| Making wonderful glass mosaic tile art is easy! Let | | | | permanently in place, but it didn't work because I |
| me show you how. | | | | couldn't get the metal hot enough. So, until I buy a |
| Wheeled glass cutters are essential for creating | | | | new tool, the spring constantly falls off. Another |
| glass mosaics. I use it to cut and shape vitreous | | | | reason to buy a new tool instead of just |
| glass and stained glass. It can also be used to cut | | | | replacement wheels is, if you drop the tool, it's |
| smalti. The wheeled cutters make cleaner cuts | | | | possible to knock the wheels out of alignment. So, |
| than tile nippers. The two carbide wheels (or steel, | | | | after several projects when you think the wheels |
| if you buy cheap cutters) are fixed in position. | | | | need replacing, I suggest buying a whole new tool. |
| Instead of scoring and breaking, the wheels apply | | | | When your new tool arrives, use an Allen wrench |
| even pressure to the top and bottom sides of | | | | to tighten the screws as tight as possible. Then, |
| the glass, causing it to fracture along the line of | | | | use an engraver, paint, felt-tip marker (or |
| the wheels. | | | | whatever you have that makes a permanent |
| The wheels are replaceable and eventually go dull, | | | | mark) to make a small tick mark on the side of |
| but not before several thousand cuts. Each wheel | | | | each wheel where it touches the glass when |
| is held in place by a setscrew (usually an Allen | | | | cutting (the two tick marks should be aligned |
| screw). As your cuts become noticeably less | | | | opposite each other). I use an engraving tool for |
| clean than when the cutters were new, use an | | | | making the tick marks so I don't have to worry |
| Allen wrench to loosen the screws, rotate each | | | | about paint or ink eventually rubbing off. After a |
| wheel about 1/8-inch, and then re-tighten the | | | | few hundred cuts, loosen the screws, turn each |
| screws. By changing the location of where each | | | | wheel slightly, and then re tighten the screws. |
| wheel touches the glass, you have, in effect, | | | | After several of these adjustments, the tick |
| replaced the blades. It'll take a long time and many | | | | marks have gone full circle indicating that it's time |
| cuts to use the entire circumference of the | | | | to replace the tool (or just the wheels, if you |
| wheels, especially if they're carbide. | | | | prefer). |
| When the wheels finally do become dull, I suggest | | | | Don't be surprised if the wheels rotate by |
| buying a whole new tool. The wheels make up | | | | themselves. No matter how hard I crank down on |
| the bulk of the tool's cost, so you won't save | | | | those screws, it apparently isn't tight enough |
| much by just buying replacement wheels. With a | | | | because the wheels slowly rotate by themselves |
| brand new tool, not only are the wheels sharp, | | | | from the pressure exerted during the cutting |
| but the rubber handle grips are new and clean | | | | action. After several days and many cuts, I notice |
| (the rubber wears down and becomes dirty) and | | | | the tick marks are no longer aligned directly |
| the spring is secured in-place. Every now and | | | | opposite each other, which indicates the wheels |
| then, the spring breaks free from my cutters. | | | | have rotated slightly. Maybe I'm a weakling, but I |
| The tool still works with a loose spring, but there's | | | | just can't get the screws tight enough to keep |
| nothing to keep the handles from spreading too | | | | them static. However, that's okay with me |
| far apart. When that happens, the spring falls off. | | | | because, if they turn by themselves, then I don't |
| It's quite annoying to drop the spring, watch it | | | | have to manually do it. |
| bounce out of reach, and then have to get out of | | | | Remember, making mosaic art is easy. You can |
| my chair to retrieve it. I tried soldering it | | | | do it. Yes, you can! |