How to cut tempered glass. How to cut glass with an oil or diamond glass cutter. Shaped glass cutting

How to cut glass and which glass cutter to choose - this is what novice homeowners are interested in when planning apartment renovations. Choose a modification depending on the type of glass and its thickness. Focus on the price indicator, the durability of the device and the resource - the number of meters that it can cut through. When working with fragile glass, use tricks that allow you to quickly make a cut with smooth edges, without chips, scratches or cracks.

Cutting glass with your own hands is an activity that requires patience and endurance. To evenly cut fragile glass at home with any of the tools, follow the rules:

Before starting work, check that the corners of the factory sheet are correct - they should be 90 degrees each.
Place the glass sheet on a flat, blemish-free surface. Clean the surface with a cloth and kerosene.
Take a ruler with a thickness of 8 mm with a rubberized stand at the bottom and make a cut along it.
Draw one line - no more, and carefully break it into two parts
If the glass does not break, try tapping it with a construction hammer. Tap close to the cut with little or no pressure and check the material again for fracture.

Cut glass at home

Follow safety precautions:

Put on gloves and mark. Be careful not to get the wrong size.
Press the cutting tool lightly, without straining.
The cut should be smooth and not too deep. Do it in one movement.
Press harder on a roller glass cutter than on a diamond cutter.
Broken glass can be finally broken off on the edge of the table by first tapping it with a hammer.
Break off the narrow strips along the edges with the side of a glass cutter.

Use a ruler for a straight line

Trick: to avoid marking the transparent glass, place it directly on the drawing and fix it masking tape

Types of glass cutters and instructions for working with them

Glass cutters are classified according to the type of cutting part, handle and purpose. There are diamond, carbide roller and oil cut models that can cut straight or round shapes.

Diamond – durable and strong

The blade of the glass cutter is made of diamond, fixedly fixed in the handle silver solder. Diamond can be:

natural – cuts to a depth of 5 to 10 mm;
synthetic – with a cutting depth of up to 5 mm.

Cutting without marking glass

A model with a synthetic blade costs less than a natural one, but handles cutting just as well. It is designed to cut 10 thousand linear meters of glass.

Manufacturers make the cutting head of a diamond glass cutter in one of two forms:

pyramidal tetrahedral;
curvilinear.

Tools with pyramidal heads are used by professional carvers, and curved heads are used by beginning craftsmen at home. When the cutting part of the diamond becomes dull, the holder locking screw is unscrewed and the tip is slightly turned with the other edge, approximately 90⁰, and secured again. After all the ribs are worn out, the cutter is replaced with a new one or sharpened on a diamond-coated cast iron block.

On the base of the diamond glass cutter, in addition to the holders for the cutter, 1-3 slots are provided for breaking off glass. The handle is made of wood or plastic, sometimes with rubber inserts.

Model with diamond cutter

How to cut glass correctly with a diamond glass cutter:

Prepare a table with a work surface that is 15% larger than the size of the glass piece.
Lay out a ruler with a suction cup and additional tools.
Wipe the glass with degreaser and make markings with a simple pencil.
Holding the glass cutter by metal base, draw a thin line along the ruler with a diamond blade. Apply significant pressure.
When finished, tap the glass on both sides of the cut with a hammer.
Break the product so that you get two parts. The cut should be smooth, without chips.

Roller - popular and simple

Cutting glass with your own hands requires patience and precision from the master. When choosing which glass cutter is better - a roller cutter or a diamond cutter, make a list of requirements for the tool. If price is a determining factor for you, choose a model with a roller. Diamond glass cutters are more expensive, but more durable.

The roller tool is easy to use and popular with beginning carvers working at home. Its blade tool, which is in direct contact with the material being cut, is a roller made of a tungsten-cobalt hard alloy. When working with glass, it scrolls, forming a cutting line.

The following types of roller glass cutters are available for sale:

regular with a wooden handle – copes with material up to 5 mm thick;
with a plastic handle, made in China - has similar properties;
professional glass cutter – cuts material up to 10 mm thick;
tool from Kraftool - semi-professional.

Glass cutter with 6 rollers

Ordinary glass cutters are sold in hardware stores and cost about 100 rubles. It's up to you to choose a wooden or plastic handle. The kit includes five spare rollers for replacement.

