Glass bottles are very popular because they keep eatables fresh and are recyclable. They are used as packaging by manufacturers of juice, dairy products, soda, Gatorade, and many others. But packaging is not the only use of glass bottles, they are also a very versatile DIY item. You can turn them into vases, terrariums, lanterns and so much more. But in order to make the beautiful decoration pieces with glass bottles, you will need to learn how to cut them properly.
You might come across a variety of ways available to cut a glass bottle or jar but in this article, we are going to share with you our most favorite methods for cutting a glass bottle. These foolproof, easy on the pocket hacks are quick and will give you optimum results.
Using fire to cut a bottle requires great care and precision. Be sure to have water or an extinguisher handy, and wear protective gear. Following is the step-by-step guide on how to cut glass with this method.
To create a line where the bottle will break off at, use a glass cutter or a drill to score a line. You can also use a support system, if you want, to get a perfect line around the bottle, or you can just freehand it.
Heat the line you made using a small candle or a small butane torch. Focus the fire directly along the score line and rotate the bottle constantly to get even coverage.
When you have spent almost 5 minutes heating the bottle, immerse the end you are breaking off in cold water. Do this in a sink or pot filled with cold water, you can also add ice.
The bottle may need more stress than a single round of heating and cooling to break. Simply repeat the process of heating the bottle and immersing it in cold water until it snaps.
Use a rough square of sandpaper to clean the edges of the glass. As you remove any sharp points, alternate to finer sandpaper. You have to sand the edges as soon as you finish cutting to make sure you don’t hurt yourself with the sharp edges.
You can use your cleanly cut glass bottle as a pencil holder. If the bottle was colorful and decorative then cutting it will turn into a pretty vase. The options are limitless!
Here is a video showing this process:
Glass is sensitive to temperature changes so making it come in contact with very hot and very cold water is a good way to cut it. Following is the process for this:
You have to create a stress line for the glass bottle to crack along, this can be done by marking a clean line at the desired breaking point. Use a glass cutter or a glass drill to create a single uniform line around the glass. Do not make multiple overlapping score lines, as this will make the cut more jagged than a single line.
You have to work at the sink with running cold water and also boil a kettle of hot water. This process can be done by pouring boiling and cold water back and forth over the bottle until it snaps at the score-line.
Hold the bottle over the sink and slowly pour hot water over the scoreline. Avoid pouring it over a large area as you want the scoreline to be placed under tension from the heat.
Continue adding cold and hot water over the stress line. After the second or third time of doing this, the bottle should snap cleanly off along the score-line.
Use coarse sandpaper to sand the edges of the glass down. When they are no longer jagged, shift to fine sandpaper to smooth the edges, and create a smooth finish.
Here is a video showing this process:
Another neat trick is to use a yarn to mark where you want to cut the bottle. Setting fire to the yarn generates the heat that breaks the bottle neatly.
If you do not have yarn, you can use any thick cotton thread. Wrap the yarn around the bottle 3-5 times at the place where you want the bottle to break. Tie the ends of the yarn together and cut off the surplus.
Slide the yarn off the end of the bottle and place it in a small glass cup or lid. Pour some nail polish remover or straight acetone over the yarn until it is completely absorbed. You can pour the excess acetone back into the glass bottle afterward.
Take the yarn and tie it on the glass bottle in the exact location where you want it to break. Try to ensure that the loops of yarn are placed tightly together so that you get a level, clean break.
Use a match or lighter to set the thread on the bottle on fire. Rotate the bottle in such a way, that the yarn burns at a constant speed all over the entire bottle.
Have your sink filled with cold water – you can add ice if you want. Wait until the fire on the yarn has burnt out and then dunk the bottle directly into the water. The glass bottle will break cleanly off where the yarn has been wrapped around it.
Here is a video showing this process:
Dremel is a tool specifically designed for cutting glass bottles. It is very easy to use and if you are a frequent DIY-er, it is definitely worth spending a little money.
Dremel will do all the cutting with this method, but you have to know where to cut. You have to place two strips of masking tape close together, to form a thin line around the bottle, where you wish to cut.
When you cut the bottle using dremel, then you will have some rough edges that need smoothing. Use rough sandpaper to smooth down the sharp pieces.
Here is a video showing this process:
We have offered you multiple easy and practical hacks for glass bottle cutting. Not only will learning how to cut glass help you achieve a new level of craftsmanship but will also encourage the reusability of glass.
Upcycling old bottles has many environmental benefits. Apart from reducing waste being sent to landfills, it also reduces the need for producing new raw material which means a reduction in air and land pollution leading to decreased global warming which is an imminent threat to the environment.
We help you avoid the pitfalls to deliver the quality and value your glass bottle and jar need, on-time and on-budget.
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