Cutting small glass circles

[Alan Smith]

Good job. Looks quite straight forward.

[Smokedaddy]

I was successful in cutting a few discs. They actually turned out very nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7k41380Imo

-JW:

[Smokedaddy]

Click on this guy. https://www.ebay.com/itm/26411494699...0AAOSwmmxW2y6s
For the few pieces you need it's not worth dicking around to make them.

I totally agree, thanks for the link. I'm not able to cut anything smaller than 2 5/8" a the moment. I ordered from this guy and they turned out sweet. Thanks for the link.

-JW:

[BCRider]

Something that occurs to me is that stained glass makers have been cutting curves for a long time with minimal tools. Sometimes working in one big piece and sometimes making radial scores to break away the waste in little segments.

Again YT has lots of videos on "stained glass curves" but here's one where he is almost cutting a full circle with very minimal tools.

(12) Stained Glass Crescent MOON - Cutting Curves Freehand - YouTube

[CalM]

Beeswax will dissolve in naptha.

Turps is the time tested standard, DOMS works well. 1-1-1 trichloroethane is the bees knees!

[CalM]

I once watched a guy cut a circle out of the plate glass window which he was replacing. The cutout allowed him to reach through and open the door from the inside. This was about a three second operation. First the suction cup to attach a handle, next the 360 degree sweep to scribe, then the single tap to knock the piece out. Since I questioned him about it, he told me that the secret was to make only one quick sweep with the cutter, with enough pressure to score deeply enough the first time, then don't wait before knocking it out.

The window had been shot, and besides the bullet hole it had a few cracks going to the edge of the glass. To me that would have been a dangerous operation. He made it look like childs play. The only point I'm making is that glass is easy to cut if you do it right.

I'm thinking that for you, the hardest part is arranging to swing the scriber in a circle of desired diameter. How you do that the glass doesn't care. How rigidly you can perform this operation- the glass does care.

All you describe is true!

"Get it while it's hot" is the glass cutter's theme.
one clean scribe does it, and a ready supply of fresh sharp wheels answers that need.
The only addition is to dip the wheel in kerosene just before making the cut. The lamp oil lubricates the wheel axle, and spreads to the newly created fracture line to prevent "healing" , where by the glass will actually meld it's self back together. (Back to the "get it while it's hot" theme.)

The issue I see with the OP's application, is the small size of the desired part. It is very difficult to manipulate the scribe tool to achieve one good line in such a tight radius.

One idea would be to produce a template in durable material, cut glass octagons. affix the template to the glass blanks, and then wet sand the blanks using SiC paper .

Tedious , but the OP has no tools... hand work is all that remains.

I've done similar , but made use of a 10 inch diamond wheel, a lathe, and an oil coolant pump. Not really a "I've got no tools" solution. ;-)

[darryl]

I once watched a guy cut a circle out of the plate glass window which he was replacing. The cutout allowed him to reach through and open the door from the inside. This was about a three second operation. First the suction cup to attach a handle, next the 360 degree sweep to scribe, then the single tap to knock the piece out. Since I questioned him about it, he told me that the secret was to make only one quick sweep with the cutter, with enough pressure to score deeply enough the first time, then don't wait before knocking it out.

The window had been shot, and besides the bullet hole it had a few cracks going to the edge of the glass. To me that would have been a dangerous operation. He made it look like childs play. The only point I'm making is that glass is easy to cut if you do it right.

I'm thinking that for you, the hardest part is arranging to swing the scriber in a circle of desired diameter. How you do that the glass doesn't care. How rigidly you can perform this operation- the glass does care.

[I make chips]

Click on this guy. https://www.ebay.com/itm/26411494699...0AAOSwmmxW2y6s
For the few pieces you need it's not worth dicking around to make them.

[BCRider]

Thanks to Post #21 we know now that you're after a half dozen or so. And have no shop.

That pretty well narrows it down to either having a glass shop cut them for you, buying a circle cutter that can do smaller circles or as epicfail suggests bodging up cutter of your own in some way.

For something this temporary could you use just the beam and cutting point from the circle cutter you have now and bodge up a second smaller center pivot? Used with a bit of care I'm thinking that instead of the usual suction cup you might get away with just a block style pivoting base which you hold down with a piece of that non-skid shelf matting. Yes it would be a touch clumsy and need a bit of care. But it has the potential of being doable with very simple tools which you probably have on hand.

[john hobdeclipe]

Beeswax will dissolve in naptha.

I'll try that.

[john hobdeclipe]

I don't recall what they dissolve it with, some stuff in an ultrasonic cleaner. I think really hot soapy water followed by a wipe down with alcohol may work just as well. I will ask on Monday if i remember, we have guys that are actual experts on such stuff around there.

If you can find out for me, I will appreciate it!

[epicfail48]

Lot of complication for something that should be relatively simple... Get a suction cup, a set of dividers, and a normal glass scriber. Tape the scribe to the dividers, set the dividers to the size of the disc you want, stick the suction cup in the center of your glass, set the non-cutter leg of the divider on top of the suction cup, run it in a circle. Snap glass as normal

All you need is some way to run a scriber in a circle, no need to get fancy with drill presses and core drills and waterjets

[genea]

I don't recall what they dissolve it with, some stuff in an ultrasonic cleaner. I think really hot soapy water followed by a wipe down with alcohol may work just as well. I will ask on Monday if i remember, we have guys that are actual experts on such stuff around there.

Beeswax will dissolve in naptha.

[Smokedaddy]

I only need a couple but would love to have a couple of dozen since they get broken sometimes.

-JW:

[JoeLee]

You likely do not, however if 100 parts are required then send the job to a shop that does such work daily.
The OP never lists how many parts are required 1 ,10. 100 or 1000.

I would also imagine that any place that has the equipment also has a minimum part or dollar amount.

JL...............