How to Cut a Mirror at Home: Necessary Tools

Sometimes you want to buy a mirror of some intricate shape, but it is quite difficult to find non-standard items in stores. Of course, you can use the help of a specialist, but if you have visited this page, it means that you assume that you can do without it. The most important thing in this matter is to handle the product with extreme care and strictly follow all the rules and recommendations. If you are capable of this, cutting will not seem difficult to you. Why not try? It is always interesting to learn something new.

Cutting a mirror — Sometimes there is a desire to buy a mirror of some intricate shape, but it is quite difficult to find non-standard items in stores.

Content

Safety precautions when cutting glass
Necessary tools
How to prepare glass for the procedure?
Let's start cutting
It's done!
VIDEO: cutting a mirror
50 photo ideas on how to cut a mirror at home

Safety precautions when cutting glass

Before cutting a mirror with a glass cutter, read the safety requirements.

Tidy up your workspace, remove all unnecessary items from the table. Place scrap boxes, work tools, and the product itself in their proper places.
Make sure all fittings are in good working order.
Place rubber tips or wrap the pliers in something.
Glass boxes are always installed vertically.
Be sure to use a special suit, gloves and protective glasses.
Take your time and try not to make any sudden movements.
Do not touch the glass cut line with fingers not protected by gloves.
It is prohibited to cut the product on objects not intended for this purpose.
When working at height, do not throw glass down. Always take trimmings and whole glass with you.
Cutting may only be carried out in the direction opposite to the direction of the cutting part.
The glass must be installed on strong supports with an inclination of up to 15°.
As you work, place unnecessary scraps in a box and throw them in the trash as they accumulate.
Remove glass from boxes carefully. If the glass is cracked, remove it in separate pieces.
You cannot cut the product on your knees.
Use electric glass cutters with care.
If the product was brought in from the cold, be sure to warm it up.
Sweep the floor and clean the workbenches with a special brush. Do not try to blow off glass dust.
Before finishing work, shake the special suit thoroughly to remove any crushed glass particles.

Cutting a mirror at home — First, the entire surface of the mirror must be thoroughly cleaned and washed with a soda solution.

Types of glass cutters: roller and diamond — The place where the cutting will take place must be flat so that the mirror fits tightly over the entire surface.

Necessary tools

Be sure to check that you have all the materials before cutting the mirror. The most standard table will do, the main thing is that the dimensions of the tabletop correspond to the area of the mirror surface, ideally - exceed it.

cut a mirror with a glass cutter — There are two known types of glass cutters: diamond and roller, and mirrors can be cut at home with both.

If you plan to put the mirror in a frame, get one in advance.

glass cutter how to cut a mirror — Then you need to apply a ruler, preferably a metal one, to the line.

mirror in the hallway — The work should be done carefully and without haste.

The most important tool is, of course, a glass cutter. There are three types of tools that you can use to cut glass at home:

roller - the cutting part is made of a particularly strong alloy;
diamond – industrial diamond is used as the cutting part;
oil – have the same characteristics as roller ones, but have an additional reservoir.

mirror trimming — This technique allows you to control the correct position of the cutting part of the glass cutter and ensures that the glass cutter will not slip off this line onto the ruler.

If you are wondering which glass cutter to buy, choose a diamond one. It is superior to a roller one both in quality and in service life.

Cutting a mirror with a glass cutter diagram — It is clear that the cutting element must be located strictly on the marked line and perpendicular to the surface of the mirror.

The cleanliness of the mirror is the reputation of the hostess — During operation, the glass cutter is pressed tightly against the surface of the mirror and the ruler.

Another necessary tool is a special thick ruler or a square for cutting glass. However, you can use a regular metal ruler, you just need to improve it a little. To do this, you will need several rubber or leather pieces. You need to put the ruler on them. This will prevent the metal from sliding on the glass and raise the ruler to a level high enough for the glass cutter to rest on.

Shaped cutting of mirrors — The pressure and movement of the glass cutter must be smooth and progressive.

