How do I cut a regular mirror?

Answer 1

Assuming you are not going to do this professionally, you will need at least a glass cutter. Lay the mirror out on a perfectly flat surface with the mirror side down. It helps to also put a piece of cloth under it to cushion it. This can be a flannel blanket folded in half. Make sure the cloth does not have any wrinkles in it. It is important that there is even support under it. Depending upon how much you are going to cut and how thick the glass is, it will be more easy or difficult. Cutting near the edge (say trimming a 1/2") is very difficult if you've never done it before. Let's say you are trimming a 30x40 mirror to be square. If you do not have a T-square, you can use any straight edge - like a yard stick, but put some masking tape on the back of it so it will not slide as you cut with it. Mark a straight line on your mirror and then lay the straight edge down on the glass. You can tape it to the glass in spots along the side you are not cutting along to secure it making sure it still lays flat. If your straight edge is much longer than the glass piece, you can try taping it at the ends. Putting light pressure on the straight edge, score the glass with the cutter by holding the small wheel down on the glass. You should hear a distinct 'snicking' sound as the glass is scored. It is very important to maintain an even pressure as you cut. If you think you've missed a spot, you can catch it by going back over it in that spot but be sure to overlap the cut by a quarter inch or so. Check to make sure your score goes all the way to the edge of the glass. Remove the t-square or straight edge and you can try tapping on the glass along the score with the ball of the glass cutter. This helps drive the cut from the surface through the glass. Slide the glass to the edge of the table so it is exactly alligned. Breaking a piece of glass must alwasy begin at the end of the cut closest to you. If you are cutting off a few inches, you can hold the right edge of the glass and snap it off starting with pressure at the end toward you while holding the right edge of the glass. If it is going to be a long piece, have someone help you support the piece coming off. If it is very narrow, sometimes a pliers helps to start the piece. You can buy special pliers for starting a cut, but regular household ones will work. A bit of masking tape over the tips will make sure you don't just snap off a little piece of edge. If using regular pliers, hold them so the pliers are at forty-five degrees to the scored cut with the left tip just at the right of the cut. Give it a VERY light almost imperceptible clockwise twist of the wrist and it should start to break up the score. If the whole thing seems to overwhelming, take it to a glass shop and they will shame you with their lightning fast work of the whole job.

Answer 2

Take a straight edge with a T square on it. Then put the T square where you want the cut. Take a common glass cutter and gently but firmly score a line where you want the mirror cut. What I do is, I put a small wooden dowel under the glass and and with both heels of my hands I quickly lean on the edges of the glass and It will snap at the score. The trick about cutting glass is don't let the glass cool after the score is made. It is the heat generated by the score that gives you a nice clean cut.

Answer 3

with a regular glass cutter and a thin straight edge just mark it one time with pretty heavy pressure then snap over a straight piece of wood. but remember sometimes just like glass they'll break wrong.

Answer 4

a glass cutter just flip over the mirror and score it on the back then gently break where you cut

Answer 5

The same way as you would pane glass, with a glass cutter.

Answer 6

With a glass cutter, on the front side.

Answer 7

use a glass cutter

Answer 8

my guess is glass cutter