I know one of you knows how to do this...Please tell me how!

[sparkles2307]

Great ideas guys thanks very much!

 

[mikeisbored]

Thanks for posting the link to my page! If I can put in my 2c. I would not use the string and acetone method on bottles that you love and have been saving because it is tricky and by no means a 100% method. There are lots of bad reviews of those bottle cutters from michaels so I might not go for that either.
I think the way to do it right is to score and crack it.

This can be done with a grinder like a diamond dremel bit. Slightly sketchy:
cutting bottles witha dremel tool

Excited to see a board dedicated to chickens! I would love to raise some once I move out of my second story appartment.

 

[Andi]

I hope you realize that you are now bound to pics of the finished lamp!

 

[rnoyster]

You can cut the bottle with a regular glass cutter. BUT, you have to crack it from the inside out to break it loose! Whenever you score (cut) a pane of glass, you always break it from the other side. In the case of a bottle, it would have to be broken from the inside out.

 

[sparkles2307]

My uncle was thinking..... he wanted me to ask if a person could score it with a pipe cutter and then heat along the score with a blowtorch and then put it in cold water to crack it on the score???

If I ever get it done I will SO put up pics! DH is the least handy of the two of us so I gotta figure this one out on my own...

 

[wildorchid053]

don't heat and chill the bottle it will crack all over. i do stained glass and you need a glass cutter and a diamond wheel to grind the sharp edge off.. perhaps you have a stained glass person in your area? i would ask them.. they have the proper glasses and tools for the job.

 

[ranchhand]

I am a glassworker, have been since 1983.

All the listed methods will sometimes work, and all have their risks. If you try any of them, please wear safety glasses!

If you decide to get someone else to do it for you, I recommend a stained/leaded/etched glass company, since they are better equipped for that type of cutting.

I worked for years at Renaissance Glass Co. in Austin, TX. The way we would have done it is to cut the bottom off with a diamond edge band saw, which has a constant stream of water to cool the glass while cutting. The piece would then be polished, or at least sanded, on the bottom edge using a wet belt sander. There are quite a few smaller home versions of those machines, but they are expensive!

The old Ronco bottle cutters were fun, but never did work very well, I ruined many a bottle that way. All the above methods WILL work, but with a pretty high failure rate, so have lots of bottles handy. The one problem is that the cut edge, being unfinished, is sharp and really stands out. You can use sandpaper on it, but it's still going to be a rough and unattractive edge.


I think it's a GREAT idea!

 

[Bwaaak!]

I've worked with stained glass for going on 15 years now, have never cut a wine glass although I would like to attempt cutting pickle jars etc to make lanterns out of. So I ordered a jar/bottle cutter from a stained glass supplier online (google "stained glass suppliers" and you will come up with many) I think I used Delphi. Anyway, the contraption holds the bottle (or wine bottle) in position while being able to mnually rotate it. A cutting glass tool "scores" (makes a mark) the surface of the glass.

Then, according to the directions, have ready an ice cube and candle. Using the candle you heat the scored line and immediately use the ice cube to make the glass "crack". You may be able to hear it cracking, but you will see it cracking along the line. Hope this helps. I havent cut bottles or jars yet... you know... no time. Barb