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Safety Tips
Wear glasses or safety goggles while cutting, breaking, grossing
and trimming. Never force a break. If a score does not break
easily, move and redo. If you do not force the breaks, there
is little danger in cutting yourself, other than small superficial
scratches. The glass pieces should be grasped with the tips of
your fingers inside, away from the edges. Never grip with the
palm of your hand.
Work Area
Use a sturdy table high enough to allow standing while you work,
a well-lighted, ventilated area away from children, pets, etc.
Supplies and Equipment
Small piece glass cutting (scoring and breaking) is a very
easy, simple procedure. You do not need expensive machines and
supplies but you must have a sharp glass cutter and a pair of
high quality grossing and breaking pliers (page 8 and 10). In
addition to a glass cutter and breaking pliers assemble a pad.
A resilient pad can be made from an 8" or 10" square
of old carpet or a piece of spongy place mat, etc.
As you work, shake the pad and brush off bits of glass from the
work area. To catch most waste glass as you break and trim, set
a tall waste basket on the table so you can stand and work with
your hands down inside. Position the form to one side of the
table so you can turn and work over it as you trim and fit the
pieces on the form cartoon.
Place a table or desk lamp with shade removed at the back of
the table to use in selecting glass.
Light Box
A light box can be used two ways: (1) to help select glass and
color and grain; (2) to use as a handy scoring platform (very
helpful for dark glass).
Construct a small platform box that is open at each end, about
3 1/2" high, that will hold one square foot of 1/4"
plate glass. The plate glass is covered with Mylar tracing plastic
to diffuse the light and provide a non-slip scoring surface.
A clear 25 watt tube type light bulb is placed on one side of
the box. This positions the light under a scoring area near the
edge of the box.
Glass Easel
A cartoon glass easel allows part or all of a lamp design to
be viewed with transmitted light as it is being cut out. This
is the only practical way we have found to select stained glass
flower, leaf, sky, etc., colors.
How to make the easel
Supplies needed: Wide black felt tip pen, clear single or
double strength window glass that will cover the paper pattern
or the part of the pattern you want to use.
Procedure: Place the paper pattern under the glass and
ink in all the spaces between the pattern parts. If you lay out
the complete lamp you will need enough clear glass for each pattern
repeat.
To use: Lay the glass easel on a light box or hold
the cut parts on the easel with clear sticky tape so it can be
held up to a window or light.
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