# Is it possible to reduce Glass size by grinding?



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I’ve been having trouble with some miter cuts and now after fooling with it so much my glass is 1/16” too big. I kind of remember hearing about someone using a belt sander to make glass fit.


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## ed_h (Dec 1, 2010)

Yes, but secure everything well, and take it slow.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

That is a lot to grind off of glass but it can be done. You need a sanding belt made for glass though. A regular belt will dull in a heartbeat and start generating heat which could chip or crack the glass. Another option would be to cut about a 1/8" off the glass. If you have a glass cutter you could score it about an 1/8" from the end and break it off with a pair of pliers. Sometimes it kinda chips little pieces about the width of the pliers but it will work unless it is cheap junky glass.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Its 1/8” thick glass from Lowe’s and I have no idea if it’s good or not. I know I could cut a 1” piece off, but 1/8” wow! I don’t think I could do that. Years ago I tried nibbling off a small corner and I broke the whole thing.
Well if I need a special sandpaper, then I may just wait and buy a new piece of glass.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I was just thinking and I have tile wet saw with a diamond blade. Do you think that will work for glass?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Sleeper said:


> I was just thinking and I have tile wet saw with a diamond blade. Do you think that will work for glass?


If you have a scrap piece of glass try the saw and let us know how it works. If you don't have any scrap glass I have a cheap HF tile saw I could try it. Another option you might consider is to use a sharp chisel and mortise the wood out to insert 1/16" into the wood. It could be done where the glass stop would cover it. 

Glass is kinda fickled. I've cut a 1/8" sliver off a piece of 1/4" plate glass and had it come off intact and then cut 2" off of single strength and had it bust in a dozen pieces. It's just a gamble anytime you cut it. The glass needs to be really clean and the cutter sharp and oiled.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well if you managed to cut off 1/8” than I guess I could give it a try, but I need to buy a new cutter. I have 2 or 3 of them that are 20 yrs old. I only used them once and didn’t do so well in cutting, but that was before YouTube videos and I made every mistake you could make. They might still be good if I didn’t ruin them, but I think I should start with one that I know is good.


I already cut the dado as deep as I feel comfortable with.


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## tvman44 (Dec 8, 2011)

I have used a belt sander to reduce the diameter of a glass jar to make it fit a old coffee grinder and it went well.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well my old Red Devil glass cutter doesn’t look very good and this is what they sell at HD. Lowe's has even worst looking ones, but I’ve never seen a really good one and really don’t know how to judge. I looked on line for reviews and I don’t know if I can trust them unless I knew for sure they were written by professionals.
So I think I’m just going to buy another piece of cut glass only I have to wait until I can get out of town because the Lowe’s closest to me can’t cut a square piece. Their machine is out of alignment and the difference can be a lot depending on the size of cut. I had a 22” long piece cut and the width was 7/32” difference from one side to the other. 
I’ve told them about it a few different times but they just point to the sign that says “No Exact Cuts”. Now if I worked there, I’d borrow a framing square from tools and fix it. It’s just a matter of loosening a couple of bolts, squaring it up and tightening it from what I can see.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

A coarse grade sharpening stone will remove the 1/16" you need. I do this to smooth edges all the time. :smile:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You could grind the edge of glass if you're careful. Lay a piece of masking tape on the glass back from the edge to be ground. Use a handheld belt sander with a wet-or-dry silicone carbide belt (used dry), either a 50x or an 80x. Lay the glass flat with the edge off the edge of the bench. Secure the glass so it won't move. 

Hold the belt sander so the belt is abrading down, and at a slight angle...skewed, but still 90° to the edge of the glass. Start up the belt sander, and get it running very slow, by just bumping the trigger. When it starts, slightly press on the glass edge, moving left and right, so you're not overheating the glass. Sand it back to the tape line.

If you want to try cutting off a narrow strip, you'll need a* glass pliers*. It has a wide flat nose to get a secure hold on the edge. Glass breaks best from where the cutter wheel has been drawn off the glass. Tap the underside at that location, and place the pliers at that area, and give it a quick snap down. If you're lucky, the piece will separate cleanly.

For some info on glass cutting see this thread. It didn't get many responses, so there must not be an interest.
*http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/cutting-glass-57149/*


















.


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

I had a new windshield-flat with rounded corners-put in a step van I was using for a tool truck. Of course this was laminated glass, but I watched them cut it to size, and round the corners with a regular belt sander. I don't know what kind of belt they used, but it didn't look like anything I didn't have in the truck. Don't breathe ANY of the dust though.


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## ed_h (Dec 1, 2010)

Ordinary aluminum oxide sanding belts will work fine. Glass is hard, though, so it will wear the belt quickly. You'll have to make sure to move the belt across its width so the cutting isn't concentrated in a single strip on the belt.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I just finished the glass and the belt sander did work. I decided to use my HF 6” belt sander so I could hold on to the glass and I just can’t believe the glass didn’t shatter. I really didn’t have to take much off although it was nerve racking. I don’t know what the sandpaper was made of, only that I believe it was 150 grit and it was blue in color.

I may have even taken a little too much off because the glass is lose in the frame and I will have to use some caulking or something to keep it from banging around.

Anyway I'm real happy with it as long as it doesn't develop a crack later on.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Score the glass. Use one of those cheap carbide scribes from HF. 

Then take a piece of cotton string. (Think bakery ? ? ? ?)

Tie the string around the glass directly over the score. Wet the string with lighter fluid. Set the fluid on fire and the glass should crack along the score. It doesn't take a lot of lighter fluid. Use sparingly.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

Sleeper said:


> Well my old Red Devil glass cutter doesn’t look very good and this is what they sell at HD. Lowe's has even worst looking ones, but I’ve never seen a really good one and really don’t know how to judge. I looked on line for reviews and I don’t know if I can trust them unless I knew for sure they were written by professionals.
> So I think I’m just going to buy another piece of cut glass only I have to wait until I can get out of town because the Lowe’s closest to me can’t cut a square piece. Their machine is out of alignment and the difference can be a lot depending on the size of cut. I had a 22” long piece cut and the width was 7/32” difference from one side to the other.
> I’ve told them about it a few different times but they just point to the sign that says “No Exact Cuts”. Now if I worked there, I’d borrow a framing square from tools and fix it. It’s just a matter of loosening a couple of bolts, squaring it up and tightening it from what I can see.


i'd buy a new piece and save that one for later use.

buy a carbide glass cutter, a little more but worth it. can get them at a glass dealer. always oil it before use. i knew an old timer that always let it soak in a small jar of kerosene.


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