nipping thick murrini

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Cheryl
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nipping thick murrini

Post by Cheryl »

Is there such a thing as a mosaic nipper with a bigger opening? I have leponitt (sp?) nippers with great blades, but they are limited in the size that I can cut. Sometimes I get wonderful vitrigraph cane that's about 1/2-7/8 inches thick. The tile saw just eats it (plus it's no fun to hold it to the blade). Ideas welcome...
"Every artist was first an amateur."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Morganica
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Morganica »

Well, I do it with the aid of a hammer, like this http://www.morganica.com/bloggery/2011/ ... ellyrolls/
Image
It works pretty well and once you get the hang of it is reasonably accurate.

You can also buy murrini guillotines, but they're expensive. This one, by Carlo Dona, is something like $2,500, or was the last time I checked about two years ago:
Image
$2500 buys a lot of cheap choppers and hammers... ;-)
Cynthia Morgan
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Cheryl
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Cheryl »

I can't always get my nippers around the cane....

2500. wow. That's insane!
"Every artist was first an amateur."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Morganica
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Morganica »

Get bigger nippers...some of them open to an inch or more.
Cynthia Morgan
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Tom Fuhrman
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Tom Fuhrman »

get a very thin and small blade for your tile saw. I got mine from www.lopacki.com , 4" dia. and very thin, use lots of water and go slow, even buy several and make a motor with multiple blades and cut several slices with one pass. little wasteage to rod with this setup.
Cheryl
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Cheryl »

any mfrs on those bigger jawed nippers? Tx
"Every artist was first an amateur."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
williamslaybaugh
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by williamslaybaugh »

You could also try a color bar cutter for blown glass. I have not used this model, and most take a bit of practice to get a good brake. They will handle a good thickness of glass though.

http://www.glasscolor.com/products/defa ... 0&pID=1570
Tony Smith
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Tony Smith »

You could make a tool like this
http://hobbyglass.com/Murrini-Chopper-P458592.aspx

The arbor press can be bought from Enco for $40. Then you need someone to weld cutters onto the arbor and table.

Tony
The tightrope between being strange and being creative is too narrow to walk without occasionally landing on both sides..." Scott Berkun
Cheryl
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Cheryl »

...I could....but I don't have ready access to welding and frankly I am feeling a bit lazy on this. Unless you're volunteering? [-o<
"Every artist was first an amateur."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
RHunter
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by RHunter »

Hi All,

A woman that was in my glass class , had picked up a pair of regular tile nippers from Lowe's or Home Depot....they opened wider than the glass nippers we use, and were pretty sweet...they might be just the ticket for larger cane.....glass blowers must have something similar to cut their canes.

Randy
Morganica
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Morganica »

Cheryl wrote:any mfrs on those bigger jawed nippers? Tx
As Randy says, look at tile nippers at hardware stores. Mine (not the wheeled nippers in the photo, but rather straight-bladed jaws) open to about an inch and a quarter.
Cynthia Morgan
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Valerie Adams
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Valerie Adams »

I was just in my local Home Depot and they didn't have anything that opened more than 1/2". I'll continue to search.
Tony Smith
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Tony Smith »

Cheryl,

Channelock makes nail cutters that open pretty wide... about an inch, but not more than a half inch deep. Home Depot has them. Sneak in a piece of your murrini in and see if they'll work.

Tony
The tightrope between being strange and being creative is too narrow to walk without occasionally landing on both sides..." Scott Berkun
Tom Fuhrman
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Re: nipping thick murrini

Post by Tom Fuhrman »

Starrett makes some very good nippers with replaceable blades but they are quite expensive. $100+ if I recall, but very good.
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