Over the years, glass cutters and sharp knives have been used to cut glass, but modern tools are available for the same job today. The right amount of practice and suitable type of tools help to get this job done in a precise manner. Even though this is a professional requirement, it is also a hobby for some.
Beautiful glassware is also created by cutting glass. Surface designs visible after the cut are able to enhance the brilliance of glass and its reflecting power. Shaping glass has become easier for a company that looks to buy glass cutting table. The table is also suitable to cut glass slides for use in the laboratory. As slides are necessary to see tiny living organisms under the microscope, they must be available as per standard sizes only. Glass cutting table machines are capable of cutting these slides to measure.
Laser Glass Cutters
The latest modern equipment available for glass cutting is the laser glass cutter. These are highly suitable when a high degree of precision is necessary for the production of the following items:
- Ornaments
- Signages
- Glass Lettering
- Various types of curved windows
- Vases
- Personalized Gifts
- Engraving wine bottles and mugs
- Pieces of Art
As an alternative to a laser glass cutter, if a bottle clamp is used to cut shapes, material wastage and efforts made would both be very high. Compared to mechanical glass cutting methods, lasers present an excellent alternative for high precision applications such as displays. Several display manufacturers are use strengthened glass and participate in complex device construction.
Buy from a Reputed Company
All glass cutters and cutting tables must always be purchased from reputed companies in the markets. Not only do these companies strictly adhere to quality standards, but their machines always deliver high performance and are durable. Various types of glass cutting tables with different configurations can be found here. At the same time, these companies also do not overcharge B2B customers.
Earlier Methods of Cutting Glass
Only diamonds could be used to cut glass mechanically earlier, but this is not necessary today. Diamond itself is a very expensive material to use, and even more so in today’s times. Fortunately, the glass cutting tools today are fitted with a wheel made using tungsten carbide, which is an inorganic compound with three times the strength of steel. Each tool is capable of cutting glass with a specific thickness, and this is mentioned on it. This must be kept in mind during operations.
Things to Remember Before Cutting Glass
Soda-lime float glass is the most common type of glass for consumer-level projects. As compared to other types of glasses, this can be cut easily. To decide the type of laser and power to be used for cutting, the following questions will be helpful:
- What should be the desired glass thickness? As compared to thin glass, thick glass material will always be more difficult to cut. For very thick glasses, it may be necessary to alter the focus adjustment of the laser after a cut or deploy multiple passes.
- What degree of precision is necessary for the cut? Cut dimensions become inaccurate after multiple passes, and this is why the best results are available with fewer cuts. The laser’s efficacy can be known from the manufacturer.
- What if the glass breaks? If there is no alternative but to use multiple passes for cutting, thermal expansion due to cooling and heating the glass could result in cracks. Therefore, it is very important to use the glass carefully.
Glass cutting is an exciting skill, which seems to look great at the start but is also given up easily. The major reason here is lack of patience, as many people think they will get great results after just a few tries. Attending a glass workshop is instrumental for training here, as is patience.
During the learning stage, here are a few common mistakes:
- Too much force makes the line appear like granulated sugar
- Very little force prevents the individual from catching the line with a fingernail
- Incorrect workbench height will lead to inaccuracies
- Too Much Tapping
- Lack of Lubrication
- Moving over a line more than once
- Laid out pattern being too close to the present sheet edge (must be 1/2 inch away)
- Lack of concentration can break the force necessary at the score line
- Do not cut the flashed antique glass on the flashed side, but from the base side
- High stress concentrations may be created by keeping the cutting glass too close to the rounded melt-edge
Other than the glass cutter and a cutting table, some more materials will be required for the operation. This includes a few cotton rags, a can of machine oil, safety glasses, duct tape, and leather gloves.
