ART SUPPLIES

Glass Mosaic Tile Art: Mosaic Glass Cutters

Making wonderful glass mosaic tile art is easy!  Let me show you how.

Wheeled glass cutters are essential for creating glass mosaics.  I use it to cut and shape vitreous glass and stained glass.  It can also be used to cut smalti.  The wheeled cutters make cleaner cuts than tile nippers.  The two carbide wheels (or steel, if you buy cheap cutters) are fixed in position.  Instead of scoring and breaking, the wheels apply even pressure to the top and bottom sides of the glass, causing it to fracture along the line of the wheels.

The wheels are replaceable and eventually go dull, but not before several thousand cuts.  Each wheel is held in place by a setscrew (usually an Allen screw).  As your cuts become noticeably less clean than when the cutters were new, use an Allen wrench to loosen the screws, rotate each wheel about 1/8-inch, and then re-tighten the screws.  By changing the location of where each wheel touches the glass, you have, in effect, replaced the blades.  It’ll take a long time and many cuts to use the entire circumference of the wheels, especially if they’re carbide.

When the wheels finally do become dull, I suggest buying a whole new tool.  The wheels make up the bulk of the tool’s cost, so you won’t save much by just buying replacement wheels.  With a brand new tool, not only are the wheels sharp, but the rubber handle grips are new and clean (the rubber wears down and becomes dirty) and the spring is secured in-place.  Every now and then, the spring breaks free from my cutters.  The tool still works with a loose spring, but there’s nothing to keep the handles from spreading too far apart. When that happens, the spring falls off.  It’s quite annoying to drop the spring, watch it bounce out of reach, and then have to get out of my chair to retrieve it.  I tried soldering it permanently in place, but it didn’t work because I couldn’t get the metal hot enough.  So, until I buy a new tool, the spring constantly falls off.  Another reason to buy a new tool instead of just replacement wheels is, if you drop the tool, it’s possible to knock the wheels out of alignment.  So, after several projects when you think the wheels need replacing, I suggest buying a whole new tool.

When your new tool arrives, use an Allen wrench to tighten the screws as tight as possible.  Then, use an engraver, paint, felt-tip marker (or whatever you have that makes a permanent mark) to make a small tick mark on the side of each wheel where it touches the glass when cutting (the two tick marks should be aligned opposite each other).  I use an engraving tool for making the tick marks so I don’t have to worry about paint or ink eventually rubbing off.  After a few hundred cuts, loosen the screws, turn each wheel slightly, and then re tighten the screws.  After several of these adjustments, the tick marks have gone full circle indicating that it’s time to replace the tool (or just the wheels, if you prefer).

Don’t be surprised if the wheels rotate by themselves.  No matter how hard I crank down on those screws, it apparently isn’t tight enough because the wheels slowly rotate by themselves from the pressure exerted during the cutting action.  After several days and many cuts, I notice the tick marks are no longer aligned directly opposite each other, which indicates the wheels have rotated slightly.  Maybe I’m a weakling, but I just can’t get the screws tight enough to keep them static.  However, that’s okay with me because, if they turn by themselves, then I don’t have to manually do it.

Remember, making Mosaic Art is easy. You can do it.  Yes, you can!

About the Author

Bill Enslen has created beautiful mosaic art for 30 years. His new eBook, Mosaic Pieces: Essentials for Beginner and Professional Mosaic Artists, gives you step-by-step details for creating your own mosaic masterpieces. Visit his website and read the free sample chapters at Glass Mosaic Tile Art. Let him show you just how easy it is. With Bill’s help, you can do it. Yes, you can!

How to Make Glass Mosaics : Mosaic Ideas

Mosaic Sandstone Coasters Only or with Holder …

Joseph Joseph 12 by 16-Inch Worktop Saver with Mini Mosaic Design $27.54 Save your counter top with the glass mini mosaic design worktop saver from Joseph Joseph. This tough glass worktop saver provides a hygienic, odor, and stain resistant work surface for all types of food preparation. Non-slip rubber feet keep the board safely and securely in place and also makes a great trivet. Enjoy this incredible worktop saver featuring a beautiful mini mosaic design and all the…

Joster Coasterica 2-in-1 Mosaic Silicone Stemware Coaster and Glass Marker, Set of 4 $12.00 Wine Glass Charms and Unique Beverage Coasters All In One. Protects surfaces and your stemware from room to room. Put these on before your guests arrive and never remind them to use a coaster again. An “inside” job: Glassware fits inside these unique beverage Coasters. One Size fits all: These durable, flexible drink coasters stretch to fit most stemware. They slip on and stay on. Protect precious…

Vulture $6.96 GD Series Hand- Painted Glass Tile L03 ~ 1 SQFT (12″ X 12″) sheet. ~ Each tile is 8mm thick. ~ Each tile is 4″ X 4″….

I Know You Will $4.99 Tile can be used on interior or exterior, residential or commercial projects such as walls, bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, and swimming pools. Shipping and Return: * All items are guaranteed to arrive in 100% perfect condition. * Items are packed very well in shipping foam and place system for safer shipping. * In the unlikely event of damage or loss, your item will be replaced at no charge. * Yo…

Dreams Of Glass 1988 – Mosaic Records – Songs Include : As Good As It Gets / Intimate Strangers / Five Senses Working Overtime / One Lover / You Took The Words Right Out Of My Heart / Street Ballet / Dreams Of Glass / Manila…

Get Fired Up! [VHS] $14.94 Get Fired Up by Lisa Vogt 45 min VHS by Lisa Vogt and System 96, in which Lisa demonstrates everything viewers need to know about glass selection, tools, kilns, firing techniques. She creates 3 fused glass projects; a coaster and More….

Moonrays 99924 Color-Changing Glass Ball Fixture $9.90 The Moonrays Color-Changing Glass Ball transforms any backyard into a festive party destination. This solar-powered, battery-operated decorative light easily sticks into the ground to provide hours of outdoor illumination, and the LED offers seven rotating colors that suit any atmosphere..caption {font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif;font-size: 10px;font-weight: bold;font-style: ital…

Wisteria Window Film 24-by-36-Inch $17.47 24″ x 36″, Wisteria Window Film, An Inexpensive Alternative To Stained Glass, Translucent But Not Transparent, Allows Light To Enter The Room, Provides Privacy, No Adhesive Necessary, Will Tile Together Like Wallpaper, Top To Bottom, Left To Right, Can Be…

LiteFuze Mosaic Glass Rechargeable Solar Lamp Outdoor Garden Light – Blue $17.99 Features exquisite hand-blown glass jar with a mosaic pattern.The solar mosaic is beautiful in daylight, and it charges with a solar panel.At night, the flameless LED turns on automatically and radiates a spectacular warm glow.The solar mosaic jar provides soothing mood lighting both indoors and outdoors.Beautiful cool tones radiate off of the mosaic globe solar jar, perfect for any place in the h…