You will also need pliers and a hammer, which is designed to facilitate the process of breaking the glass by tapping the mirror from the back. It is desirable that the hammer be small.

Preparing for cutting — If cut correctly, a thin white line will remain on the surface of the mirror.

mirror design in interior — A specialist can determine by ear whether the cutting has been carried out correctly – by the characteristic light cracking sound.

It is highly advisable to cover the tabletop with a blanket. The fabric should be natural and have the required density, because you will be manipulating the mirror on it. If you do not use a blanket, the fragile glass on the hard surface of the table may crack with any careless movement.

Large mirror in the house — When the cutting line is ready, the mirror is placed on the edge of the surface (table, workbench, stool).

The last element is a water-soluble marker or wax pencil for marking.

Large mirror in the bedroom — If this does not work, then you need to tap the entire line from below with a small hammer, moving the hammer from its far end towards you.

How to prepare glass for the procedure?

To prevent the cutting line from "going" sideways in the future, first clean the surface of the product and wash it with soda. If stains and dirt are difficult to remove, use alcohol. Special liquids for glass will help to clean an old mirror. You do not need to wipe it with a cloth after cleaning, as it will definitely leave unnecessary lint.

mirror in the interior — After this, if the piece does not separate, the cutting process should be repeated.

If you have just purchased a mirror, it should be left for a couple of hours in the room where the entire cutting process will take place. During this time, the product will adapt to the temperature and humidity of the room. Then, if the mirror was previously in a box, wipe it with paper napkins.

cut mirror with glass cutter photo — If possible, it is better to purchase a diamond glass cutter - it cuts better and has a longer service life.

Make sure that the place where the cutting will be done is perfectly flat, otherwise the product will not be able to lie tightly on the surface. Remember about the soft blanket that needs to be covered with the surface of the table. Place the product on the work area with the reflective side up.

cut mirror correctly — When cutting glass, it is better to use safety glasses.

mirror in interior photo — The main thing is to do the work calmly and carefully, and then everything will work out for you.

The next step is to mark the cutting line. Remember the proverb "measure seven times, cut once"? It applies perfectly to our situation. After taking measurements, carefully draw the cutting line with a wax pencil. Then apply a metal ruler to it. Don't forget to put pieces of rubber or leather underneath it.

Professional glass cutter — In some cases, rubber-tipped pliers are used to remove cut-off pieces of thin mirror.

Beveled mirrors in the interior — Now all you have to do is insert the mirror into the pre-prepared frame.

Let's start cutting

The glass cutter should be positioned at a right angle to the mirror surface strictly on the marked line. Pressing it slightly against the glass, it should be carefully moved in the direction leading to you. Do not rush. Move the glass cutter gently and precisely along the marked line. If you hear the sound of the glass being cut, then everything is going well. A creaking sound indicates that the glass cutter is broken or you are doing something wrong.

If you cut the glass correctly, you will see a thin line. If all goes well, place the mirror on the workbench so that the line protrudes slightly beyond the edge. Then press down lightly on the cut part, holding the other part with your other hand. The glass should fall off. If this does not happen, tap the entire line with a hammer from the bottom side, moving it towards you. Doesn't work? Repeat the cutting procedure again. Small fragments can be removed with pliers.

Photo of a mirror in a baguette — If you have just purchased a mirror, it must be left for a couple of hours in the room where the entire cutting process will take place.

Attention! If you do not have special glasses, do not bend too low while working to avoid getting fragments in your eyes.

mirror for home — The creaking sound indicates that the glass cutter is broken or you are doing something wrong.

It's done!

The work is almost finished. Now all you have to do is insert the mirror into the frame you prepared in advance. If you don’t have one, cover the sharp edges with sandpaper to protect yourself from getting cut.

Favorable places for placing a mirror — If you cut it correctly, you will see a thin line on the glass.

As you can see, the glass cutting procedure is not that complicated. The main thing is to do the work calmly and carefully, and then you will succeed!