Anyone cutting glass here?

We have a jet and need a couple replacement windows for a construction machine. I am curious how glass is typically cut? Is it risky to buy a rectangle of laminated glass and cut to size on the jet? Do they use laser today to cut it? I would think a little heat would provide a better edge but I guess it could harden the glass and cause issues?


Or is it more cost effective to just hand off a drawing to a glass company? I know none of our locals can cut a shape and they have to "order it". As well, the OEM glass cost is too stupid to justify.

I should add that these pieces are just a basic rectangle but with radiused corners. Maybe that is a hand cut deal?

I've been the helper on laminated glass cutting jobs. It's not that difficult, and we did shapes with a wet belt sander. Somaca, I think ? If the guys near you can't do it, they are not very good.

Laminated glass is cheap, couldn't hurt to try waterjetting it yourself, if you have the jet.

There's some tricks, about knowing what the glass is likely to do (it's not super-predictable) but just wear the gloves with the little sticky pads and be careful, glass can cut your throat, which would be unpleasant.

If you try to use a glass cutter, you have to do each side, then bend the halves and pour alcohol into the crack, light it on fire while putting pressure on each side to get the plastic layer in the middle to give way. Not that hard to do but if there's no one to show you .... try the jet

Glass is cheap, don't worry about scrapping some. You're going to. That's why there is a big markup, to cover the losses. Even good guys lose pieces sometimes.

edit: you just added the shape - no, that's a picnic. Easy job on the belt sander (Wet, don't forget. Messy as heck but glass doesn't like dry.) My buddy would snack the corners off first but maybe you want to just sand it off, gently.

I've use a tile saw on glass, but I have no idea what kind. I have also oxyacetylene welded glass. It was weird.

EmanuelGoldstein said:

I've been the helper on laminated glass cutting jobs. It's not that difficult, and we did shapes with a wet belt sander. Somaca, I think ? If the guys near you can't do it, they are not very good.

Laminated glass is cheap, couldn't hurt to try waterjetting it yourself, if you have the jet.

There's some tricks, about knowing what the glass is likely to do (it's not super-predictable) but just wear the gloves with the little sticky pads and be careful, glass can cut your throat, which would be unpleasant.

If you try to use a glass cutter, you have to do each side, then bend the halves and pour alcohol into the crack, light it on fire while putting pressure on each side to get the plastic layer in the middle to give way. Not that hard to do but if there's no one to show you .... try the jet

Glass is cheap, don't worry about scrapping some. You're going to. That's why there is a big markup, to cover the losses. Even good guys lose pieces sometimes.

edit: you just added the shape - no, that's a picnic. Easy job on the belt sander (Wet, don't forget. Messy as heck but glass doesn't like dry.) My buddy would snack the corners off first but maybe you want to just sand it off, gently.

Click to expand...

We have done that. And there will be some slight chipping on the down side. We used alcohol at first, then switched to razor blades. Bend just enough to open, slice the middle stuff. But if you do a crap job of scoring then this will not work.