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Cutting curved lines tutorial


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To cut curved lines you'll need to learn a few techniques and know which to use for what circumstance.
Convex curves will not give you any trouble, it's the concave ones you need to be mindful of.
Thin shapes are also a wee difficult, however the right tricks deal with them too, a?! The main thing to keep in mind is that cutting curves is not a race, rather you do it mindfully / slowly than to rush it and fail several times. After all, the glass is expensive, and wasting it on failed cuts is not the go.....

Concave curves

These are the ones that take skill. A little thought as to how to achieve a specific cut will make all the difference between success and failure. Having a design that is doable also helps. If you have made your own design, you have total control with every shape, but going with somebody elses design can be a bad move. Rather you critique a design before making a commitment to cutting it, yes?

Take a look at the following illustration and ponder why I have classed them as dificult, painful or immposible....

If a concave curve is going to break incorrectly, it always breaks towards the shape you are trying to cut out. DOH!! Therefore, I suggest you always tackle the hardest curve first. Your chances are good that if you can cut the hardest curve first, you'll be successfully with the rest.

OK, watch the following You tube video and all will be shown there. Good luck and lots of practice will have you cutting curves like a pro..... :-)

Youtube Video Episode 6
Cutting curves

Youtube Video Episode 11
Cutting compound and complex curves

Youtube Video Episode 14
Cutting circles

How to nibble glass with grozing pliers

When you are working with tight concave curves, nibbling with grozing pliers is the only effective way to go. These pliers are shaped specificly for this purpose and no others will do this task well.

grozing pliers

The jaws have rasping teeth top and bottom and the top jaw is curved so that the rasping over an edge of glass is done at the correct angle.
Nibbling is a messy job, shards of glass fly off everywhere, so use a large tray directly below your work to catch these little nastys and vacum the floor below as soon as you are finished! Be warned!! Also, USE SAFETY GOGGLES as some shards will come towards your eyes, they are very nasty.
A carpeted floor is far better than a hard one, shards will embed in your footwear (particularly on hard floors) so be aware that this can lead to spreading shards through out your house!

Take your time with nibbling, it is not a race. If you get too aggressive, you are very likely to break the glass where you least want it broken!

Watch the clip below carefully, there is a lot of technique demonstrated in it..... Good luck.... :-)

Youtube Video
Nibbling with grozing pliers

Next tutorial Foiling the glass pieces.