# smoothing glass edges



## rustictone (Oct 15, 2010)

I recently built a picture frame and had a piece of glass custom cut for it. I never thought to ask if they could smooth the sharp edge of the glass and while scraping off the bar code from the glass I sliped and cut the top of my knuckle off, nothing to serious, just a bad cut.

Does anyone know how to smooth out the edges of glass? I was thinking emery cloth or some sort of stone but I just have know idea and I really do not want to have an accident like this again. Thanks for the help!


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Here you go Anthony.

http://www.ehow.com/list_5931497_glass-sanding-tools.html

I would think emery cloth would work fine.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

emery does work
on a block of wood
or on a sander


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## rustictone (Oct 15, 2010)

Hey thank you very much guys, I appreciate the help. Have a merry christmas and a happy new year!!!


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## MikeInMiss (Sep 3, 2009)

I always use a diamond sharpening stone and water.


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## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

I've always used sand paper and a block. Sand it smooth. 180 on down.


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## rwyoung (Nov 22, 2008)

The $5 dual-grit oil stone you find at hardware stores works great of knocking off the sharp edges (burr) after cutting glass. Just make a pass round the edge with the coarse then the fine grit.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Anthony, I have made several mirrors and, after a less than stellar effort at cutting them to size, gave up and let a local glass shop cut them. For $2.50 a cut it was well worth the cost to let them do it. The guy did let me watch his technique and, while I did not see anything different from what I was doing, his results were far superior to mine.

Following the cut he used an angle grinder with a 50 grit wheel to smooth the cut edge. It took less than a minute to smooth out the side.


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## DanLyke (Feb 8, 2007)

I've used a little 220 grit sandpaper to knock down chipped edges on drinking glasses.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

I too took a mirror to be cut to a professional. After he cut it, he fired up a hand held belt sander and ran it across all edges. Don't know the grit.


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## fredf (Mar 29, 2008)

The shop I went to used a wet belt - I don't think you want to breath the dust!!!!!


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

Whatever you do, do it by hand. Power tools send dust flying, and you look too young and your wife too pretty to breathe in glass (or any other dust). Do it by hand, whilst you still have them (heck, you have 27 more knuckles).

Steve


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## Tim29 (Oct 10, 2009)

The process is called seaming.
At the glass shop I used to work at I usually used a common belt sander and started with a 180 grit belt made specifically for glass. We had belts that went all the way to 320 for smoother work like shelf fronts. We had a spray on oil that we used to cut down on dust. We also had a huge and really loud stationary belt sander for bigger work. 
I would suggest either using a block and at least 180 grit sandpaper (I would go even higher), or using emery cloth. Do yourself a favor and wet sand. 
Also if you are nervous about the sharp edges, some of those cheap cotton gloves dipped in rubber are great to use both for grip and a bit of cut resistance.
And if it is not too much trouble, just call up the shop where you got the glass. Seaming is usually pretty cheap. If I remember we charged 10 cents per inch.
Hope this helps.


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