Standard roller characteristics:

diameter – 6.6 mm;
sharpening angle – 100⁰.

How to replace the roller in a glass cutter:

Unscrew the bolt in the central part of the tool.
Rotate the roller disc so that the new blade enters the work area.
Tighten the bolt.

The movable head allows you to cut curved shapes

Instead of replacing the roller, you can sharpen it using a fine-grained abrasive wheel.

Kraftool devices are durable. A model with one roller costs 250 rubles, and its resource is 8000 m. A glass cutter with six rollers costs less, but each of them wears out completely in 1000 m. Maximum depth cutting for both tools – 5 mm.

The procedure for cutting glass with your own hands using a roller:

Make markings on the glass.
Take a ruler with a thickness of 8 mm and attach it to the glass.
Slowly but surely draw the cutting line.
Make sure that the device does not leave the marked line when operating.

Video: How to cut glass with a roller glass cutter

Oil - with increased resource

Oil glass cutter is an innovation among cutting glass tools. According to the principle of operation, it resembles a roller one, but differs in the presence of an oil reservoir on the handle. A wick stretches from the reservoir to the cutting edge, through which oil is automatically supplied to the surface of the glass. Lubricant performs the following functions:

reduction of friction level;
increasing blade life.

An oil glass cutter is used to work with glass up to 20 mm thick. It is more convenient to use and moves easily across the surface. Tool life is 5000 linear meters without sharpening.

After the resource is exhausted, the working head is replaced completely, along with the roller. Subject to replacement:

mounting axes;
rollers;
sidewalls.

Typically, rollers with sharpening angles are installed:

150⁰ – for working with glass 1-2 cm thick;
135⁰ – for cutting material up to 1 cm thick.

Inside the handle there is an oil reservoir

The head can be movable or firmly fixed to the base. Some models of tools with a movable head provide the ability to fix the cutting part.

Thanks to its ergonomic shape, extensive functionality and reasonable cost, oil glass cutters are more popular than diamond ones. Using such a tool, add liquid lubricant to the reservoir in a timely manner.

Key requirements that glass cutter oil must meet:

consistency of medium thickness - such that the lubricant easily penetrates through the narrow neck, but does not ooze;
good adhesion– oil should not spread over the surface of the material.

High-quality oil easily penetrates the tool blade along the wick and leaves a small viscous trace when pressed. The sequence of cutting glass is the same as when working with a roller tool.

Compass – for round shapes

The devices described above are suitable when it is necessary to cut glass in a straight line. But which glass cutter is better to buy when curved cutting is required? If you need to cut a round shape, look for a compass-style tool. Essentially, this is an oil analogue attached to a suction cup.

How to cut glass with a glass cutter in the form of a compass in a circle:

Place the glass on your work table.
Attach the suction cup to the center of the future circle.
Find the scale on the “leg” of the glass cutter.
Set the radius of the future circle by moving the head with the blade to the appropriate value.
Using light pressure, draw a circle with your “foot” and gently tap it with a hammer.

Cutting a circle with a compass tool

To cut an oval, use a system of two rods, fixing them on a suction cup perpendicular to each other, and placing a rod on top with cutting tool.

Scissors - an unusual solution

If you don't have a glass cutter and purchasing a tool isn't an option, use regular tailor's scissors instead.

How to properly cut glass with scissors:

Draw marking lines on the glass.
Heat the water in an enamel container until it is warm, but not hot.
Dip the glass sheet and scissors into it.
Make a cut underwater.

You will be surprised, but due to the capillary effect, glass is easy to press. A microcrack forms on the surface, and then a fracture, and the material falls into pieces. The quality of the cut when working with scissors is worse, but the method is suitable for unimportant openings.

Video: Cutting glass with scissors

Professional commercial installations

Professional glass cutters are different from home ones hand tools. In large enterprises this is automatic installations, powered by electricity. There are three types of industrial glass cutters:

laser;
sandblasting;
waterjet.

Laser glass cutting machine

Laser devices convert electrical energy into high-temperature radiation that is focused at one point. They allow you to perfectly accurately cut the most complex openwork shapes from glass or mirror without damaging the material.

