My Favourite Glass Bottle Cutter
This glass bottle cutter by Ephrem looks a breeze, and it might even make you feel better about all that wine you’re drinking AND help you do your bit for the environment too.
It’s ingenious! In five easy steps you can remove either the top or bottom of your bottle – it can accommodate any height and is adjustable – and you’re well on the way to creating glasses or candleholders from your throwaway empties.
The glass bottle cutter kit includes:
- Bottle cutter
- 3-wheel cutting head
- Candle
- Polishing paper
- Carbide polishing powder
- Instruction booklet
- Ideas for things to make
Step One: Position The Bottle
Place the bottle lengthwise on the glass bottle cutter, with the end flush against the backstop and resting on the rollers. You can adjust the length of your cut by loosening the screw in the backstop and sliding it and the rollers forward for a short cut and backwards for a longer cut.
Step Two: Etching The Glass
This is exactly the same principal as making a score line when glass cutting. I’d recommend brushing some oil on to the glass cutter wheel before you start, and don’t press too hard – the glass separates better with a lighter etch (score line).
Rotate the bottle towards you with your hands (see photo). Keep the bottle firmly against the backstop and keep it moving while you’re making the etch. Only go round ONCE. You’ll hear a graunching noise if you try going round again – that’s the sound of you ruining your cutting wheel!
Step Three: Heating The Etch
It starts getting mysterious now… The etch must be uniformly heated before separating the bottle, so light the candle provided in the glass bottle cutter kit and slowly rotate the bottle about 2cms (an eighth of an inch) from the flame. Go round about three or four times, and then another three times at a faster pace to distribute the heat evenly. The bottle should feel hot to the touch – but not enough to burn you!
Step Four: Separating The Bottle
Stand the bottle up, and – when it’s still hot – rub an ice cube around the etched line one or two times. Effectively you’re causing thermal shock, and the glass should crack all around the etched line. Tug gently on the two pieces and the bottle should separate. If not, reheat and you should hear the glass cracking. You may have to repeat Steps Three and Four depending on the thickness of the glass bottle.
Step Five: Smoothing The Edges
Finally, you need to make the cut pieces safe. Use the coarse polishing paper provided to rub the inside and outside edges of the cut to prevent chipping. Sprinkle a small amount of the polishing powder on piece of scrap window glass, dip the edge of the glass in water and start grinding in a circular motion. The edge will become perfectly flat. Lastly, use the finer polishing paper wet to give a final smooth finish.
Let me know what objects you make with this glass bottle cutter – I’m intrigued!
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