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Cutting laminated glass, help!
mark chandler - 9/11/14 at 08:32 PM

Got a load off eBay, some 6mm laminated glass to glaze my shed so looked at Utube and started to cut.......

Put a nice score in, tip the glass and it cracks everywhere apart from the score, pile of broken glass later so have resorted to a diamond 115mm disc in the angry grinder and cut it up,with this, what's going wrong?

I have a feeling it may be a bit cold, does this affect things, I have only done 1 side of my shed and thrashed my way through loads of glass

Also I seem to remember watching a glazer cut laminated, he scored then ran some methylated spirits down the line and lit which cracked it, I bit it with the blow torch resulting in more wastage.


stevebubs - 9/11/14 at 08:59 PM

Surely the meths was just there to burn through the laminate layer?


mark chandler - 9/11/14 at 09:26 PM

It was over 25 years ago, just watched him splash some Meths and lit it while waiting for a windscreen to be cut.

The angle grinder leaves a nasty rough edge and is a bit hit and miss, sometimes good other times cracks radiate out even if I cover with gaffa tape first


OliilO - 9/11/14 at 09:33 PM

Not sure about the paicularities of laminated glass, but the meths approach might be similar to cutting a bottle etc. in half.

Wrap item to be cut in string soaked in something flammable, light and wait until it burns out. Then quickly quench with water and the contraction will give a clean cut.

Might be able to do similar with meths along the score line?


Slimy38 - 9/11/14 at 09:43 PM

This one makes the most sense to me;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccd-PLyI0ic

Score BOTH sides at the same point, a quick tap on the edge of a table then a razor blade to cut the centre sheet.


plentywahalla - 9/11/14 at 10:14 PM

Is this old glass or new?

You may not be doing anything wrong, old or used glass is particularly difficult to cut and tends to do exactly as you describe.


mark chandler - 9/11/14 at 10:23 PM

It's old glass, that was the video that convinced me doing it myself was a good idea.

I guess the anger grinder is my only option then, it works but is very messy

Thanks chaps


austin man - 9/11/14 at 11:38 PM

make sure thet the glass is clean and use a new cutting wheel, older glass goes brittle


jollygreengiant - 10/11/14 at 10:38 AM

When I saw it being done, it was score both sides, give the glass a gentle tap to crack down the score(s), pour some meths on (just enough to run down the groove/new crack), then light the meths to let IT take care of the laminate. Job Done. It looked SOOOOOooooooooo simple and easy (for some one who had been doing it for probably at least a decade).