Advantages of laser equipment: high speed work, waste-free production, perfect cuts. Disadvantages: the need to work in perfect cleanliness, the requirement of professional knowledge to work with the installation.

Sandblasting units create a cut using air jet, mixed with sand and released under high pressure. The advantage of the method is the possibility of not only cutting, but also decorating glass products. The disadvantage is that it cannot be used at home.

Waterjet machines operate similarly to sandblasting machines, but instead of sand and air, water is sprayed. Experts set the cutting trajectory on a computer, and then only control the process.

Which glass cutter is best for different types of glass?

When choosing a glass cutter, consider the structure and properties of the material you plan to cut.

Glass cutting methods various types:

regular with a thickness of 5 mm - cut with a diamond or oil glass cutter;
regular up to 5 mm thick - use diamond, roller or oil;
hardened – cannot be cut at home;
matte – cut along the smooth side with any tool;
acrylic is not glass; cut it with scissors or a stationery knife.

Having decided on the type of tool, select its category:

home glass cutter;
semi-professional;
professional.

Glass transfer suction cup

Compare the resource and cost of each tool:

diamond – 10 thousand m;
roller – 6-8 thousand m;
oil – 5 thousand m.

Pay attention to the sharpening angles of the blades - this characteristic allows you to determine what thickness the tool can work with.

Other cutting equipment

One glass cutter is not enough to cut glass efficiently and quickly. Other tools you will need:

Desktop. Its surface should be smooth, without depressions or bulges. The table is located horizontally. Professional tables have metal guides that allow you to move the glass without the risk of breaking.
Glass square or ruler with a rubber suction cup. If you use professional glass cutters with a ruler, according to which you can set the distance from the suction cup to the cut line, you are unlikely to need a square. The ruler must be suitable for working with fragile materials and must be fixed with suction cups.
A simple pencil or marker. For marking.
A hammer weighing 60-80 g. For tapping glass that cannot be broken off by hand.
Kerosene and fabric. For degreasing glass. Oil glass cutters are also fueled with kerosene.
Roulette. For measurements.

Ruler with rubber anti-slip backing

Tricks when working with glass

There are a number of tricks you can use when working with a glass cutter. Below are some:

Wear gloves when handling glass.
Hold the tool as you would a regular pen.
Draw the cut line only once. When working with a contour, leave a gap of up to 3 mm.
To quickly break the glass along the cut line, place it not directly on the table, but place matches underneath along the right and left edges. After cutting the fabric, press lightly in the center.

Video: How to cut glass correctly

Relying on your strengths zealous owner sometimes voluntarily takes on the duties of a handyman. Why invite a third-party specialist for every issue, if you can test your abilities in performing some work, even if they are being done for the first time. Every man has had to change at least once in his life. broken glass to a new one, having previously adjusted its dimensions to the required ones. As you guessed, we will talk about how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter.

Glass is a fragile object, so a simple tool for working with it must be of high quality. Experienced craftsmen value their diamond glass cutter very much, so they store it in a special case. It is called diamond because its main element - the cutting part - is made of a small crystal of real diamond, which has the property increased strength. And if you give him more precise definition, then diamond is the most durable natural mineral on the ground. Leave a deep mark in the form of a scratch on such artificial material Like glass, it’s not difficult even for a child. Another thing is that no one will allow him to do such an activity, because a small force is enough for the glass to break along the scratch applied to it, forming a traumatic edge. The “fresh” edge is rubbed with sandpaper.

Sometimes you can hear boastful tales of a self-confident “specialist” who convinces others that he can cut glass even with a rusty nail. But this is unlikely to be true, because a glass cutter with an exhausted reserve can only ruin a large piece of glass because it will break along a curved line. And here's why - the hardness of a metal nail is significantly lower than the hardness of a diamond. Let's compare it with the example of an ordinary kitchen knife: with a dull knife, bread can only be shredded, rather than cut into even pieces.

Later, roller glass cutters made of high-strength alloy began to be used, which practically replaced the diamond glass cutter from use, gaining popularity due to its low cost. This glass cutter is equipped with a special head with several (3 or 6 pieces) rollers. If one of the rollers becomes dull, just turn the head by loosening the screw, after which the tool is ready for use. active work using a new roller as a cutting element.

