How to Cut Glass With a Nail File
- 1). Protect your hands. When the glass breaks, it creates tiny splinters. Wear latex gloves to prevent painful splinters. Any glass shards that land on your hands can be removed by taking off the gloves. They do not prevent cuts. If worried, wear work gloves instead.
- 2). Lie the piece of glass to be cut on your work surface. Place the edge of the glass on the edge of the table.
- 3). Measure the first cut. Use a tape measure and line up the ruler along where you want to cut. Plan out the break so it is parallel to the edge of the table. The break will follow the full length of the glass. Use the smaller measurement first to help eliminate waste in the material.
- 4). Lay your ruler on the side of the cut opposite you. Double check the measurement using the tape measure.
- 5). Pull the piece of the glass toward you, so the edge of the ruler meets the edge of the table. The piece you will cut off is the part hanging off the edge.
- 6). Use the sharp tip of the nail file to scratch the glass. Hold the nail file firmly at a 45 degree angle to the surface of the glass. Hold the ruler down with your other hand. Put pressure on the file to make the scratch. Follow the ruler the full length of the glass. You will hear the glass scratch, if it is done this correctly.
- 7). Make two more scratches following the same line made by the edge of the ruler. Each time, apply more pressure. Do not try to cut the glass. Just create a tiny groove.
- 8). Break the glass. Remove the ruler. Line up the groove in the glass with the edge of the table. Place one hand about 6 inches from the groove on the table side. This is the anchor for the break. Grip the edge of the glass in the middle of the piece that hangs over the table, using pliers. The pliers keep your hand away from the edge in case it breaks. Hold the pliers on the glass firmly but without squeezing hard enough to crack the glass. Push the piece of glass downward, forcefully, to snap the glass along the groove. Follow through the break by pushing your weight into it. Keep your eyes open. Exhale as you apply pressure to the glass.
Source...