Not that we drink a lot in our house, but I have a growing collection of wine bottles with neck size just perfect for slides. I've goggled cutting techniques for these and the most common approach is to use a glass cutter to etch a line around the neck, then dip the neck into boiling water to raise the glass temperature, then plunge it into a bucket of ice water. The sudden contraction causes the neck to break along the etched line.
Well, it works, sort of. I've had several bottles break off cleanly while other times, the fracture line runs up the neck instead of around.
The one thing that is pretty consistent is that the hot/cold method does eventually result in the neck breaking off. Unfortunately, the fracture line is often jagged and rough.
So, does anyone have a sure fire recipe for getting a clean break on a wine bottle so I can add to my slide collection?
Thanks
T
Replies
i use a Sawall diamond blade in my banjo saw it takes me 5 to 6 mimutes to cut and sandpolish each one some guys use a wet tile saw to get them prefect , my method the blade cuts just into the top of the glass and as it gets depper it fractures the top off pretty clean i call them my Bar Fighter Slide you cad delet my pics if you want buddy all good .
Not much to offer on this topic, hope you find a good solution.
The best way I know of is to let someone else do it. ;)
I'm having the same problem, except the first cut always seems to break even -- but the second cut (either lower or higher) has destroyed every bottle except one so far. I'm wondering if a wet tile saw with a diamond blade would do a better job?
Repeating the caution I posted on a similar thread several months ago:
Use a good mask when cutting/grinding glass.
You do not want to breathe in microscopic glass dust!
Okay, so I pulled the tile saw out of the back of a cabinet, dusted it off, filled the tray with water and grabbed two empty wine bottles.
Holy-Moley Batman! The tile saw sliced through those two bottle necks like cutting through butter. It cut quickly and with practically no pressure against the blade. The finished cuts were generally smooth, but could be a lot smoother if I set up a way to hold the bottle steady and perpendicular to the blade while cutting. That will be the next project.
Total time to make two cuts on a bottle neck was less than one minute. A little Dremel work and I was good to go.
Do you have to rotate the bottle as you cut it, or do you cut straight through?
I clamp 2 2x4 pieces of wood at a right angle on a table to hold the bottle while I turn it, with another pice of wood under the neck so it does not dip and turn the bottle while scoring only once around with a standard glass cutter. I put a piece of blue painter tape around to follow to keep my line absolutely straight. Once scored I pour boiling water slowly on the score while turning the bottle and then put it into a can of ice water. Then I repeat this 2 or three times until the end falls off. After breaking the very end off then I score farther down the neck for the second break. I finish these off by grinding (by hand) on wet dry sand paper on a board. I start with 60 and then 220 and 400 and 600. The breaks are generally good, but the bottle glass usually has a concave dip all the way around. But patient grinding will get rid of all flaws. Good activity while watching TV or conversing with friends. I also use a balsamic vinegar bottle (Colavita, the short bottle with the long neck) as they have the straightest necks of any bottles I've found. At least for the 1.5" I need for my CBGs.
The hardest part (and probably most crucial) was making a nice straight etch with the glass cutter.
It would certainly help to have an extra person hold the glass cutter, whilst the other person rotated the bottle.
The remaining process was pretty easy.
Flame the weak point till very hot, plunge into cold water, then gently tap on a soft surface (ie.tea towel).
5-10 minutes of sanding, and it's done !
I found this...
Wine Bottle Cutting 30 seconds Perfect Edge Bottle Cutter
http://youtu.be/sFXngPx3w3M
I tracked it down on Amazon must to check ratings. A lot of them (over 800). A lot of 5-stars, but nearly 100 one stars. Overall, it looked like about half the ratings were 3-stars or less. That being said, It might be a worthwhile tool. At $16.00 it isn't overly expensive and if purchased from Amazon they will take it back for a year if you don't like it.
May give one a try.
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