Monday, June 18, 2012

Does Size Really Matter?

Does size really matter when cutting stained glass?

When I discuss size, I mean using the correct wheel size for the glass you are attempting to cut.

In short, the size of the wheel you are using in your glass cutting tool determines the amount of pressure you need to exert to penetrate the surface of the glass you are attempting to cut.

Part of learning how to cut stained glass suncatchers correctly is learning how to make clean cuts and in order to make a clean cut, you need to choose the correct size wheel for your glass cutting tool.

Does size really matter? You bet!

The smaller the wheel you use in your glass cutting tool, the less pressure you need to exert to penetrate and "score" the surface of the glass.

In general, small wheels with a diameter of about 1/10" are best for most thin and standard stained art glass thicknesses.

The 1/10" wheel  Silberschnitt Adjustable Oil Wheel Easy Grip Cutter below is a top of the line Bohle cutter that allows users to adjust the cutter length to fit your hand size properly.  You simply twist the blue handle to adjust the length.


Silberschnitt Adjustable Oil Wheel Easy Grip Cutter
Wheel angle also affects how much pressure you need to exert to cut glass.

For standard thickness and thinner stained glass, (1/16th to 1/8th of an inch) the suggested perfect cutting angle is 120 degrees.

A wheel angle of 135 degrees is the most versatile and will score glass up to 10 mm in thickness.

For scoring glass over 10 mm thick, a glass cutter with a cutting wheel angle of 160 degrees is needed to do the best job.

Although using the correct wheel size and angle for cutting stained glass is not often discussed or even paid attention to, it is important to professionals who make many cuts on various thicknesses of glass daily.

When you find yourself pressing too hard to make a score or make too many bad cuts on your stained glass suncatcher projects, you might want to take a look at your cutting wheel size and angle of your wheel to remedy the situation.

Does size really matter
?  Yep!


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