Do-it-yourselfers are fearless individuals that will cut every construction material they can get their hands on without skipping a beat. But the idea of breaking glass halts even the daring DIYers. That’s reasonable because cutting a rough and delicate object like glass appears difficult for someone to do. Only a few essential hand tools and a little practice are everything you need to create smooth, clear cuts in the glass. In this article, we’re going to guide you on how to cut safety glass.
The Things to Consider Before Cutting Safety Glass
The preparation on how to cut safety glass must be done outside or on a hardwood surface. Do not cut glass in a carpeted room, as glass particles may get stuck in a pile. Always, do make sure you have full-duty gloves on and safety goggles on.
Prepare a clean, smooth, hard glass cutting surface like a solid workbench or a thick sheet of plywood. Make sure the surface of the job is rigid; if there is some bend in it, the glass can break as you go smashing it.
Until the proper cutting takes place, you may need to mark the glass you plan to cut. That way, the protective glass is compromised and splits in the same line as you like. The protective glass may be graded by using a disk drill.
How to Score Safety Glass
Clean the glass. When the safety glass is filthy, the residue can easily damage the wheel cutter, keeping the wheel from consistent contact with the safety glass, and the performance won’t be good.
Keep the wheel upright and add friction when moving it over the protective window. You’ll know you’re scoring properly on most types of glass when you hear a whirring sound.
If you don’t hear that noise, it means more pressure is needed. When you see glass chips going, then you put so much weight on them. When you break textured safety glass, the smooth side almost scores.
How to Cut Safety Glass
Before going to how to cut safety glass, you must know first what is ‘running the score.’ It is the stage where you turn the glass gently, and it falls together with the mark. When the performance is straight or just somewhat bent, and the safety glass is a reasonable enough size for a comfortable grasp, all ends of the glass will be caught.
To act as a reference for the glass cutter using a framing line, steel rule, or another straightedge. Set the straightedge on the mark, and then protect it with two duct tape panels. The duct tape is not strictly required, but it should help prevent moving the sharpie out of place. You should miss the duct tape until you have had a little practice breaking glass.
You can place the safety glass on a table if your score is straight, with the score just trying to hang off the edge. Be sure that you keep the portion that is firmly on the table and push down on the segment that hangs off the table to break it into two.
If the performance is crooked, another option is to place the protective glass on a sheet of cardboard upside down. Push your thumb over the score, and it will quickly split or “run” over.
How to Cut Laminated Glass
Cutting protection glass may be more difficult than cutting regular glass, but read our detailed guide to cutting laminated glass and find out how to cut safety glass.
Measure
Start by growing the laminated glass on your working bench. Using a tape measure, felt tip, and straight bottom, label where you want the glass to be sliced. Measure twice.
Score
Score the laminated glass with your rotary wheel glass cutter using your straight edge as a reference. To ensure you get a nice deep score, apply pressure while moving the glass cutter. Hint! You’ll be given a much cleaner cut-through using a glass cutter with an internal oil reservoir.
Apply a lighter fluid film to the cutting sheet and move through with the glass cutter again. Switch the laminated glass sheet over and perform this flip side cycle to ensure you value the glass in precisely the same position on each side.
Cut the Glass
Lock the laminated glass onto the bench to keep it in place. Be sure you wear the protective shoes, push the glass with the hands up and down and to the left and right before it sticks around the scored axis. Flip the bottle back, then move to crack the other hand as well. Now, it’s just the laminate that makes the layer intact.
Cutting the Laminate
Add another lighter fluid layer to the cracked side of the bottle. Light up the fluid with your lighter to create a regulated blaze around the cut edge line. The flames will melt the plastic laminate, so use your strong razor blade to remove the fragile laminate right after the flame itself burns out. Use the rough sandpaper to smooth the bottom of the laminate, such that the back of the bottle is flat.
Finish
Clean the laminated glass with a glass cleaner and a dusting rag. So yeah, presto, you got the work done.
Conclusion
Cutting a safety glass may be more complicated than cutting regular glass. Follow our complete guide on how to cut safety glass and determine how optimal outcomes can be obtained. Keep in mind to wear safety goggles and use the proper equipment when cutting safety glass. Know more about Safety Glass.