Cutting and sanding glass - dummy alert!

[pawnhead]

I used to cut the stuff for a living. Here's a previous post on it:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ead.php?t=7326

FWIW We didn't rate the diamond cutters very highly. We tried one but always went back to the wheeled cutter. Might have been a knack thing but you stick to what you're used to I suppose.

Looks like some good tips in that thread, especially about the tile cutting blade in the saw.

You're probably right since you've done it for a living. I just remember that the only time I've noticed a pro using one, it was a diamond tip. I've never had as much luck with the $2 wheeled jobs that I've bought, so I splurged out quite a bit more for a diamond tip, and I've still got it after having done a fair bit of cutting with it. I suppose If I'd bought a more expensive wheeled cutter in the first place it might have been a different story though.

[silentC]

The diamond tip ones are popular with leadlighters because they're good for cutting shapes. I think it's just a matter of what you're used to.

The ones we used were Diamantor brand - green handles made in Germany. I think they were more than $2 each though...

[Studley 2436]

I am very happily using a wheeled cutter, very easy to to a straight edge and it cuts curves too if you want to get into that sort of thing

Studley

[abitfishy]

Thanks guys, bit of a long post, here I go:

I bought one of the wheeled supercraft brand oil filled jobbies from Mitre 10, and have pretty much got cutting glass down pat. Great fun to do. Although I've stuffed 2 nice bits of glass in doing so (I practised, got it right, then stuffed the 2 good bits, typical!!). I think I've worked out where I'm going wrong, as I seem to have trouble getting even pressure down the hole line, and where I've backed pressure off it tends to crack inwards. I don't think it was a problem with the practise bits as they were about 2 or 3mm, the good bits were 5mm so probably needed a slightly deeper 'cut' (so to speak).

I've ordered a 'pro' quality Toyo outrigger grip glass cutter that might make it a bit easier to keep constant pressure, and will see how I go. About $45, but if it does a good job, its a cheap tool. Also ordered a hand smoother that has 2 stones in it that you run along the edge to smooth the sharp edges - $28 - what a bargain. This was from a speciality glaziers place.

Now, another job I was going to do with my new skills was to build a custom frog tank, but I wanted to use stainless steel or chrome 90 deg brackets designed for glass to hold it together, as well as they would make a nice feature on the tank rather than 4 sides of plain glass - but worked out I needed 10, and they were $35 each!!! I could buy a frog mansion for that money - anyone know where one could get better priced brackets, hinges etc designed for glass??

[rod1949]

Wouldn't using carborumdum paper or sandpaper to arris the initial and very sharp edges be very dangerous?

[silentC]

What, in that you might cut yourself? Well, yes you could, if you don't take precautions. You might also cut yourself when you lift the sheet after cutting it. In fact there's a hundred ways to cut yourself on glass.

We always rubbed a block of carborundum over the edges of glass we cut for customers to take away so that they didn't cut themselves lifting it in and out of their car.

If you're concerned about cutting yourself, wear gloves and wrap the sandpaper around a block.

[rod1949]

What, in that you might cut yourself? Well, yes you could, if you don't take precautions. You might also cut yourself when you lift the sheet after cutting it. In fact there's a hundred ways to cut yourself on glass.

We always rubbed a block of carborundum over the edges of glass we cut for customers to take away so that they didn't cut themselves lifting it in and out of their car.

If you're concerned about cutting yourself, wear gloves and wrap the sandpaper around a block.

Well yes. I wouldn't use any of the thin sheet papers cause of the safty factor and I don't think they would last that long. I'd be using a carborundum block (ie an old wheel off a bench grinder).

[silentC]

As I say, I built a machine using a belt sander to do it. The belt was oriented so that it revolved perpendicular to the edge of the glass. You can buy special belts for the job but I mostly just used a fairly coarse grit belt of the type you can get at any hardware shop. They lasted fairly well.

I wouldn't expect great results using sandpaper by hand though, and as I say, we used to use a block of carborundum to do it. This was a rectangular block that can be bought for the purpose, although I believe it has other uses, such as cleaning oilstones etc.

[Bleedin Thumb]

- anyone know where one could get better priced brackets, hinges etc designed for glass??

Try Glen at High Standards 9476 3229 he is a broker for all things stainless and delivers them to you usually cheaper than people like Coventry Fasteners who are at Taren point so are close.
Also Lincoln Sentry specializes in those type fittings but you have to know what you want because I find them unhelpful - ask for a catalogue or maybe they have a web address.