What do you use to cut your glass rods with? Someone mentioned to me that a glass cutter (like the one below) is useful.......
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Diamantor-Glass-Cutter_W0QQitemZ190205944068QQihZ009QQcategoryZ3099QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Thanks :D
My dad used to have one of those but he used it to cut sheets of glass for making fish tanks and glazing his greenhouse. To use one of those, you score the glass with the shallow line that it makes and then snap the glass (dad used to put a shallow piece of wood under one side and apply even pressure to the other side.
I use Glass Cutters (more usually called glass nippers) that I got from Tuffnell's website but they are a bit dearer at £20.00 and they do a reasonable job (make sure you have eye protection on when using though).
http://www.tuffnellglass.com/index.html?lang=en-uk&target=d13.html&lmd=39511.559398 (http://www.tuffnellglass.com/index.html?lang=en-uk&target=d13.html&lmd=39511.559398)
the easiest way is "glass nippers" - although be prepared to have the right forearm of martina navratilova if you have to cut a LOT of glass!... ;D ;D ;D we have switched to a tile cutter with a diamond blade - which happened shortly after i had to cut 300kilos of lauscha b hand!...
I bought a mosaic cutter in a hardware store and that works fine for glassrods too. :)
I use an ordinary metal file on one edge. Keep scoring the glass rod where you want it to snap (one side only) turn the scored side away from you and put pressure on either side of the score line with thumb nails towards your body and the glass rod should snap quite easily. I can get this to work with thicker rods but it takes a lot more scoring. Always be careful re safety but this works better for me than nippers.
I usually cut mine in the flame. I did buy some of the cutters from Q but I wanted them for cutting murrini and suchlike :)
;D
i cut a rod in half with a bit pair of big dog nail clippers ( i am a dog groomer)
i wouldnt recommend it ,i cut my finger ::)
so kate if you wondered if it was blood in the package i sent you..... Yes it was!
I bought some of these on my last visit to Creative Glass part no. 201.743
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zig-Zag-Tile-Nippers-Mosaic-Stained-Glass-Supplies_W0QQitemZ250024920673QQihZ015QQcategoryZ4770QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
They are Zig Zag tile nippers, and all you do is squeeze and you get a really clean cut, with hardly any effort at all. I lurve them. I think they were about £35.
I "cut" mine in the flame I have got into the habit of doing this with all my longer rods and take the opportunity to pull a stringer or 2 or 3 ... ;D ;D
I use a scoring knife. Works like the file, but designed for glass, it has a hardened steel blade and fits nicely in the palm. Just a little score/nick on one side of the rod, flex the rod with score away from you, and you have two rods! Incredibly easy, although if you are doing lots of rods, there's no avoiding a bit of muscle ache... :)