WarmGlass.com

i read here where the *oldtimers* would put kerosene on the glass, after it was scored, and then light it on fire, to burn it off, and that the glass would break,,,,so my question is this, if i take a piece and score a grid pattern and do the kerosene thing, will it break into a bunch of little sqares all on its own,,,thanks,rodney

rodney wrote:i read here where the *oldtimers* would put kerosene on the glass, after it was scored, and then light it on fire, to burn it off, and that the glass would break,,,,so my question is this, if i take a piece and score a grid pattern and do the kerosene thing, will it break into a bunch of little sqares all on its own,,,thanks,rodney

No, don't do it. That twechniqhue is for cutting laminated glass, to burn out the laminate between the layers. Brock

Brock wrote:No, don't do it. That twechniqhue is for cutting laminated glass, to burn out the laminate between the layers. Brock

What's a "twechniqhue"? Must be a Canadian thing.

(P.S. You can also use kerosene and a string to cut bottles in half. This could be why most of the oldtimers are dead.)

What's a "twechniqhue"? Must be a Canadian thing.

Damn straight! It's a process, in colour! Brock

Sounds like what you heard is a combination of what Brock posted, and that old timers did indeed use either kerosene or spit to follow their scores. Following the score with a number of liquids(spit, kerosene, water, and ammonia for example) will help them run more easily, but heat isn't required. When working with laminated I've found alcohol to work well, and cleanup is so much easier.

We usually mixed a 50/50 of white kerosene and a very fine motor oil (like a sewing machine oil). We bought up all the Mobil Ultralube we could find before it was no longer available. Another popular oil used by the float glass people is WD-40. - Barbara

Rodney,
Apply your lubricant onto the glass before you score the glass with a cutter, or use a self oiling cutter.
If you are cutting laminated glass, score and run your cut out on one side, then flip the glass over and do the same, directly above your score lines on the first side. Make sure all scores are completely ran out, then apply denatured alcohol on the score lines and put a flame to it.
The heat from the alcohol will soften the interlayer, allowing you to pivot the glass enough to get a razor blade down into the interlayer without chipping the glass.
If you have more cuts to make that intersect any areas that you just put the alcohol to, let the glass cool down first, especially in cold weather situations.
When possible, I prefer to make all my scores and runouts on the first side, before flipping the glass over. It just save a little time.