How can I cut a 4" hole in glass? I have basement window that has two panes, mounted in a steel frame.?

Question

I need to add a dryer vent, and I don't want to cut a hole in the cinder block. These panes are really puttied in there with somehting hard as rock and I would have to break the pane and take out all that stuff, then do a half panel or something. I dont want to lose the light either from that pane. So, if I could cut a square or round 4" hole in the existing window pane without breaking it, that would be good.

Answer 1

Not worth the trouble. Nock out the glass or do it properly by making a hole in the cinder block.

Answer 2

First off- is the glass tempered? If so, you can not cut it.
you will have a heck of a time cutting out any shape in glass if you try to do it in the "middle" of the pane. For your situation I would place the pc. of vent up to the glass at a CORNER of the pane and trace out the pipe with a sharpie- you should end up with an arc drawn from one edge to the perpindicular edge of the pane. Place duct tape on the pane in an X fashion just in case you break it- this will help control the falling glass and wear eye protection! Now carefully remove the putty in this area. If it just won't come out, skip it for the moment. Now take a glass cutter and carefully cut along your line-tap on the cut until it breaks -chances are if you did not get the glazing out and start your cut from the edge, the whole pane is going to break, but you never know, so give it a try anyway. If the whole pane doesn't shatter, and you get a clean cut, you should beable to clean away the unwanted glass at this point by simply breaking it free. Repeat on the outside pane. Hate to say it, but you are probably gonna break the panes in which case just have new ones cut but also have the area needed for the vent cut out prior to installing. this can be done with a cutter or if you want to get fancy about it, a diamond ring saw can be used. A diamond bit for a dremmel like tool might also work - certainly might help with the old glazing compound. If you do decide to try to use a dremmel, be sure to use a DIAMOND bit- the carbide bits won't get it done. And wear eye glasses! Good luck

Answer 3

That would be hard to do on a piece of glass that is still in the window. And like the one person said, if that is tempered glass you cannot cut it.

Actually, it would probably be a lot better if you did the job like a professional would and put the dryer vent through the cinder block. There are special drill bits for doing that then really all you have to do is put a boot on the inside and calk aroun it, then mount your vent on the outside. Mounting the vent through the cinder block sounds like more work, but I think if you tried both methods, mounting in the cinder block would be much easier and better. And drilling through the block would not significantly weaking your foundation as long as you picked a good spot.

Answer 4

Not really. You can find some adhesive I'm sure, but remember, your wall most likely consists of drywall, Spackle and paint. Putting a hole in the wall is not the end of the world, because if you need to take them down, and want it to still look good, just spread some more Spackle/plaster into the hole, let it dry, sand it down and do a lil touch up paint. It really doesn't take from the "value" of your wall, and honestly, (I have worked in this field) you want quality work, and some sort of adhesive will not be structurally sound, nor will it last. My recommendation, find the studs, and screw those brackets in nice and tight. Do a good job on hanging your curtains, and don't fret about "ruining" your wall. It's a very simple fix. Trust in me. BTW - I'm a chica - So I know about not wanting to "ruin" things, but with my experience, I would highly recommend doing it correctly, not ideally.

Answer 5

You can't. Measure the glass and go a local glass company. They will make it for you with a hole and it should only cost a few bucks. Let them do the breaking and re-cutting.

Answer 6

rent a drill and a 3 inch or four inch carbide bit, go slowly and its faster and a lot neater.