Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Glass Cutting Strategies

Your stained glass hobby should be a chance to slow down, escape the day-to-day stress, and enjoy creating something with your hands. The last thing you want is to spend that time frustrated because a piece broke in the wrong direction or because you're cutting the same piece for the third time.

The good news is that glass cutting isn't about luck or natural talent. Like any skill, it becomes easier with understanding and practice. Often, it's the little things—not just how you hold the cutter—that make the biggest difference. 

Over the years, both through my own experience and while teaching hundreds of students,I've discovered that improving your stained glass cutting rarely comes from making one big change. It's about making a series of small ones. Sometimes it's your lighting. Sometimes it's the temperature of the glass. Other times it's something as simple as remembering to add a drop of cutting oil.

In this article, I'll share 15 practical stained glass cutting strategies that have helped both my students and me cut glass more consistently. Some of these strategies have nothing to do with how you hold your cutter at all. They begin before you ever make your first score, while others focus on the scoring technique itself. Together, they can make a surprising difference in both your confidence and your results. 

1. Start with Clean Glass

I'm just as guilty as the next person of pulling a sheet of glass out of the rack and getting straight to work without cleaning it first. But if you've had glass sitting around your studio for a while, you've probably noticed that it develops a greasy film over time—even when it's stored nowhere near the kitchen.

That buildup can affect how smoothly your cutter wheel rolls across the surface.

For the most consistent glass cutting scores, give the glass a quick cleaning with glass cleaner or soap and water before you begin. It only takes a minute, but it helps the cutter maintain even contact with the glass.

As a bonus, you'll also make your Sharpie markers last longer since they won't be dragging through that grimy residue every time you trace your pattern.

2. Use Good Lighting

This one sounds almost too simple to matter, but good lighting can have a surprisingly big impact on your accuracy.

Years ago, my workbench was positioned so the main light source was behind me. Even though the studio had plenty of other lights, I didn't realize I was casting subtle shadows across my work surface until I brought a desk lamp over while painting glass.

The difference was immediate.

It's amazing how easily we adapt to our workspace without realizing it could be improved. If you're struggling to see your score line or your traced pattern clearly, try adding a bright task light beside your work area. Sometimes the simplest changes produce the biggest improvements.

3. Let Cold Glass Warm Up

If you work in an unheated garage, basement, or shed, this tip can make a real difference.

Very cold glass can sometimes be less cooperative when you're trying to cut stained glass accurately. Rather than bringing it in from a freezing workshop and cutting it immediately, let it warm up to room temperature first.

If your studio is in a cold basement or unheated garage, simply waiting for the glass to warm up may not be an option because your glass and your workspace are the same temperature.

In my basement studio, I often place the piece of glass on a heating pad set to a medium temperature for a few minutes before I cut it. Once the glass feels comfortably warm to the touch, I take it off and cut it right away.

I've found warm glass simply feels more predictable. Instead of fighting with a cold sheet that seems determined to go its own way, the scores tend to break more consistently. 

It's a simple trick, but I've found it makes a noticeable difference during the colder months.

4. Use a Cutter That's Comfortable

There are many different styles and manufacturers of glass cutters, and there isn't one that's perfect for everyone.

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, reduced grip strength, or another condition that affects your hands or wrists, pay close attention to how the cutter feels while you're using it. A comfortable stained glass cutter gives you much better control and makes it easier to maintain consistent pressure throughout the score.

If there is a stained glass studio or supplier nearby, ask if they have different styles you can try before you buy one. There is no way to know which type will feel best until you've held it in your hand.

I'm a firm believer that when your hand and wrist are comfortable, you have a much better chance of making smooth, confident, and accurate scores.

5. Always Cut on the Smoothest Side of the Glass

So you've found a beautiful piece of glass that you absolutely love. That's great! There are so many stunning colours and textures available, but if you're new to cutting glass, you'll also want to pay attention to how heavily textured the surface is.

Some textured glasses can be more challenging to cut than others, but that doesn't mean you should avoid them altogether.

To make a good score, the cutter wheel needs to maintain consistent contact with the glass. If it's bouncing up and down like you're skiing through moguls, it's much harder to maintain even pressure as your hand travels over all those hills and valleys.

Whenever possible, make your score on the smoother side of the glass. If you want the textured side to face the front of your finished stained glass project, simply flip your pattern piece over and trace it onto the smoother back side of the glass instead.

That one small adjustment can make cutting textured glass much easier while still giving you the finished appearance you want.

6. Cut Your Template Pattern Accurately

You can have excellent glass cutting skills, but they won't help much if the pattern piece you're tracing isn't accurate to begin with. Tracing stained glass patterns appears to be a simple task, but needs to be done accurately.

If you cut your patterns from paper or cardstock and use them as templates, take your time. Every bump, flat spot, or uneven curve in the paper has a good chance of finding its way into your glass.

A well-cut pattern gives you the best chance of producing glass pieces that fit together properly later.

7. Trace Your Pattern Carefully 

This might seem like a simple step, but it surprises me how often people rush through it.

If your pattern shifts while you're tracing, you've already changed the shape before you've even picked up your cutter.

It can also affect your finished project. If every pattern piece is just slightly different from what it should be, those tiny inaccuracies begin to add up. Before long, you're trying to make pieces fit that were never quite the right shape to begin with. 

If you have trouble keeping the template from moving, try placing a small piece of rolled tape underneath it to help hold it in place while you trace.

