Re: Glass cutting

It's been 40 years since I played with hot wire and broken glass. It
was like magic, watching the crack open up as the wire was dragged
along. Seems like it wouldn't be too hard to make into a machine.
It would take some experimentation to make it reliable.

Other people have mentioned the tapper, I've no idea as to which
would be better.

Have fun playing around.

regards-
Elliot
--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com,
"balsanu_gabi" <gabi.balsanu@...> wrote:

>
> Hi Eliot,
>
> I would like to know more about this kind of procedure. If the

wheel

> is wet... then bang ... So, can you explain little
>
> TIA
>
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "optics22000" <elliot@>
> wrote:
> >
> > On the topic of home shop CNC cutting of glass, I used to cut
> glass
> > by first using a wheel to scribe it, then chasing the crack

around

> > with a bit of red hot nichrome wire. It only took a bit of
> current
> > to heat the wire, the heat would cause the crack to open if
> applied
> > immediately after the scribe.
> > It is easy to imagine using this technique with CNC. Either a
> head
> > could be made containing both the scriber and the hot wire, or
> after
> > scribing the head could be changed to a hot wire.
> > Tapping is used manually to enlarge the scribed line to a crack,
> > maybe a buzzer could be adapted for this purpose?
> >
> > If you had a CO2 laser, that would be ideal for the purpose of
> > enlarging the crack. The 10.6 µm light is absorbed very
> efficiently
> > by common glass.
> >
> > regards-
> > Elliot
> >
> > --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Tony Smith" <ajsmith@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Oct 22, 2006, at 6:38 PM, Jack Coats wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I know it is not the same thing, but has anyone tried
> > > > 'milling' glass, to 'mechanical etching'?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > It is done all the time and has been done longer than what
> > > > you might call "machining.". but it is called "grinding "
> see
> > > > lapidary. it does need to be cooled . Heating the glass
> > will
> > > > make things worse.
> > > >
> > > > The cnc glass cutting technique is done on VERY thin stock -

-

> > it
> > > > won't extrapolate to even normal thin window glass. it
> > isn't
> > > > hard to orient the cutter wheel but you need more than

just

> a
> > > > scratch to break thru. Search glass breaking pliers and
> also
> > > > glass cutting. The burglar technique isn't how it is really
> > works .
> > > >
> > > > Silicon chips from wafers are sawed not cut by breaking
> > although
> > > > the machine described cuts glass near wafer thickness.
> There
> > is
> > > > an interesting technique shown where the carbide wheel axle
> > > > hole is cut with a spline or like an internal planetary gear
> > > > to put enough vibration in to run the break.
> > >
> > >
> > > That site was claiming to cut 6mm (1/4") glass on that

machine.

> > Neat trick
> > > if it true. Or I read it wrong :)
> > >
> > > Tony
> > >
> >
>