Note! One glass cutter roller can cut 300 linear meters of glass.

The advantage of such a glass cutter is that the roller moves across the glass with ease compared to a diamond, so there is no need to apply a lot of force to make a noticeable groove. Craftsmen claim that a barely noticeable scratch is enough to divide the glass into planned parts along a strictly drawn line.

The future fault line should be smooth and not interrupted.

Tricks and secrets of cutting glass

So what is the “art” of cutting glass, and how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter? There are several rules for performing this simple action.

First. Successful glass cutting requires a quality glass cutter and a spacious table with a flat surface made of fiberboard (Fiberboard), which is ideal for working with glass.

Second. Scratch the glass in in the right place using a ruler or a thin, even strip 5-10 mm wide. For convenience, the width of the ruler should not be the smallest, then it is easier to hold it with your fingers while drawing. After all, it is the quality of the applied line that determines how the glass will break. The line should be applied once with firm pressure with a glass cutter on the glass under the ruler; the line should not be intermittent. If this was not accomplished, and the glass cutter made a zigzag, there is no doubt that the glass will not break as intended. Some technicians are able to correct an intermittent furrow error, but this requires sufficient experience.

Glass markings can be done as follows: in an original way: A clear, long, straight line is drawn on the table. Two small lines are applied along the two edges of the glass according to the required dimensions. The workpiece with such marks is placed on the table so that the lines coincide with a straight line on the table. Next, place a ruler on top of the glass 2-4 millimeters to the left of the line on the table and draw a glass cutter from one line to another. This method is applicable only if the glass is transparent.

Third. It is important to hold the tool correctly while making a groove on the glass. The diamond glass cutter should be held in the hand like a pencil, that is, almost vertically, but with some inclination. The drawn line turns out colorless and thin. The roller glass cutter is held strictly perpendicular to the glass surface between the thumb and middle finger, while pressing on the glass cutter with the index finger.

Note! The pressure on the glass with a roller glass cutter should be stronger than with a diamond cutter. The mark on the glass from the roller is white.

The pressure force and the speed of movement of the glass cutter along the entire length of the line should be the same. Only at the edges should the pressure be reduced, otherwise there is a danger of unexpected chipping or the formation of small glass fragments that are dangerous to the eyes. When working with glass, it is better to use special safety glasses and do not forget about gloves - chipped edges of glass can easily injure your hands.

Fourth. Glass with a straight line drawn along it breaks easily. If this does not happen, you should place the workpiece on the table so that this line is 0.5 cm further from the edge of the table, as if suspended. Next, holding the suspended edge of the glass, use the glass cutter head to apply very light blows to the bottom of the workpiece along the entire length of the drawn line. At some point, often quite unexpectedly, the glass breaks. In order to break off the glass, you can simply press on it from above with your hands or, before pressing, place two matches under its edges on the drawn line.

Note! Sometimes you need to separate a small, narrow piece of glass. For this purpose, the glass cutter has special grooves into which the glass is inserted and broken off.

Fifth. It is worth noting that the quality of a glass cutter can be determined by the tone of the sound (soprano) at the moment of drawing the line. Creaking and squealing indicate a dull cutting element.

Good luck with your chipping, and may the instrument sing you melodies in the correct sonic language.

Video

You might be interested in a video on how to cut a mirror:

Below you can watch a useful video about the rules for choosing a glass cutter:

Glass has always stood apart among building materials. fragile, for the most part transparent, not everyone can get their hands on it, but those craftsmen who make friends with glass can create real miracles from it: frescoes of incredible beauty, mosaics, stained glass windows. And even simple windows, if they are fitted and inserted correctly, they are akin to magic: letting light into the house without letting heat out of it.

The main wealth of a glazier has always been, is and will be the knowledge of how to cut glass so that its pieces come out the right size and shapes, with smooth, chip-free edges. But if earlier both the glass itself and the tools for cutting it cost incredible amounts of money, so cutting was entrusted to the most experienced craftsmen, today the situation has changed dramatically. Today, anyone can work with glass, and rarely does a home workshop of a self-respecting owner do without tools for cutting glass.

