Glass Cutting Tools
Glass cutting is a skill used done by individuals who are working in the glass manufacturing industry. There are those who also use glass cutting tools for crafts and recreational purposes. Glass art is increasingly becoming popular and is a great way to utilize all those creative juices during free time.
There is a misconception that working with glass is rather difficult to learn. The truth is that glass is relatively easy to deal with despite its fragile characteristic. Cutting glass and turning the finished products into pieces of art or using them for a home improvement project can be easily achieved by using the right glass cutting tools.
If you are interested to get into glass cutting there are several tools that you need to purchase and be familiar with:
- Glass Cutting Tools
- Glass Cutter
A glass cutter is yet the most important tool in your arsenal. There are hand-held glass cutters and there are also those that are guided b y electronic systems such as laser cutting machines. Laser cutting machines are mainly used in big-scale industries and glass cutting manufacturing plants.
A typical glass cutter is 5 to 6 inches long and is made from hard materials such as plastic or stainless steel. Regardless of body construction, a glass cutter features a cutting wheel on one end. The V-shaped cutting wheel is made of steel or tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is known as one of the hardest substances on earth, thus it is an ideal tool to cut through annealed glass.
Glass crafters have the option of using either a regular glass cutter or a self-oiling glass cutting tool. The latter has a reservoir along its body that holds the lubricating oil. The container then dispenses lubricating oil while the cutting wheel is scoring through glass.
The other end of a glass cutter usually has a ball made of stainless steel. Glass cutters use the ball end portion of a glass cutter to tap the glass after scoring. This makes it easier for the glass to break away from its original piece.
Another variation of a glass cutter is a pistol grip glass cutter. The only difference between a pistol-grip glass cutter and a regular glass cutter is that the former has an ergonomic handle attached to the body of a glass cutting mechanism. According to glaziers who prefer using piston-grip glass cutter, they are easier to handle and use. The user does not need to exert too much energy when scoring through glass. In addition, these tools are more expensive as well.
Glass Pliers- In order to achieve a clean and perfect break, you need to use glass pliers after glass scoring. These pliers are specifically intended for glass cutting purposes. You cannot use just any type of glass when breaking scored glass. Breaking the glass is made easier when you make use of glass pliers.
The two main types of glass pliers are:
- Breaking pliers
- Grozing Pliers
Aside from their primary purposes, these tools can also be used for other purposes as well. However their primary purposes are to clean cut glass and chip off small pieces of glass after breaking. The aforementioned pliers are used to clamp glass as well.
Breaking pliers are mainly used to break glass into several pieces. When cutting small pieces of glass, breaking pliers truly come in handy. They can expertly break a small chip of glass to produce a cleaner break.
Grozing pliers on the other hand are used to chip away glass small bits and pieces of glass. This is an excellent alternative tool when you don’t have a glass grinder.
Cutter Oil- A cutter oil may not seem relevant in the glass cutting process, but it does have a lot of purposes and benefits in the process:
- Provides sufficient lubrication to the glass cutting wheel
- Maintains the cutter blade in its ideal performance and condition
- Prevents the blade from being destroyed whole scratching against the glass surface
- An even and smoother scoring is achieved when glass cutting oil is applied or rolled on to the surface
- Gets rid of shards of glass that may get stuck in the cutting wheel
- Ensures safe working environment as it prevents shards of glass from flying around and causing accidents
Safety Reminders when Glass Cutting
The process of how to cut glass is a simple process but needs to be carefully executed each and every time. Before doing any glass scoring, cutting, or breaking a glass cutter needs to don gloves for safety reasons. Some may find that wearing gloves is uncomfortable, but once you get the hang of it you will be able to work wearing gloves with relative ease and convenience.
Aside from gloves, you also need to wear safety goggles. Again wearing goggles will ensure that you do not sustain any injury when working with glass. If you are an expert in cutting glass, you very well understand the importance of wearing safety goggles. There will be instances when shards of glass will fly around when you’re breaking and grinding glass.
Glass cutting may be difficult at first. You may not be able to make a clean cut during your first try, but when you practice you will eventually developed the skill. Just make sure to follow the steps of glass cutting in the right order so you get a clean and perfect cut every time you score glass.
Glass cutting tools are a must have for every home owner. As a homeowner, you are probably well aware that home improvements can help increase the value of your home.
Unfortunately, hiring a professional decorator or a construction crew can be costly. If there is, a need for you to make minor repairs in your house then hiring a contractor may be a bit too much. Therefore, if you are the kind of homeowner who finds home repairs and home improvements appealing then you will not hesitate to take on this challenge. Minor home repairs can be varied. It can involve plumbing like a leaking pipe in the kitchen sink or replacing a water fixture in the bathroom. It can also involve painting a room and adding wooden fixtures or it can involve replacing glass windows or installing new glass windows.
Working with wood is easy because all you have to do is to use saw and wooden cutters to shape it in any way you like. However, working with glass can be a little bit tricky because glass is fragile. If you fail to handle it correctly, it will shatter into pieces. To add to that, glass slabs are not cheap thus you cannot risk breaking one slab after another. That is why when there is a need for you to cut glass, it is important that you make sure of the right tools. No, you cannot use the power tools you have for wood because wood and glass are not the same. If you use these power tools, you will merely end up with shattered glass. Now, the tool used for cutting glass is classified as glass cutting tools and these tools come in all shapes and sizes. If you are not familiar with these glass cutting tools, what do you need to know about them? First, you need to understand that some of these glass cutting tools are made to cut thin glass, which are cheap. On the other hand, there are also glass cutters that are made to cut through thicker glass, which is a bit pricey. Therefore, it is important that you pick the right glass cutting tools for your project.
Second, you have to be aware that some glass cutting tools come with a self-drip lubrication. This means that it comes with an attachment that is meant to contain lubricants that will enable you to cut through glass with ease. However, this is one feature that you may or may not love. Every user has his or her opinion. Some finds the self-drip lubrication messy, especially if the model leaks while others find this feature convenient because it eliminates the need to keep on adding lubricant from another source.
Third, you might also want to know about the handling of these glass cutting tools. You know that glass is fragile and you need a good grip in order to cut through the glass without breaking it. That is why it is important that you are familiar with the different handles or grips. Some glass cutting tools come with an ergonomically designed handle. This means that the handles are meant to fit your hand perfectly without putting any strain on your wrist. Therefore, it is best that you test each handle first and choose the one you are most comfortable with.
If you intend on getting the appropriate glass cutting tool that is efficient then it is always best to do a little research first before you make the final purchase. You have to understand that the quality of your work will depend on the glass cutting tools that you use. If you want to end up with a professional like glass window replacement or glass art then acquiring the right tool for the job is a must. However, if you are contented with mediocre results then using standard glass cutting tools will work just fine.
Glass cutting tools can come in hand anytime. In fact, some homeowners consider these tools as investments, which is why they are careful at choosing glass cutters. Moreover, these glass cutting tools will make your job not only easier but enjoyable as well.