How-To: Bottle Cutting

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By Matt Richardson
Posted 2011/06/20 @ 4:00 am
Category General

With a bottle cutting jig, you can easily recycle your used glass bottles into reusable drinking glasses or flower vases. After scoring the glass with the jig, there are a few different ways to make a clean break. In this video, I show how to do this using a candle flame and a piece of ice. It doesn’t work perfectly every time, but many imperfections can be sanded down fairly easily. For another way, check out Sean Michael Ragan’s bottle cutting method over on Make: Projects. If you have a method of bottle cutting that you prefer, share it in the comments!

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In the Maker Shed

15 Responses to How-To: Bottle Cutting

Anonymous on June 20th, 2011 at 12:01 pm said:

This method works perfectly every time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFXngPx3w3M

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mike_bb on June 20th, 2011 at 12:18 pm said:

I made a tiny laterrn for my balcony by cutting a whiskey bottle. I got two parts, a drinking glass and a wind latern . See picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80669176@N00/5852783238/

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- Matt Richardson on June 20th, 2011 at 1:38 pm said:
  
  Nice, what method did you use to cut that? Also, +1 for using Club-Mate bottles!
  
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  mike_bb on June 20th, 2011 at 3:34 pm said:
  
  I used a bottle cutter and the “heat and cool down” – method. Heating the bottle over a flame, like a candle or gas oven then cooling it down with cold water. It needs a few attempts before it breaks, but it works good.
  
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  mike_bb on June 20th, 2011 at 3:34 pm said:
  
  I used a bottle cutter and the “heat and cool down” – method. Heating the bottle over a flame, like a candle or gas oven then cooling it down with cold water. It needs a few attempts before it breaks, but it works good.
  
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John Wasser on June 20th, 2011 at 12:58 pm said:

Almost four years ago the Corning Museum of Glass showed the “cracking off” technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4yovEi7j7E You make a short scratch at the level you want the cut, put the bottle on a turntable, spin it (looks to be about about 75 RPM to me), and apply a fine torch to the cut line till the glass goes ‘ping’. ”Cracking-off has two great advantages. First it’s very quick. Second, it requires virtually no skill on the part of the worker.” On April 24th another guy posted a video showing his use of the technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2a-DiTdC_g

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- Matt Richardson on June 20th, 2011 at 1:35 pm said:
  
  Thanks for sharing that one! It looks like it works very well!
  
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Anonymous on June 20th, 2011 at 3:07 pm said:

Where can one find a bottle cutting jig like that one? It seems simple and possibly not too expensive. A quick search didn’t yield anything that looked like this (but, I haven’t looked too hard yet).

Thanks and great video.

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- Matt Richardson on June 20th, 2011 at 3:14 pm said:
  
  Thanks! The bottle cutting jig I used in the video is from Ephrem’s Bottle Works at http://www.ephremsbottleworks.com/
  
  One of the commenters on YouTube also pointed out that there’s an Instructable on how to make your own jig for about $10: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-glass-bottle-cutting-jig-for-10/
  
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- Matt Richardson on June 20th, 2011 at 3:14 pm said:
  
  Thanks! The bottle cutting jig I used in the video is from Ephrem’s Bottle Works at http://www.ephremsbottleworks.com/
  
  One of the commenters on YouTube also pointed out that there’s an Instructable on how to make your own jig for about $10: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-glass-bottle-cutting-jig-for-10/
  
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  Anonymous on June 20th, 2011 at 3:22 pm said:
  
  Not as cheap as I would have liked, but I’m sure I could use the instructable and make something pretty decent.
  
  Thanks.
  
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Jared Carey on June 20th, 2011 at 5:30 pm said:

I’m a hobbyist, myself, and I started with these methods outlined in the video, but last year I learned a much more predictable technique. Ditch the ice cubes and dunking method and do a web search for the “cracking off technique” in youtube. (It’s a video posted by the Corning Museum of Glass.) Essentially, all you need is a glass cutter, a lazy susan, and a small butane/propane torch (like you’d use in the kitchen for fancy cooking). Scratch a tiny, horizontal line on the bottle at the height you wish to cut it. Place the bottle in the middle of the lazy susan, and begin spinning with your left hand (or right) as fast as you are comfortable spinning the platform. Then, take the torch to the outer edge of the bottle in line with that scratch you made… and slowly draw it closer and closer to the glass until the flame is right on the glass. It’ll “pop” on its own accord and make a near-perfect cut every time. LET IT COOL before handling. I’ve used this method for almost a year now, plus some finishing/polishing tips I’ve picked up over time. Don’t use sandpaper… use diamonds instead. I’m glad to offer advice! My site is http://www.castawaybottles.com if you want to get in touch with me for other ways to do this! :)

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Thomas Harris on June 20th, 2011 at 7:33 pm said:

I have found that the best way to get a clean cut it just using hot water instead of the candle.

Here a youtube that describes the different ways and hes spot on.

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Thomas Harris on June 20th, 2011 at 7:33 pm said:

I have found that the best way to get a clean cut it just using hot water instead of the candle.

Here a youtube that describes the different ways and hes spot on.

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motunrayo Olubukola on March 16th, 2012 at 1:22 am said:

what is the use of candle in bottle

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