Which tool to choose

Glass like no other construction material, requires a good and high-quality tool to work with. Therefore, you need to start by searching and purchasing it. But if you just go to a hardware store and buy the first glass cutter you come across, then there is almost no chance that it will be able to cut glass.

First of all, you need to decide which tool you need. There are several types of glass cutters:

diamond;
roller;
oil

A diamond glass cutter uses a small diamond as a working tool. Everyone is well aware of the extraordinary hardness of this stone, which is why craftsmen have used it for cutting glass since time immemorial. Despite its venerable age, the diamond glass cutter is still considered the best tool for cutting glass.

Roller glass cutters use a roller made of ultra-strong tungsten-cobalt alloy for cutting. The standard diameter of such a roller is 6.6 mm, which allows cutting glass maximum thickness up to 4 mm.

An oil glass cutter has recently joined the list of tools for cutting glass. In fact, this is an improved roller glass cutter, the handle of which has a special reservoir for supplying lubricant to the cutting roller. The lubricant binds glass microparticles formed during cutting, reducing roller friction and ensuring smooth movement, deep penetration cutter into glass. This glass cutter can cut glass up to 20 mm inclusive.

When purchasing a glass cutter of any model, be sure to ask the seller to demonstrate the tool in operation. If you are satisfied with the result of the demonstration, you can purchase the instrument, but be sure to buy the one that was used to produce it. You should definitely not buy an untested tool, even if they are from the same batch as the demo one, since very often in modern glass cutters cutting edge turns out to be defective.

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Preparing glass for cutting

It is a mistake to believe that it is enough to simply place a sheet of glass on the table and start cutting it. There must be preparation for cutting, even the most minimal. New glass can simply be cleaned of dust and wiped dry with newspapers. It is better not to use fabric for this, since it leaves small fibers on the glass, making it difficult to normal work glass cutter

If you have to cut used glass, you must first degrease it. This can be easily done with a clean linen or flannel cloth soaked in kerosene. Then the glass must be thoroughly washed using special means for washing. And the final stage of preparation will be drying the glass in a closed clean room so that a minimum of dust gets onto the cleaned surface.

TO preparatory work This includes cutting glass, as well as preparing containers for waste. It is better if there are two of them: then in one you can put small waste that is subsequently disposed of, and in the second - larger ones, which may still be useful for other purposes.

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How to cut glass correctly

When cutting glass, you should always follow the principle of “from simple to complex.” In practice, this means that you need to start practicing on an ordinary window glass, and make the cutting itself in straight lines. And only after gaining sufficient experience can you take up artistic cutting or cutting expensive glass.

The cutting technique is quite simple. First you need to prepare a table or other flat surface on which to cut. It is better to cover the surface with 4-5 layers of newspaper; this will, firstly, protect the table surface from glass chips, and secondly, distribute the pressure of the glass on the table more evenly, preventing it from cracking.

The glass must be completely placed on the tabletop, stepping back from its edge by 5-7 cm. The cutter himself must be strictly opposite the cut mark. It is better (and more comfortable) to place your legs shoulder-width apart in order to securely fix the body and at the same time be able to freely move the body above the incision site. It is this position that gives the maximum chance for a successful final outcome.

During cutting, the glass should fit tightly to the tabletop, so to avoid vibration, press it against the surface free hand, but without fanaticism, otherwise the glass, especially thin glass, can be crushed.

Taking the glass cutter in your hand, you need to draw a line with it from one edge of the sheet to the other. The glass cutter wheel should follow the marked line, but at the same time it should always be strictly at right angles to the glass surface.

There are some subtleties when using different types glass cutters They cut with a diamond glass cutter by taking it at the very bottom of the base of the handle, drawing smoothly along the ruler, as if with a pencil, along the marked line, practically without pressing it on the glass.

If you perform the cutting correctly, you will hear a subtle crackling sound as the glass cutter moves. A correctly executed cut line will be thin and shallow, barely noticeable against the background of the glass.

Unlike a diamond cutter, a roller glass cutter requires slight pressure when moving along the glass, so the cut line is highlighted by a whitish, clearly visible stripe, which is also deeper than when using a diamond glass cutter.

Failures when cutting glass most often occur for 2 reasons:

too much pressure with a glass cutter;
passing the glass cutter several times along the same line.

