I have a large FS miror on my hands I want several small FS mirors in my projector. Unfortunatly I have no idea how to work with glass. What kind of cuting device should i use? How should i protect the glass? How liklely am I to screw up?
Thanks in advance,
Adan
Thanks in advance,
Adan
If you've ever cut glass, it always breaks at the weakest point. So you get a glass etching tool (any hardware store), a straight edge, and draw a line.
Then put a very small long thin object along and underneath the etch, I've seen people use a thin length of wire. Push down gently on each side, and "tink" two sheets of glass. (etched line on top) Can't go wrong.
I've never done mirrors, but I assume it's the same.
My advice is to try a really thin wire to start, and only get a thicker one if it doesn't work. You're less likely to damage the glass with a thin wire.
Hope it helps. If I'm missing a mirror specific point, someone please correct me!
^__^
Then put a very small long thin object along and underneath the etch, I've seen people use a thin length of wire. Push down gently on each side, and "tink" two sheets of glass. (etched line on top) Can't go wrong.
I've never done mirrors, but I assume it's the same.
My advice is to try a really thin wire to start, and only get a thicker one if it doesn't work. You're less likely to damage the glass with a thin wire.
Hope it helps. If I'm missing a mirror specific point, someone please correct me!
^__^
WARNING: Glass is sharp, poorly cut glas is sharper, don't be a dumhead, use caution!
Yeah, the cutting glass thing above is good, just with the FS mirror, just be careful of the front surface. Like it's prety easy to mess up the surface on some FS mirrors especially when you're right there with a metal straight edge a knife and you're applying pressure.
You don't need any special tool to score the glass, a glass cutting tool is just a mini pizza knife with some special notches. A utility knife will work fine to score the glass, just make sure you're straight.
If you have some sheets of glass lying around you might want to try it on them first.
How do you protect the glass?
Don't worry about the glass, worry about the coating - avoid contact if at all possible.
How are you likely to screw up?
1. You wont score the glass straight - your cut will be OK, but you'll end up with angled edges, or if your line is really crooked you might get some spidering where the cut(crack) wants to keep going along one path and your score goes off the other way.
2. You'll worry about scoring the glass well enough you'll end up wrecking the coating because you've scored the glass 10 times thinking it's not a good enough score. It doesn't need to be deep, it needs to be straight and from one side of the sheet to the other.
3. You'll smoke crack and wind up on the street before you even see the FS mirror again!... Or... not.... Lots of things can happen, that's why I say give it a practice whirl on some useless crappy glass.
Yeah, the cutting glass thing above is good, just with the FS mirror, just be careful of the front surface. Like it's prety easy to mess up the surface on some FS mirrors especially when you're right there with a metal straight edge a knife and you're applying pressure.
You don't need any special tool to score the glass, a glass cutting tool is just a mini pizza knife with some special notches. A utility knife will work fine to score the glass, just make sure you're straight.
If you have some sheets of glass lying around you might want to try it on them first.
How do you protect the glass?
Don't worry about the glass, worry about the coating - avoid contact if at all possible.
How are you likely to screw up?
1. You wont score the glass straight - your cut will be OK, but you'll end up with angled edges, or if your line is really crooked you might get some spidering where the cut(crack) wants to keep going along one path and your score goes off the other way.
2. You'll worry about scoring the glass well enough you'll end up wrecking the coating because you've scored the glass 10 times thinking it's not a good enough score. It doesn't need to be deep, it needs to be straight and from one side of the sheet to the other.
3. You'll smoke crack and wind up on the street before you even see the FS mirror again!... Or... not.... Lots of things can happen, that's why I say give it a practice whirl on some useless crappy glass.
Aidan,
I have seen the mirror surface peel off from many mirrors. Because of that I would recommemnd cutting the glass from the mirror side very careful not to scratch the surface. You might want to tape plastic sheet and soft cloth over the area so that you don't scratch it. Because the mirror surface is a coating if you do not cut it when you snap the glass it can peel off the edges.
Hezz
I have seen the mirror surface peel off from many mirrors. Because of that I would recommemnd cutting the glass from the mirror side very careful not to scratch the surface. You might want to tape plastic sheet and soft cloth over the area so that you don't scratch it. Because the mirror surface is a coating if you do not cut it when you snap the glass it can peel off the edges.
Hezz
Wow a few interesting replies in here, a nice saftey warning too lol.
Ok how to cut fs mirror? well you dont cut it on the reflective side, you must cut it on the glass side for starters or you will stuff it up as in scratching the surface and it wont score right. Trust me, im terrible at glass cutting (but im getting the knack), i have the experience to say its not as easy as you think, and anything other then a dimond tiped glass cutting tool wont work.
The reflective side must be on a thin lint free cloth, make sure its clean, also make sure your table is flat, if its not flat you can bust the plane of glass from pressing down on it when scoring (happend to me before lol).
Get a nice square that is square, a steel one is the go, and etch your line. The trick is to a perfect cut is to make sure the glass cutter is 90deg to the glasses surface, and to only scribe once in the one direction, this will give you that perfect cut. If not, you will get jaggerd edges and have a higher chance of the glass breaking on only part of the line and through the rest of the sheet off of the line, (thats somthing u dont wana do lol)
To break, just a thin piece of flat wire is the go or a match stick and press down EVENLY on both sides , not hard, but like a instant jerk, and bang, its done.
Trev
Ok how to cut fs mirror? well you dont cut it on the reflective side, you must cut it on the glass side for starters or you will stuff it up as in scratching the surface and it wont score right. Trust me, im terrible at glass cutting (but im getting the knack), i have the experience to say its not as easy as you think, and anything other then a dimond tiped glass cutting tool wont work.
The reflective side must be on a thin lint free cloth, make sure its clean, also make sure your table is flat, if its not flat you can bust the plane of glass from pressing down on it when scoring (happend to me before lol).
Get a nice square that is square, a steel one is the go, and etch your line. The trick is to a perfect cut is to make sure the glass cutter is 90deg to the glasses surface, and to only scribe once in the one direction, this will give you that perfect cut. If not, you will get jaggerd edges and have a higher chance of the glass breaking on only part of the line and through the rest of the sheet off of the line, (thats somthing u dont wana do lol)
To break, just a thin piece of flat wire is the go or a match stick and press down EVENLY on both sides , not hard, but like a instant jerk, and bang, its done.
Trev
Very usefull info everyone but i have one problem, while a steel square would be nice i dont have one that is 2 foot long. I probably should have clarified, when i said "big FS mirror" I mean 2' X 3' (got it from a strange stonage PJ I found in the trash that shortend its throw by beaing huge) does this make things more complex?
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