Cutting curved glass for my mosaic was a mess until I changed my approach

I was putting together a glass mosaic for my patio table and the curved cuts kept chipping. I found that scoring the line with a glass cutter but not pressing too hard works better. Then I tap lightly on the back of the score line with the cutter's ball end. This starts a crack that follows the curve when you break it. I practice on cheap glass first to get the feel right. Now my pieces fit tight and look pro. It saved me a ton of time and wasted material.

4 comments

4 Comments

caseyf321mo ago

How hard do you tap with the ball end? I mean, I always thought you had to really commit with pressure on the curve, which just made more cracks. Maybe it's just me but seeing you say 'tap lightly' kinda flipped a switch. I tried being way more gentle and the crack actually follows the line instead of going wild. It feels wrong because you're being so soft with it, but my breaks are way cleaner now. That tip about practicing on cheap glass first saved me so much frustration.

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evaw181mo ago

Wait, you were really HAMMERING it before?!

rileygarcia22d ago

Right? I used to go way too hard and just made a mess. What kind of glass are you working on?

jennifer_dixon1mo ago

Gentle taps? I was sure you had to hammer it.