cutting tempered glass

[naughtyboy]

need to cut some 5mm tempered glass for a viv im building for wifes new snakes.
whats best way to cut it?
do just need normal cutter or will i need to diamond blade on electric tile cutter ive got?

cheers

 

[pedrobedro]

Glass is tempered after it has been cut to size so that if it breaks it forms granules instead of sharp shards. To cut it you would need to anneal it back to it's original state or it might cut with a waterjet cutter, probably dearer than getting a new piece cut and then toughened. I think you are on a loser on this one.

 

[brightspark]

need to cut some 5mm tempered glass for a viv im building for wifes new snakes.
whats best way to cut it?
do just need normal cutter or will i need to diamond blade on electric tile cutter ive got?

cheers

4 get it if u dont want it in 1000 pieces on your floorthats the idea of it it shatters if its cut or damaged

 

[printcom]

For what it's worth I've seen a chap use a plasma cutter to cut glass for leaded light windows - he said the most important bit was to make sure the glass was kept cool.
Mind you I doubt the glass was tempered.

 

[gordon stephenson]

I suppose the best alternative would be laminated glass.

 

[naughtyboy]

will scratch that idea .
will redesign vivs to fit size i can get

 

[garethp]

Toughened glass will shatter as soon as you try to cut it, regardless of what you use. It shatters as the surface is in tension and soon as any part of that is released you'll get the fragmentation.

Your local glass place should be able to get toughened pieces for you, tell em what sizes / shapes you need and they'll be able to get it cut and heat treated. IIRC its not that expensive.

 

[500e]

When very young 17 had a works van that I could take home, very cool in those days late 1950s it was a Austin A30 or a Standard with push up windows, they had small glass handle glued on that fell of, my good idea was to drill a hole & fit a little wooden handle
lots of glass bits & me trying to explain to boss why we needed new window

 

[brightspark]

When very young 17 had a works van that I could take home, very cool in those days late 1950s it was a Austin A30 or a Standard with push up windows, they had small glass handle glued on that fell of, my good idea was to drill a hole & fit a little wooden handle
lots of glass bits & me trying to explain to boss why we needed new window

lol father in law had a large sheet of glass from work took it home and scored it on the kitchen table then he tapped it needless to say

 

[outofthefire]

For what it's worth I've seen a chap use a plasma cutter to cut glass for leaded light windows - he said the most important bit was to make sure the glass was kept cool.
Mind you I doubt the glass was tempered.

Are you joking? How do you cut glass with a plasma cutter, glass doesn't conduct electricity and how the hell do you keep it cool.

 

[chunkolini]

I was going to ask that as well.

 

[shenion]

I have seen people cut plastics and wood by placing a metal sheet underneath. Can be done with the metal on top too.

 

[Bsmith]

lol father in law had a large sheet of glass from work took it home and scored it on the kitchen table then he tapped it needless to say

I have a nice diamond tip glass cutter that put a decent score mark on toughened glass, also tapped it and it made a loud "woosh" sorta sound. Next job, tidy up with brush and shovel.

 

[Wedg1e]

Are you joking? How do you cut glass with a plasma cutter, glass doesn't conduct electricity and how the hell do you keep it cool.

Pilot arc?

 

[printcom]

I am not sure of how it was done. Back in 2006 I commissioned a chap to refurbish the leaded light windows in an a 900year old farm house I was doing up. I saw him using it when I went round to pick a few completed bits. It was the first time I had seen a plasma cutter and I was impressed with what he was doing with it to the extent I got myself one shortly after.
I cant give you any more information as at the time I did not know enough about the subject to understand what i was looking at.
Ive just had a look on you tube, I found a couple of vids of them being used to cut glass although not the same thing.
As for pilot arc, did it exist in 2006?

 

[KemppiFrog]

My old Cebora plasma, bought in around 1988, would start on any material, even wood. I always assumed the earth clamp was to avoid getting shocks off the work. Never tried it on glass, but it would have fired up OK.

 

[printcom]

And I thought I was the only one out of bed at sillyOclock

 

[julianthegypsy]

Are you joking? How do you cut glass with a plasma cutter, glass doesn't conduct electricity and how the hell do you keep it cool.

You cover it with a very thin steel sheet then cut through the sheet and glass together.

 

[the snooper]

Are you joking? How do you cut glass with a plasma cutter, glass doesn't conduct electricity and how the hell do you keep it cool.

I was wondering that how does it arc up ? maybe you drop the plasma cutter onto the sheet to cut it into thousands of pieces

 

[Robotstar5]

And I thought I was the only one out of bed at sillyOclock

Unless you're on nightshift