vessels of large diameter are cut with an electric glass cutter, the design of which is shown in Fig. 3.

Rice. 3. Electric glass cutter.

The electric glass cutter is mounted on an ordinary clothespin, the sponges of which are sawn off and pasted over with asbestos. The spiral is a nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.5-0.6 mm. The spiral covers the vessel being cut, and its ends are fixed between the jaws of the clothespin so that they do not connect to each other.

Porcelain beads or ceramic insulators are put on the free ends of the spiral (they insulate the ends of the spiral in electric stoves). The ends of the spiral are connected to mounting wires of the MGSHV type with a cross section of 0.5-0.75 mm2 and connected to a step-down transformer with a voltage on the secondary winding of 10-12 V. If it is not available, a car battery can be used.

How to cut display glass (electrical)

With the help of electric current, you can easily and quickly cut glass window 10-12 mm thick. First, dirt and dust are removed from the glass surface. Then a cut line is drawn, for which two marks are made on the glass with a diamond at the ends of this line in the form of short dashes. The glass is laid on a flat surface of the table and a cut is made along the ruler with a diamond along the marks.

Then a nichrome wire 0.8-1 mm thick is laid along the notch line, as shown in Fig. 4, and hang a weight of 0.5-1 kg so that the nichrome wire fits snugly against the glass surface.

Rice. 4. How to cut the display glass.

Wires with a cross section of 1.5-2 mm2 are connected to the ends of the nichrome wire. The ends of the electrical wires are connected to a 9 A LATR and connected to the electrical network (the voltage is first selected at which the nichrome wire becomes red-brown).

Glass breaks easily along the cut line made by the diamond.

A simple tool for cutting round glass

When repairing instrumentation, it is often necessary to replace broken or cracked glass in pressure gauges, electrothermometers, watches, etc.

Rice. 5. Device for cutting round glasses.

The fixture shown in fig. 5, allows you to cut glass with a diameter of 40 to 200 mm and a thickness of up to 5 mm. Instead of a diamond, a roller from a standard glass cutter is used.

The device consists of a textolite base 1, pasted over with flannel or rubber on top. A bracket 2 is fixed on the base. A bushing 3 is pressed into the bracket, in which an axis is placed with a movable holder 4 fixed on it on one side and a locking screw 5 for fastening the glass cutter 6, and on the other side the handle 7.

Remove dirt and oil stains from the surface of the glass, put it on the base of the device. Having installed the holder with a glass cutter and the required radius, fix it with a locking screw.

When the handle of the device is rotated, the glass cutter makes a circle cut on the surface of the glass. Then the glass is placed on a flat surface and a few tangent lines are drawn to the resulting circle with a diamond or glass cutter. Then carefully break off the glass around the circumference. The remaining small corners are removed with pliers.

After the glass is cut, its ends are lightly worked on a sand wheel and boiled in water to relieve stress.

Literature: V.G.Bastanov. 300 practical advice, 1986

Cutting plexiglass may come in handy infrequently, it is more logical to entrust this work to professionals by contacting a specialized company. But sometimes it may be necessary to perform a single cut or there is a desire to do this work yourself in order to realize your own design ideas.

Cutting plexiglass at home

Cutting plexiglass at home is not difficult, as it is a malleable and easy-to-work material. Despite the external resemblance to ordinary glass, performance characteristics organic glass is different, and it is processed various methods: turning, planing, sawing, etc. It is permissible to cut plexiglass using a large number fixtures.

Plexiglas processing is carried out using the following tools:

• nichrome thread;
• Circular Saw;
• cutter;
• hacksaw.

Nichrome thread

Fusion cutting is performed using nichrome wire. A voltage of up to 24 V is applied to the wire through a step-down transformer, as a result of which it is strongly heated. Nichrome thread makes curvilinear and curly cuts having good quality surfaces that do not require further polishing.

Home craftsmen use a flat-bladed screwdriver for melt cutting. Electric soldering iron heat the metal part of the screwdriver, while the end is pressed against the surface of the plexiglass. Then, holding the tool by the edge of the handle, a cut line is drawn with a heated screwdriver blade. To draw straight lines, it is more convenient to use a metal ruler or the smooth side of a hacksaw. Plexiglas breaks easily along the traced strip. More on video:

Circular saw or metal cutter

A circular saw or cutter is also good option to work with organic glass. In this case, the cutter for metal for cutting plexiglass should be no thicker than 1 mm. It should be borne in mind that during cutting, the saw or cutter heats up the material being processed, as a result of which it melts and foams at the place of cut. In order not to spoil the workpiece, it is necessary to provide cooling. To do this, use water poured into a bottle. The vessel is fixed in some way near the cutting tool, and water is supplied to working area with a thin hose.

The circular saw must operate at high speeds. Some tools have special mode for processing plexiglass. For jobs that do not require High Quality cut, you can use a saw. The cutter is suitable for the production of thinner and cleaner cuts. When using a water cooling system, a smooth and smooth surface, and the cut will be transparent and neat.

cutter

Plexiglas of small thickness is perfectly cut with a construction cutter. Suitable for this purpose homemade tool made from a hacksaw blade, and even a clerical knife.

The cutter can only make a straight cut. To do this, the ruler (preferably metal) is pressed against the sheet of material along the line of the intended cut, then several times with pressure, the cutting tool is pressed along the surface of the plexiglass along the ruler. When the cut reaches the middle of the plexiglass layer, it can be easily broken. The fracture site will be uneven and rough, so additional grinding will be required.

Hacksaw for metal

The easiest way to cut plexiglass with your own hands is with a hacksaw. The cut lines must first be drawn with a pencil or felt-tip pen. In the process of work, the hacksaw must be kept level, trying not to tilt it to the side. It is desirable to fix the workpiece rigidly. The cutting surface will not be smooth. All bumps and burrs are removed with a file and sandpaper.

How to cut figured plexiglass

In some cases, it may be necessary to curly cutting. This is done in the following ways:

1. Caliper. Plexiglas is cut with sharp sponges for marking.
2. Nichrome thread. A template is made from cardboard, which is glued to the workpiece. For convenience, the wire can be fixed in a simple jigsaw instead of a canvas. Then you need to carefully cut the part from the plexiglass according to the template.
3. A glass cutter (cutter) can cut a circle. The suction cup is attached in the center of the proposed circle, then a rail or ruler is attached to it. The glass cutter is rigidly attached to the rail with self-tapping screws. turning cutting tool around the suction cup, cut a groove in the Plexiglas. The excess parts are broken off.

Production methods of cutting

AT industrial scale plexiglass is processed using the following technologies:

1. Milling cutting. Processing takes place on special milling machines with rotation speed up to 4000 rpm.
2. Band-saw. Used for curved cuts. Final grinding is required, because the cut quality is low.
3. Circular Saw. You can get a straight cut with a clean edge.

laser cutting

The most popular way to process plexiglass is laser cutting. The material is cut on special equipment using a laser beam. The method guarantees high level accuracy (up to 0.005 mm) and minimal waste. The laser allows you to make the cut edges smooth and transparent. However, after cutting laser machine stays high in plexiglass internal stress, and it is not recommended to glue parts made in this way.