During cutting, the glass cutter must be pressed evenly along the entire length of the cut.

For glass 2 mm thick, the pressing force should be from 1 to 1.5 kg; for 4-5 mm glass, this force should be much greater - 5 kg. But the speed of the line is not particularly important.

If, while drawing a line with a glass cutter, you notice that small chips are flying off the glass at the place of the cut, then this means that you are putting too much pressure on the glass cutter. To improve the situation, you need to immediately reduce the pressure.

Repeatedly cutting glass along the same line is unacceptable in any case. This will practically ruin the cutting part of your glass cutter, and the likelihood that the chip will go wrong in this case is very high. No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to re-draw an exact copy of the first line; imperceptible shifts to the side will inevitably occur.

Almost all of us have encountered the need to process transparent material, but in reality, not everyone knows how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter. In addition, this material is quite fragile, and when working with it, injuries of varying degrees are possible. 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 decent payment for their work, and many of us want to save money.

But essentially, cutting 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 have to know the technology and follow safety precautions.

Safety first!

Most owners of apartments or private houses do home repairs themselves, of course, when they have time for it. As in any other business, when working with glass, you must adhere to safety precautions to avoid serious injury. Simply not knowing how to properly cut glass with a glass cutter can lead not only to cuts, but also to eye injury from shrapnel.

It is highly not recommended to cut glass on your knees or moving objects; to do this, you must use a hard and flat surface. You should not grab the raw edges; it is better to lift the workpieces from the side edges. To work with glass you need work clothes made of thick dense fabric. Shoes should be closed so as not to injure your feet. Having changed into it before starting work, you also need to take care of the safety of your face and hands. To do this, you should always wear gloves and safety glasses. At the end of the work, you need to change clothes and change your shoes so that the fragments (and they will certainly be on your clothes) do not leave the work area.

Glass selection

As experts in glass craft note, 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 shows the material High Quality. However, products may be defective. Even if it's home renovation, you should not take glass with scratches. It also happens that during the production process of the material the rules are not fully followed, and then various defects appear on the sheets. Characteristic of them are stripes that 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 no 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 select a larger thickness - up to 3.5-4 mm. When cutting glass, the sheet should be 3-5 mm smaller than the frame. Otherwise, at the slightest distortion, the glass will not fit into the opening.

Types of glass cutters

Used for cutting glass special tool, which everyone knows. It can be of several types:

roller;
diamond;
oil;
compass.

Roller glass cutters have a cutting tip round shape. An alloy of cobalt and tungsten is usually used to make it. In this case, 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 has received great appreciation.

Diamond glass cutter enjoyed Despite the high price, it was, remains and will always be the undisputed leader in the field of glass cutting. It is better for home craftsmen to choose a professional diamond glass cutter that has a beveled cutting edge, as it will cut more linear meters of almost any thickness. You just need to store it in a special case. A diamond crystal is used for the cutting tip, and it is known to be the hardest mineral that can be found on Earth. Once you leave a small scratch on the glass, it will crack with the slightest force. Diamond glass cutters require periodic sharpening using a special whetstone.

Oil tools similar to their roller counterparts, the only difference being that the handle contains an oil capsule. It is automatically fed to the roller during operation and glass surface. This type of cutter is well suited for deciding how to cut thick glass glass cutter.

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

Preparation of the workplace

Before you start cutting glass, you need 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 fabric, as lint and stains remain, which 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 it dry and in indoors to avoid dust ingress.

It’s not enough to know how to cut glass correctly with a glass cutter; it won’t 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 virtually waste-free home production. It will be especially useful if you need to cut out a complex or uneven shape. It is optimal to place the longest side of the workpiece on a similar parameter of the glass. Sheets need to be cut into flat surface, excluding slopes. Plywood or fiberboard is suitable as an impromptu table. You can lay oilcloth or soft fabric on top.

Cutting technology

A clean and dry sheet is placed on the table for cutting glass, and it should be located entirely on work surface. It is more convenient to first make notes with a marker or a special pencil. For straight lines, you will need a ruler, and for complex cutting, a template prepared in advance. The thickness of the ruler must be at least 7 mm for a snug fit of the tool. And to prevent it from sliding on the glass, you can glue small rubber pieces to it.

