Getting Started – The Tool Kit
So many different tools on the market at the moment. Choosing the right tool depends on what medium you will be working with, glass, ceramic etc.
Lets take a look!
Glass Mosaic Round Wheeled Cutter
(My preference)
Glass mosaic tiles are cut with a mosaic glass cutter. This tool is basically a compression tool like a tile nipper but the blades are wheel-shaped and replaceable. A mosaic glass cutter shouldn’t be used on other types of materials such as ceramics or stone because the wheel blades could shatter and break. We have used these on fine china and they are fine but the blades will go blunt alot quicker. Remember to use sharp wheels, if they are getting dull just rotate them slightly, but firstly remember to mark the area where they meet before turning, that way you will not use this area again.… if the whole wheel is dull, it’s time to replace the wheels.
Ceramic Tiles
These can be cut with mosaic nippers or, if they are larger tiles, you will need an old towel or pillow case, a hammer and some muscle power.
Place the tile in the towel and make sure there are a few layers on top of the tile, to ensure that when you smash it up the glaze will not chip off.
Now is the fun part – give it a good smash, check it and if you still require smaller pieces give it another whack.
Now you can begin to create and reshape your pieces with your mosaic nippers…more on this will follow on our ceraic projects.
Stained Glass Cutting
Generally two essenstial tools are required for cutting stained glass.
- Oil filled glass cutter
- Metal Running Pliers
The oiled filled glass cutters comes in a 2 x varieties , first one as shown is a pencil grip Oil filled cutter, a light machine oil is placed in the barrel to help lubricate the small wheel at the end.. Then there is the pistol grip cutter which is ideal if you have a weaker wrist.
By using these tools they help to score a line on stained glass then all that is needed is the running pliers to help snap the glass
We have tutorial on The technique of cutting stained glass, however as a beginner i would suggest sticking to the basics before taking on the stained glass work – Learning to crawl is better off than leaping in bounds Mosaic art work needs to be enjoyable and the more you practice the more you will achieve and then will be able to move onto new methods.
To view our tutorial on cutting stained glass click below
