How to cut a mirror: the necessary tools, step by step instructions

Often people who want to refresh the interior of their home with the help of originally cut mirrors ask themselves the question: how to cut a mirror correctly and safely? Of course, you can turn to specialists, but this service is not always and everywhere carried out, and the transportation of such a product causes some problems. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the simple rules and requirements for cutting mirrors.

How to cut a mirror yourself

Before starting the main type of work on your own, a number of preparatory measures are required. First of all, you need to collect the entire set of necessary tools, as well as prepare the surface of the mirror, carefully cleaning it from greasy stains, dirt and dust. After drying, inspect the entire surface for possible cracks and scratches. Since the mirror is fragile and fragile material, the implementation of cutting requires great accuracy and scrupulousness from the master. For cutting, you will need a table whose area will be larger than the mirror sheet itself.

Important! For washing mirrors, it is better to use special purpose wipes.

Necessary tools

Precise cutting of the canvas requires the use of the following tools:

• glass cutter;
• metal measuring ruler;
• building tape;
• marker;
• pliers or serration;
• hammer;
• a piece of soft tissue;
• emery paper, fine-grained;
• plastic patterns (for figured cutting).

It is important to know! For high-quality cutting of mirrors at home, a diamond glass cutter is well suited.

Safety precautions

Before you begin to work, you should familiarize yourself with the necessary safety rules, the implementation of which is an important point when working with glass and mirror material. Precautions include the following items:

1. Organization of a safe workplace.
2. Serviceability of tools.
3. Use of personal protective equipment (safety glasses, protective clothing and gloves).
4. Cut only in the direction opposite to the cutting part.
5. Fix the mirror sheet at an angle of 15 °.
6. Collect glass scraps in a container designed for this purpose.
7. In case of glass splintering, remove fragments only separately in parts.
8. After cutting, the workplace and suit should be thoroughly cleaned of small particles of glass.

When working is prohibited:

1. Make sharp and energetic movements.
2. Touch the glass section without gloves.
3. Cut products in inappropriate places.
4. Drop glass down when working at height.

Attention! Those who decide to cut their own mirror for the first time should practice with small glass surfaces and only after acquiring skills can you start serious work.

Do it yourself mirror: step by step

Compliance with a competent sequence ensures the success of the result, so the cutting should be done as follows:

1. Place the canvas on a previously prepared place.
2. Place a soft cloth under the glass, it will protect the surface from damage when pressed.
3. To better glide the glass cutter, the glass surface must be treated with a solution of soda, and then with alcohol.
4. Mark the cleaned mirror sheet, the line of which must necessarily correspond to the line of movement of the glass cutter with a slight indentation.
5. Then make an incision, while arranging the glass cutter perpendicularly or at an angle to the surface.
6. An incision must be made in one continuous motion with equally uniform force. Stopping and re-cutting can lead to material damage.
7. After incision, arrange the mirror so that it coincides with the edge of the countertop, and the cut trace goes a couple of millimeters behind it.
8. Separate the cut off part from the main cloth. To do this, you need to lightly press the canvas to the table and lightly tap the hammer to walk along the outline of the cut. Then, with a sharp movement of the hand, break off the cut part.
9. If necessary, you can use pliers with rubber pads.
10. After the end of the slices, gently process with sandpaper.

The technology of figure cutting using patterns is similar, the only difference is the breaking process. To facilitate the cut off part of the product is removed in separate segments.

Summing up, it is worth noting that in order to cut the mirror, special difficulties should not arise. Having the necessary experience and a small number of tools, you can quite successfully do the work yourself.