Material:Glass
| MaterialInfoBox Glass | |
|---|---|
| |
| Synonyms: | DE: Glas |
| Suggested Tools: | glass cutter, laser cutter, diamond bits |
| Contains: | silicon |
| Similar (More or Less): | acrylic glass, (some) casting resins |
Glass is tricky to work with as it tends to shatter upon the slightest mistreatment - make sure to wear adequate protection!
Shaping
Use a glass cutter for straight cuts or diamond drill bits to create holes. If you don't want to invest in a special drill bit, you may get away with self-made copper hole saws and abrasive powder.
A laser cutter is also potentially able to score a break line (please let us know if you've tried it!)
Bottle Cutting
It would be really cool to have a bottle cutting jig in the Space so we could upcycle old bottles into items like drinking glasses, lampshades or even self-watering planters.
Most methods you find use heat stress to break the glass: either a burning string (reportedly not very good quality), a glowing wire (build article in c't Make: 6/17) or baths of water after the bottle has been scored with a glass cutter the old-fashioned way.
Lukas would like to try out this cutting jig or the electric one from c't Make:, who else is interested? We could also host events using and/or making these jigs with people interested in re-using their glass waste! Another option could be a 3D printed collar like this one which should work better on irregularly shaped bottles than a fixed jig would.
Engraving
A laser cutter and diamond rotary tool bits are suitable for engravings.
