Tool Time
The Cutter
A wrong name for what it does. This tool 'scores' a microscopic fissure into the glass. When pressure is applied even to both sides of the score line, the fissure works straight down quickly and the glass snaps in two along the length of the scored line. There are many options available to you for a cutter.
The cheapest is the Fletcher model. It has the little ball on one end, a steel wheel at the other end, and some funny looking teeth down by the wheel. This is fine for limited use cutting picture frame glass, but for serious stained glass work, the steel wheel dulls too quickly, ruining your scoring. It does make an excellent device in assisting with repair work. The ball and teeth can remove a broken piece of glass faster and more neatly than any other tool we have come across.
The best cutters for full time use in stained glass are the Toyo line of cutters. The cutter wheel is a steel-carbine alloy which has a very long lifetime. The cutting heads on them are replaceable, if damaged or worn out after several years use.
There are 5 types of handles for the Toyo cutters:
| Brass Stick | Plastic Thomson | Super Cutter | Plastic Pistol Grip | Comfort Grip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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All of the plastic handles come in 4 colours, yellow, green, blue and light purple. Each of them works slightly better in one aspect over the others.
The Thomson was designed for the arthritis sufferer to be able to grip with minimal effort. The pistol-grip is the most popular with new students, as its larger handle size gives you more to grip, and we like it for doing straight line cuts with the help of a cutting guide. The two stick style cutters we like best for doing any work with curves. There only difference is in their weight, the brass one is a little heavier, and in the feel of the surface while gripping it. The brass one has a non-slip serrated uniform, while the plastic one has two little ridges which allow you to grip it firmly.
All of the Toyo cutters say that they have internal reservoir for oil, for lubricating the cutter wheel. However, we have found that they have this tendency to leak oil through the cutter head. Our solution is not to put any oil inside the cutter, but saturate a small rag inside a small jar, and then just dip the cutter head into the rag a couple of times before cutting.
If you are having any troubles with your cutters, just bring them in and we can inspect and evaluate them for you.