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Cutting glass with scissors ?

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Roderick Treece
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Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Roderick Treece »

I heard a story about a young man years ago at one of Rick's Conclaves that cut glass underwater with a pair of scissors. Anyone remember the event and the young man ?
John Studden
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by John Studden »

I was there, I am sure it was Lee Littlewood, thin glass in a bucket of water!..................
John Studden
Valencia Signs, California
Larry White
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Larry White »

Yer plum crazy!!
Larry White
That's enough for now... it's gettin' late
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Roderick Treece
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Roderick Treece »

I had a great phone call from Kevin Betz awhile ago . He mentioned to me that as a young man he had attended a few of Rick's Conclaves with his dad.At the Conclave he asked if anyone knew you could cut glass with scissors and demonstrated it for the group. The next year he attended the meet only to find the small circle of glass he had cut out had been gilded and put in Rick's display cabinet.
I for one am going to trying it !

Good job Kevin !
Lee Littlewood
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Lee Littlewood »

Yup, it was Kevin. I thought that I brought up the subject, because I had read it somewhere and it seemed so unlikely, but maybe Kevin mentioned it.
As I recall, there was a bit of laughter and disbelief and then this young guy took some scissors and somebody found him a tub of water and he cut a funky circle out of window glass. It didn't improve the scissors, but it did produce a shape. Now I wonder if one could do the same thing without the water, but I don't intend to try.

Did someone really gild it? I wasn't there the next year. Jolly good, whoever.
where am i? Now, when i need me...
Julio Cesar Germano
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Julio Cesar Germano »

Ok... When you say "cutting it with a scissor" you mean actually holding and using it like you'd do with a piece of paper?
How thin must the glass be? That would be downright useful for doing small stuff... Christmas ornaments come to mind.

Edit: Googled and Youtubed it and apparently it is very much possible. Below is a link of a youtube video by some british fellow
doing it. Doesn't seem to be any trick going on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5u7SCNVYTA

Quite handy I'd say.
I've started calligraphy as a hobby a couple of years ago and, from there, stumbled upon
the wonderful world of lost arts - pinstriping, chalkboard art, hand-lettering and sign making.

From Brazil.

Julio Cesar
Doug Bernhardt
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Son of a gun!! Lets get to the bottom of this one.
pat mackle
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by pat mackle »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5u7SCNVYTA
There is no mystery to this. Just another urban glass myth, like that one about how glass is a super cooled liquid and continues to flow downward making glass window panes become thicker at the bottom edge. Want to buy a bridge? I'd love to sell you one, and maybe a dead horse to cross it with.
Rather in my opinion it is more a misnomer or to be more exact, wrong terminology.
In nearly all cases in which you "cut" a material, the result is that you have at least two pieces in the end, and those pieces can be placed back together nearly to the original shape.
Such is the case when you cut glass properly by using a proper glass cutting tool (diamond point or carbide wheel) to score and run the glass apart. You are actually "cutting" the glass apart, circular or square- and hopefully quite accurately depending on your level of expertise.
The use of scissors, or nippers to "shape" or "trim" glass under water best comes under the term of glass "GROZING", not glass "Cutting". Glass grozing, which is most commonly done WITHOUT the use of water, does not yield two or more pieces of glass that can be placed back together, rather it produces a mismanaged amount of incredibly sharp glass shards that should be well discarded, or they may well later be found to be the source of the moist crimson flow dripping from a treasured digit.
Glazers of old, traditionally used grozing plyers to "nip" glass down a bit to fit perfectly into a frame or mounting, way before the advent of the power belt sander. Often even now, it is wiser to groze glass to size in the field rather than risk the heat generation of a belt sander in removing a significant edge. Many old acid embossed windows will reveal this rough nipped edging when pulled from their frames.
So why the need for a tub of water?
Well, first the whole thing only works on very thin glass. Why? Your bent scissors and tender thumb should be all the hint.
First of all because you are not actually cutting the glass. It is actually being crushed away. And as we all know, a break in glass ALWAYS runs in the direction of least resistance. Soooo, when the pressure exerted by the scissors on the surface of the glass bends the glass and creates the fissure, it is well assured that it will go in the path of least resistance. Being that the major area of the glass is further supported by the shock absorbing mass and enveloping nature of the supporting water, a fair degree of control can be anticipated. However, try to split a full piece of thin glass directly in half in this manner, and you will discover a high degree of dissatisfaction and surely lay down your scissors and return with a nicely oiled glass cutter.
Pat
BruceJackson
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by BruceJackson »

funny post...Pat's explanation makes sense.

I'd also assume, doing it under water makes a lot of sense in keeping all those nasty tiny specs of glass contained so the don't end up all over your bench, floor, clothes and face.

I wonder if using water would be useful when nipping scalloped edges? Keep the shards under control. Danny Baronian has gotta be the man for this. What do you think Danny? Have you tried it?

I think grozing glass edges might be at the top of my list of hateful experiences...a horrible business that feels truly awful...worse than fingernails on a blackboard
Lee Littlewood
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Lee Littlewood »

Got them old glass grozing blues /
stick a little shard in my heart, dear /
'cause ain't no mountain high enough,
ain't no river deep enough,
to keep me from bleedin' on you...
where am i? Now, when i need me...
Danny Baronian
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Danny Baronian »

Pat's is an accurate description of a story that's been in circulation quite a while. The number of those that have actually tried it are probably the same number of people that have called Pat about that bridge.... and the horse. :)

No Bruce, never tried it under water. With a properly adjusted scalloper, it'll produce a great scalloped edge. Added to that, the throat of the scallopers were modified years ago, which allow the glass chips to easily fall away, usually into a waste basket.

With all the abrasive wheels available, there's less need for gronzing pliers as there once was. Skip the belt sander. My hands hurt thinking about 'what if': a belt sander can easily grab material and send it flying across the room. Or into body parts.

There are times the pliers are preferable as Pat noted; but it's not a tool many would find in their kit.

Danny
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Dan Seese
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Dan Seese »

I too recall being there and watching young Kevin Betz's performance right before my very eyes!

I love your explanation, Pat.

Your comments often remind me of Rick Glawson who would not only describe how to do something but he would give a chemical explanation along with the physics and a thorough history lesson behind it. And he'd finish with a smile of satisfaction and a twinkle in his eye. (In about 2 weeks it will be 10 years since we lost this man whom so many of us considered to be a friend and mentor.)

I think your brain works like his did and I know you spent many years figuring out stuff on your own related to this mysterious medium we work with called glass.
Dan
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340 - 1400)

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Kevin W Betz
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Kevin W Betz »

I am glad to see the responses. Great information.
It is nice to have a place to share knowledge.
Altough I tried to cut Mother of Pearl, it just did not work. To thin.
I did find a way, using a cnc router. I was able to rout small pieces
of decorative embellishments, about 2" tall.
I am not sure how to attach photo's.
Could someone please let me know how to ?

kevin
Danny Baronian
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Re: Cutting glass with scissors ?

Post by Danny Baronian »

Kevin,

instructions are here: https://handletteringforum.com/forum ... f=2&t=2368

Depending on what type of camera used, knowing you're going to post specific pictures on the web, shoot in jpeg, which will allow you in most cases to download images directly into the forum without making the images smaller.

As described in Mike's text, top post, type in descriptive text, scroll down, under Filename click browse, select photo / file, hit add the file, preview to check it out, and submit.

Danny
Danny Baronian
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