Cutting Glass?

[FastEddy]

I have a large Mirror I need to cut and have a dilemma.
Its to large to move and having someone come to cut it is expensive to say the least. My dilemma is do I pay them to come cut it 180.00 (Thieves), get a new one 280.00, or try to cut it down myself?

Its 42" tall by 89" long and I need 10" cut off one end. If they come and do it its all said and done. If I try and fail, (Only get 1 shot) it will cost an additional $100 over having someone come and do it.

Does anyone have glass cutting experience to either help me have a better chance of doing it myself or persuading me to just let the pros do their thing..

 

[Plaidfish]

it's hit or miss....I used a straight edge and a handheld tool that had some diamond or super hard carbide tips in it....clamped the straight edge where we wanted it and had to keep scoring it over and over and it left a slight "V" shaped channel in the glass......then put it on a raised edge surface and snap it.......some worked some didn't.......the first ones went well because I just ke[t scoring til it was deep and wouldn't go any deeper....then broke it off.......Some Home depots have glass cutters and you can bring it to them......

 

[scottm]

Yep, score it as deep as you can with glass tool or even a good file. Make sure its not tempered first. Set it up on boards close to the ground, then get the scratch wet. For some reason that helps it break off all the way across. Use a 2x4 or something across the top to help spread the force out, and stomp on it, barefoot.

 

[FastEddy]

I worked out a cash deal with the shower door guy that is coming out tomorow to check the door they put in for me.

I was looking forward to stomping on it with my bare feet.

 

[cavicatz24]

Good choice, Eddy!

 

[rocknbil]

Yep, score it as deep as you can with glass tool or even a good file.

Over the years I have found the exact opposite to be true.

(I did see you'd worked this out but here is some info . . . )


If you use a NEW diamond tipped glass cutter, and press hard with it, what happens is the fractures go off in all directions away from the crack. Pressing hard is a SURE way to screw it up, I am not bullshitting here, I spent years doing stained glass and all sorts of glass art projects and have learned the hard way.

What you want to do is lay the glass on a FIRM surface with a thin layer of cloth under it, like felt or something. Not too thick or the glass will flex. Tape your straightedge to the glass and with just enough pressure to hear the "zip" draw the cutter across the glass in one smooth motion, do not vary your pressure at all. If you do, you will have a different "cut" in some areas than others, causing the fracture to go somewhere that is NOT along your cut.

An expert glass cutter told me once the smaller the cut, the better, it would be best if it were completely invisible if he could be sure the cut was there.

Once you have laid your fracture - because that's what it is, a crack on one side - slide one end of the cut off the table and begin tapping the other side of the glass until you see the fracture go all the way through. Expert glass cutters will just put pressure on the scrap and break off the glass at this point like they are cutting sheetrock, but too ballsy for me - I keep tapping along the fracture, leading it all the way to the other side. Do not tap the side with the crack. Tap the back side of the glass, as directly opposite your scratch or fracture as possible.

Once it falls away, if you have any bugars - errors hanging off along the cut - you can carefully grind them away by pinching them with pliers. These "bugars" are indications of where your cut changed depth, if you cut deep you wil get a LOT of them. Wetsand the edge to keep from slicing yourself silly.

This is not that difficult once you get the hang of it but get TWO cutters and drop by a few yard sales to pick up some old pieces of glass. Use one cutter to practice on and cut up the practice glass, after about five or six cuts you will see what I say is true. It is absolutely critical to use a new or almost new cutter though.