Long cuts in glasss

[marcus]

OK I'm nervous....

I have some lovely antique glass which I need to cut into long thin panes. I have never done cuts anything like this long before - the panes are 1200mm tall, and the glass is 3mm thick.

Does anyone have any hints about how to reduce the chance of broken panes making long cuts like this? I'm OK with using the glass cutter etc. it's actually doing the snap that I'm worried about - I'm envisioning the glass twisting and breaking if I apply uneven pressure for example.

Please, this is a question for people who have actually done this before. I can afford one breakage - no more :-/

Thanks

Marcus

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Hi Marcus
No experience myself - understand your concern.
May be worth posting on a glass workers forum - perhaps try here?

 

[mickthetree]

Take it to your local glass merchants, they will charge pennies for doing this and have all the gear

I got some float glass from my local glass merchants a month or so ago and a guy brought his own glass in whilst I was there.

The guy cut it and rounded the corners in some special room in minutes.

 

[OllyK]

I tend to put my first finger on each hand on the underside of the glass, either side of the score and my thumbs on the top and just flex my hands apart which is enough to do the job.

If you're really nervous, a long dowel or similar on a table with the score over the top and then press down either side.

Other option that I use on curves, tap gentley from underneath with the handle, you'll see the score turn in to a full fissure for the first few inches, then tap a bit further along and so on.

If you can, do some test cuts first to get a feel for how the glas breaks!

 

[Derek Willis.]

Use White Spirit as a lubricant to keep the cut open, leaving your cutter in the spirit is the best way, each time you pick it out it has lubricant on it.
But please be careful, old glass is a B....r to cut, glass merchants are your best option.
Derek.

 

[OllyK]

Use White Spirit as a lubricant to keep the cut open, leaving your cutter in the spirit is the best way, each time you pick it out it has lubricant on it.
But please be careful, old glass is a B....r to cut, glass merchants are your best option.
Derek.

You can get cutters with a reservoir in the handle, that way you always have oil going on to the cutter blade as you use it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OIL-LUBRICATED-GL ... 240%3A1318

 

[windows20]

make sure you only do 1 score line then just crack from 1 end ,dont try and put something both ends because that how you break the middle.hope you under stand that.
andy

 

[Digit]

Glass becomes brittle with age, DAMHIK, take it to a glaziers I would say.

Roy.

 

[marcus]

Thanks everyone, I have decided that discretion is the better part of valour and have taken it to a glazier.... Isn't it great when your problem becomes someone elses problem?! 8)

I should have enough offcuts to practice some of the techniques suggested so next time I won't need to chicken out!

Cheers

Marcus