The diamond glass cutter should be held like a pen or pencil, at a slight angle, using little force. If a thin colorless line is visible, then everything is being done correctly. Roller tool you need to hold it strictly perpendicular to the surface of the glass, holding it with your thumb and middle finger, and pressing from above with your index finger. Unlike a diamond glass cutter, when cutting 3 mm glass, a little more force is needed here. The trace remains white.

When holding the instrument, there should usually be a slight crackling sound, indicating good performance. Simple rules will help you avoid mistakes:

The driving speed must be uniform and not interrupted.
It is better to move the glass cutter faster than slower, but not too fast.
Regardless of the type of tool, the movement is always directed towards itself, that is, the tool follows the hand.
You should not press the tool too hard on the glass; you should apply even force throughout the entire segment.
The glass cutter must be carried along the line only once, no more, so that the glass does not break.

If you have no experience, it is better to first practice on some pieces. This way you can avoid mistakes, learn how to hold the tool and gain experience working with different materials, including fluted glass.

Proper glass break

After the cut, the glass breaks. Thin and small pieces can be broken off by hand. Sheets bigger size you need to move it to the edge of the table so that the cut is 3-5 cm from its edge. Use the handle of the tool to lightly tap along the entire line on the back of the glass. Do not forget to hold the hanging part of the sheet. After some time, tapping will give the desired result.

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

In some cases, the piece of glass being cut is too narrow. For this purpose, the glass cutter has special recesses in the “head”. They need to 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 force - the material will break off just along the cut.

Edge processing

Once the glass breaks, 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 whetstone, which is usually used to sharpen kitchen knives. Just moisten it with water first.

A diamond-coated corner whetstone will allow you to process both edges at once. Also for self made A diamond-coated sponge works well. But if you have a drill, then the process can be speeded up. It is enough to use a sanding attachment.

Corrugated glass

Corrugated or patterned glass is sheets on which a relief pattern is periodically repeated. This material performs different functions:

is a decorative decoration;
capable of partially scattering light;
limits end-to-end 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 rolling a special roller with some kind of pattern. Corrugated glass is mainly used in the decoration of doors and furniture. To cut such sheets, it is better to use a 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 it. The answer is simple - no way! There is no way to cut or drill it, because when you try to influence it mechanically, it crumbles.

Such material was used in the automotive industry long before the advent of triplex technology. During an accident, the glass simply shattered into small fragments, which prevented injury to drivers and passengers. Therefore, with regard to such material, you should not even ask yourself the question of 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 one, and therefore you have to resort to in different ways. First you need to determine and mark the center of the circle, and then attach a special suction cup. It is sold at any hardware store, and you can find cheap options.

Next you need to tie a thread to it, and better fishing line, length according to the desired radius of the circle. The other end is tied to a glass cutter. All that remains is to tighten the line as much as possible and guide the tool. After the cut, it is necessary to make radial cuts from the circle to the periphery of the glass. If, on the contrary, you need to cut a hole in the glass, then the rays should be drawn inside the outlined circle. And in such a way that the result is equal sectors.

Cutting complex shapes

To cut a complex arch or different geometric shapes for stained glass, you should prepare tracing paper. But it’s 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, you need 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. Finally, don’t forget to grind down all the edges.

Quite often when renovating an apartment or renovating old wooden windows you have to cut the glass with a glass cutter. In order to correctly implement this operation You must follow a few simple rules.

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

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

We cut glass with a glass cutter ourselves

Before as cutting glass with a glass cutter, you need to mark it using a regular or special pencil. It is worth noting that it is more convenient to cut glass using a ruler (the thickness is at least 8 mm, otherwise the glass cutter will not fit tightly). To do this, you need to place a ruler on the glass, and press the glass cutter against it to cut the glass. To prevent the ruler from sliding on the glass surface, you can glue pieces of rubber (from a medical bandage or a bicycle inner tube) onto it. The ruler on the glass must be positioned so that it is slightly to the side of the marking line (to the thickness of the glass cutter).

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

It is worth noting that tempered glass cannot be cut, as in most cases it breaks. This glass is processed before it is tempered.

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

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

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

In most cases, the 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 glass. In this case, most mistakes can be avoided during subsequent work.