What is your favorite straight glass cutter? Circle?

[deborahbur]

Where did you buy them?

thanks
Deborah

[Steve Immerman]

Straight: Toyo Thomas grip cutter, and Toyo tap wheel cutter. But, you'll find lots of different preferences by people on this.

Circle: silberschnitt.


CRL and/or Ed Hoy.

Steve

[Bert Weiss]

Where did you buy them?

thanks
Deborah

Toyo custom grip tap wheel for hand cutting and Toyo tap wheel circle cutter. Buy them at CR Laurence 1-800-421-6144 california. Get the right wheels for the thickness of glass you are cutting.

[Tony Smith]

Silberschnitt circle cutter and a Toyo pencil style cutter... although now that I've been using a prototype Silberschnitt cutter, I may convert.

I bought the circle cutter and the Toyo from MetroWest Stained glass in Framingham. BUt you should be able to find them at any stained glass shop.

Tony

[Brad Walker]

I used to use (and still do occasionally) the small Silberschnitt "Studio Circle Cutter", but now mostly use the really large, mounted on a table "Professional Circle Cutter" that Bullseye sells. It's as big an improvement on the small Silberschnitt as the Silberschnitt is on cutting by hand.

Similarly, if you've tried a professional strip cutter (like the one Jeremy Lepisto did for BE or that Marty Kremer did with Vitrum), then you'll never want to go back to cutting strips with a hand tool.

[Cynthia]

Straight: Toyo Thomas grip cutter, and Toyo tap wheel cutter. But, you'll find lots of different preferences by people on this.

Circle: silberschnitt.


CRL and/or Ed Hoy.

Steve

I'm with Steve on this one. I don't do strip cutting, so don't know about the tools made specifically for that, but the Toyo (regardless of grip style) tap wheel and the Silberschnitt or Bohle circle cutters are very nice. I didn't know cutting circles was easy 'til I got my Silberschnitt. Now it's a piece of cake. The expense of a good tool is recouperated pretty quickly when you aren't having your glass break and run off willy nilly.

[Jo Holt]

Toyo custom grip tap wheel for hand cutting and Toyo tap wheel circle cutter. Buy them at CR Laurence 1-800-421-6144 california. Get the right wheels for the thickness of glass you are cutting.

Took Bert's advice and love the circle cutter!

I use the pistol grip Toyo cutter - since I'm 5'2" I was advised awhile back the pistol grip is easier for shorter height/arms. Don't know if that's true but it works and I'm a creature of habit

[Marty]

Jo- how about lowering the table height to where it's comfortable? Or standing on a small platform? I'm serious! Try it- in my studio we range from about 5'3" to 6'; there's all kinds of accomodation.

[Bert Weiss]

Jo- how about lowering the table height to where it's comfortable? Or standing on a small platform? I'm serious! Try it- in my studio we range from about 5'3" to 6'; there's all kinds of accomodation.

OR she could just grow up

[Tony Smith]

she could shorten her arms

[Carol]

Get the right wheels for the thickness of glass you are cutting.

Bert...can you elaborate on this...what thickness glass can I use regular cutters for? Why/what type of wheel would I need for thicker glass (how thick?). Would different pliers help with thicker glass too?

Carol

[Jo Holt]

Jo- how about lowering the table height to where it's comfortable? Or standing on a small platform? I'm serious! Try it- in my studio we range from about 5'3" to 6'; there's all kinds of accomodation.

Well...I threw my 6'0" hubby outta my studio and took over his bench. Had to stack up fatigue mats and it's OK

Grip probably doesn't matter - you are right about all kinds of accomodations.

Jo

[Jo Holt]

OR she could just grow up

Hum along with me: "I don't wanna grow up..."

[Jo Holt]

she could shorten her arms

I like Flipper - but not that well...

[Tony Smith]

Get the right wheels for the thickness of glass you are cutting.

Bert...can you elaborate on this...what thickness glass can I use regular cutters for? Why/what type of wheel would I need for thicker glass (how thick?). Would different pliers help with thicker glass too?

Carol

Bohle and Toyo both offer cutters and breakers for thick glass. I've found they make a difference with glass thicker than 3/8", but I tend to use the breaker on the double thick (1/4") Spectrum clear as well.

The thick glass cutters have a different angle ground into the wheel. They are flatter at about 160°. Combining a different angle cutter and higher pressure creates a score that is more likely to run square through the glass. But as we all know, some glass has a mind of its own.

The breakers are expensive. My Somaca catalog lists the large Bohle unit (up to 1" thick) at $235 and the smaller unit (up to 5/8" thick) at $150. The Bohle units can also be used as weapons if the need arises. Typical of German engineering, they are well made and weigh in at about 5 lbs. Somaca also sells the Toyo breaker (up to 3/4" thick) with the thick glass cutter for $170.

Tony

[Bert Weiss]

Bohle and Toyo both offer cutters and breakers for thick glass. I've found they make a difference with glass thicker than 3/8", but I tend to use the breaker on the double thick (1/4") Spectrum clear as well.

The thick glass cutters have a different angle ground into the wheel. They are flatter at about 160°. Combining a different angle cutter and higher pressure creates a score that is more likely to run square through the glass. But as we all know, some glass has a mind of its own.

The breakers are expensive. My Somaca catalog lists the large Bohle unit (up to 1" thick) at $235 and the smaller unit (up to 5/8" thick) at $150. The Bohle units can also be used as weapons if the need arises. Typical of German engineering, they are well made and weigh in at about 5 lbs. Somaca also sells the Toyo breaker (up to 3/4" thick) with the thick glass cutter for $170.

Tony

Another way of looking at it is that dull cutters work better on thicker glass. Sharp cutters on thin glass. Since you want about the same depth of cut, you have to press harder on heavy glass. The good news is that it is much less likely to break under the cutter. Companies like CRL carry several differerent cutter angles. They are marked as to their uses.

I use the Toyo running pliers for heavy glass. they are great. I also have some large plate pliers that I use like stained glass pliers only bigger. I can break or groze with them. I have no Idea where I got them, but it was probably CRL. I also use PPG running pliers for cuts around 1" wide. For wider cuts I love the Toyo's.