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Bindu Studio Bottle Cutting 101: Work Smart - Wear Eye Protection
Bindu Studio Bottle Cutting 101: Work Smart - Wear Eye Protection
Bindu Studio Bottle Cutting 101: Work Smart - Wear Eye Protection
Note: Cutting a glass bottle is not difficult. Just like cutting a flat piece of glass is not difficult.
However there is a learning curve.
Length Adjustment
Set the back stop at the rear of the tool. Support the rear of the bottle with the rear base at a location
where the rollers can rotate around the bottle without any obstructions.
Set the front base with turret, at the point that corresponds to the location that the bottle is to be scored
when it is resting on the tool.
Width Adjustment
To increase or decrease the width support, loosen the top knurled nut on the lift, then remove the bottom
screw, pivot the lift and replace the screw. Most bottles will fit the middle lift width position.
Turret Adjustment
Loosen the turret screw and rotate the turret body so that a cutting wheel will come in full contact with the
bottle. Care should be taken when adjusting the turret. Do not over loosen -as the six small cutting wheels
are free floating on the turret body axle pins.
This position as seen above with the bottle cutter and the bottle facing the operator from the side is the
best position to use when scoring a bottle. It allows both hands easy access to the top of the bottle for
easy rotation and maintaining proper pressure throughout the full 360 degrees.
Rotate the bottle 360 degrees with a light even downward pressure. Keep an even speed and keep the
back of the bottle against the back stop.
The best score is free of glass chips and barely visible when looking at the glass surface.
When the score becomes a white gritty line or if chips and glass dust are created then too much pressure
was applied. The resulting score is a gouge, not a fissure.
Some practice is required to get the feel and the proper pressure without crushing the glass.
It is essential to maintain the proper force uniformly throughout the full length of the score. If the pressure
varies then the depth of the fissure will vary and affect the quality of the separation.
This requires practice but the technique is easily learned.
Do not rescore over a score line. A score line can only be made once.
You now have a score line around the bottle at the point where it is to be separated.
* The use of an electric sander will make cleaning the cut edge much quicker and easier.
- General Notes
Not every bottle will separate cleanly. Some will be unusable. It is a good idea to have more bottles on
hand than your project requires. Broken bottles are recyclable.
If the bottle is not separating cleanly, then the scoring process or the separation, heating and cooling
process needs to be improved.
If the bottle is showing fracture lines when separating, then you are applying to much pressure when
scoring, or you are over heating when separating.
Thinner walled bottles can be difficult. Do not apply to much pressure when scoring.
Thicker walled bottles may require more time in the heating and cooling process.
The Bindu Studio Bottle Cutter is adaptable.
The bases, lifts and stops can be interchanged. The lifts / turret can go on either of the bases.
The rollers and turret can go on either side of the lifts, etc.
Feel free to move the parts around to fit the bottle and the circumstances.
- Advanced Techniques
Odd shaped bottles square, oval, etc. require concentration and good eye-hand coordination. Some
bottles will not always rotate in the support cradle, but ride on top of the rollers.
Keep the score line continuous and the bottle against the Back Stop. Practice, some skill is required.
The separation of some odd shaped bottles might not be as clean as with a standard circular bottle.
Therefore more cleaning of the cut edge may be required.
Not every bottle can be scored. Sharp corners, acute slopes, severe shapes, raised lettering, etc.
When scoring a bottle on the sloping neck area it may be helpful to shim the bottom turret lift screws,
-washers will work, adjusting the angle of the lift / turret to match the slope of the bottle.
When scoring a bottle on a sloped surface, and the washer faced turret screw is interfering,
contacting the bottle', replace it with the standard turret screw. Included.
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