Cutting glass bottle for decoration

[G13]

Can one of you mechanically inclined people help me out....I wanted to make a decoration in my tank using a bottle. I was wondering if it was possible to cut the bottle without breaking it?

I was thinking about breaking it but did not want to leave sharp edges. Is there something I can use to round off the sharp edges?

I wanted to cut the bottom half of the bottle and place it in the sand to make it look like it was dug into the sand but I want to cut into the back part of the bottle to let water flow in.

 

[G13]

bump

 

[flfirefighter13]

Ive never tried it before but I know home depot sells the scoreing tools for cutting glass, maybe score a few extra times and tap gently? Then again finding a local glass shop may be even easier. Good luck!

 

[jamielind]

wet saw with a diamond blade. i use it to cut glass tiles. might take a few trys though.

 

[coyoteseven]

Try searching eBay for bottle cutter... there's probably a couple of hundred listings, especially in the arts and crafts section.

BTW, to take off the sharp edges, just use a medium/fine grit sandpaper.

HTH

 

[G13]

Thanks for the reply's........I'll be looking to do try and cut the bottle myself this week.

 

[ERICinFL]

Score a line around the bottle with a hack saw and use a small ball peen hammer to break it (tap gently along the score, TRUST ME). It wont be clean, but it should break around the score you made. A metal file should take the sharp edges down nicely. I went through about three bottles before I got it just right. Try to score as deep as you can, that's what worked for me.

 

[badpacket]

Here's one my dad told me about, they used it a long time ago.

Get a practice bottle like the one you like. Get a bucket of cold tap water.
Soak some twine, not string in kerosene.
Tie the string around the bottle where you want it cut.
Light the string, and let it burn a while.
Pick up the bottle with pliers, and dunk it into the bucket of water.
It should crack right along the string line and probably break right off.
You should be left with 2 bottle halves.

Probably use sand paper to smooth the edges.

Have heard of people who fill the bottle with water up to the string line too.

Also, here is a real good site, especialy the bottom of the page:
http://homepages.waymark.net/mikefirth/bottle.htm

 

[CoolUsername]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8341487#post8341487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flfirefighter13
Ive never tried it before but I know home depot sells the scoreing tools for cutting glass, maybe score a few extra times and tap gently? Then again finding a local glass shop may be even easier. Good luck!

This is only for a flat pane of glass. Score and break. I wouldn't expect this to work on the bottle. The burning twine idea sounds so cool, I might try it just out of curiousity.

 

[CoolUsername]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8349257#post8349257 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CoolUsername
This is only for a flat pane of glass. Score and break. I wouldn't expect this to work on the bottle. The burning twine idea sounds so cool, I might try it just out of curiousity.

Just checked. Looks like I was wrong about scoring. It is a recommended way of cutting a bottle.

 

[SirSmapty]

PLEASE make sure you wear gloves and saftey glasses. Glass shareds under the skin or in your eye would suck.

 

[hllywd]

C'mon Sir, it's not funny till somebody gets hurt!!!

Seriously, scoring does work, Ronco used to sell a kit so the crafty person could make their own unique drinking glasses, candle holders, etc..., for fun and profit!!!:lol: :lol: Really though I've seen it work for a square cut. Like stated before a diamond wet saw should work for a sqare cut or angle cut and I've heard of the twine idea too my guess is the precision isn't really great.
Like any other glass some wet/dry sand paper wil ease the edges so they're safer.

God Luck!
Tim

 

[toastman]

Ok, I know you wont believe me, but being in the Construction Trades, we need funnels all the time for our equiptment, and we never have them around, but we do have plenty of empty glass bottles, just put 2-5 8penny, or 16 penny nails in the bottle, and shake the bottle vertically, it will pop the bottom right off the bottle and leave you with a homemade funnel, now just sand the edges to smooth it out, try it, it works, you will look like a genius. Just wear a glove, I know this works on soda bottles and beer bottles...not sure about any other kids of bottles

 

[lllosingit]

Getting the bottom off will be the easy part.
He also wants to open the backside for water flow, That will be the had part. I'm sure it's going to take a few broken bottles to get that right.
I guess I would try scoring part way around the bottle then on the backside I would continue scoring but up and across the bottle then back down to where you started.

 

[musty baby]

G13 - do you have a dremel tool?

We have a diamond bandsaw for cutting glass and I have a ton of diamond holesaws that would open up the back. Those would be the easiest, but since most do not have them, a dremel with a diamond blade would be the best and easiest bet (for opening the back, anyway)

 

[G13]

Thanks for the advice, just a few questions and answers.

@toastman, I'm in the construction trade also (Tin knocker apprentice) but I've never heard of penny nails. I will ask around and see what comes up. By the way it is a beer bottle (corona) that I plan on using as a decoration.

@ryansholl, my brother owns a dremel tool and I'll try and get a hold of him to find out if he has the diamond blade.

I'm going to try and get this done during the weekend but work and family life right now is pretty hectic.

 

[Vincerama2]

"penny" is a way to describe a nail's size.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_(engineering)

The interesting part (from the Wikipedia entry);

"Nails are usually sold by weight (either in bulk or in boxes). In the US, the length of a nail is designated by its penny size. It is commonly believed that the origin of the term "penny" in relation to nail size is based on the old custom in England of selling nails by the hundred. A hundred nails that sold for six pence were "six penny" nails. The larger the nail, the more a hundred nails would cost. Thus the larger nails have a larger number for its penny size. This classification system was still used in England in the 18th century, but is obsolete there.

The penny size is written with a number and the abbreviation d for penny (e.g. - 10d). D is an abbreviation for denarius, a Roman coin similar to a penny; this was the abbreviation for a penny in the UK before decimalisation. A smaller number indicates a shorter nail and a larger number indicates a longer nail. Nails under 1¼ in., often called brads, are sold mostly in small packages with only a length designation (e.g. ½" (12 mm), 11⁄8" (28 mm), etc.)."

V

 

[billm90]

I have cut the neck off a corona beer bottle before. I used it as a guitar slide.

I put tape all around the bottle incase it did break, except where I was cutting. I used a dremel and a carbide cut off wheel. I slowly took my time and made a deep grove around the whole bottle. you will want to wear something to protect your hands and your lungs, and your eyes. once I made a deep cut around it, I went to the trash can and hit the bottle into the rim, The bottle shattered and I had the neck in a nice piece left over.

sanded it smooth and used it.

Something else about the fire.
I watched an episode of overhaulin (car building show)
they made new side windows and scrached the glass, lit if on fire and broke it off. so the fire does do something for it.

 

[toastman]

8penny nails are about 2 1/4-3/8" long and 16pennies are 3-3 1/2"long, we always use framing nails, nails called sinkers, or nails that have a head on them....... A Corona breaks off nicely, believe me, lots of funnels in Corona bottles...good luck

 

[toastman]

Make sure you drink the beer out of the bottle first, would be a huge waist of alcohol