Taking an extra few seconds here can save you far more time than having to recut a piece later.

If tracing pattern pieces isn't your favourite part of the process, there are other options too. I'll be sharing another article that explores using adhesive vinyl templates cut with a cutting machine, which can make this step much faster and more accurate. 

8. Give Yourself Enough Room Around the Pattern

If you're someone who likes to trace your pattern pieces right along the edge of the glass to save every possible scrap, this tip is for you.

It's a great habit to be mindful of waste glass, but leaving yourself too little room can actually make cutting more difficult.

Removing a very narrow sliver of glass is surprisingly challenging. If your pattern has a curved edge and you leave only a tiny strip to remove, the glass often won't break the way you want it to.

If you're using the factory edge because your pattern has a straight side, that's perfectly fine. But whenever you need to remove glass beside a curve, try to leave at least 1/4 inch of material outside your traced line. That extra bit of glass gives you enough substance to make a cleaner, more predictable break.

9. Use Cutting Oil

There are many different schools of thought when it comes to using cutting oil, so I'll let you decide which method works best for you.

Have you ever noticed the little cap on the end of your glass cutter? If you unscrew it, you'll find a hollow chamber inside the handle that's designed to hold cutting oil.

When I first learned about this, I assumed that meant I should fill it up. I was even told that tightening or loosening the cap would control how much oil flowed onto the cutter while I was scoring.

Why I Don't Fill My Cutter

I've always used good-quality cutters, but every time I filled one, I regretted it.

Don't misunderstand me. The glass cutting itself worked just fine. The problem came afterward. As soon as I started handling the glass and using my breaking pliers, I had oil smeared all over the glass, my tools, and my hands.

And guess what?

If you miss cleaning even a little of it off, your copper foil won't stick.

Yes... I learned that one the hard way.

Now, please don't think I'm saying cutting oil is a bad thing. A lubricant is actually very important for keeping your cutter working efficiently.

It helps to:

• keep the carbide wheel turning freely.
• remove tiny glass particles from around the wheel.
• prevent debris from building up over time.

My Preferred Method

So here's the method I've settled on.

I keep a small mason jar beside my workbench with a soft rag tucked into the bottom. I pour just enough cutting oil onto the rag to dampen it—you don't want the rag floating in oil.

Then I stand my cutter in the jar with the wheel resting on the oil-soaked cloth.

The cutter has a soft place to rest between projects, and the wheel stays lightly conditioned. I've found this especially helpful since moving my studio to the basement, and students who work in garages or sheds have told me it also helps prevent their cutters from developing surface rust.

Then, each time I take the cutter out to use it, I place a single drop of oil on the wheel and roll it across the palm of my hand.

The wheel is lubricated and ready to go, but I don't end up with oil smeared all over my project.

10. Should You Push or Pull the Cutter?

This is another topic where you'll find people on both sides of the fence.

When I was teaching, I encouraged students to try both methods and decide which felt more comfortable. 

That said, I do think pushing the cutter away from you has several advantages.

When cutting stained glass, I like to "lock" my elbow against my side before I begin the score. Working close to my body makes it easier for me to judge the pressure. As I push the cutter away from me, my arm naturally extends to finish the score, which helps me maintain a more even pressure from beginning to end.

There's another advantage too.

When you're pushing the cutter, you can clearly see the little notch where the wheel sits. Use that notch like a sight on a rifle and keep it directly over your traced line. Your score will end up exactly where you intended it to be.

Now try doing that while pulling the cutter.

Your hand blocks the view of the pattern line, so you end up twisting yourself into all sorts of awkward positions just to see where you're going.

Glass cutting isn't supposed to be part of a circus act, although anyone who has never watched glass being cut before can become every bit as enthusiastic a spectator. 

11. Keep Your Cutter Perpendicular to the Glass

The angle of your cutter matters just as much as the pressure you apply.

Try to keep the cutter straight up and down as you score the glass.

If the handle leans to the left or right, the edge of the broken glass will often lean the same way. That means the front and back surfaces of the glass won't line up perfectly, leaving one side of the piece slightly larger than the other.

It may not seem like much, but those tiny differences can affect how well your pieces fit together later.

12. Stand While Scoring

Whenever possible, stand while you're cutting glass.

Standing allows your shoulder, elbow, and wrist to move together in one smooth, fluid motion. You'll have a much easier time making long scores, maintaining even pressure, and navigating gentle curves.

When you're seated, it's much easier to run out of comfortable arm movement and begin compensating with your wrist.

Those smooth, fluid scores really do make a difference.

13. Use the Right Amount of Pressure

Remember, the objective is to score the glass, not mash it. Learning the right amount of pressure takes time, but it's one of the most important skills you'll develop.

Most beginners are surprised to discover that a lighter touch usually produces a better score than pressing harder. 

A good score should look like a fine strand of hair resting on the surface of the glass. If your score appears white or chipped, you're pressing too hard. Lightening your pressure will usually give you a cleaner, more consistent break.

At the same time, be sure you're using enough pressure. One thing I noticed while teaching was that many beginners were so cautious they barely scored the surface of the glass.  If you can barely see your score—or can't see it at all—you'll need to practice using a slightly firmer hand.

Finding that sweet spot takes practice, but once you do, you'll be surprised how much more predictable your glass cutting becomes.

If you're still unsure how much pressure to use, I have a simple practice glass cutting exercise that will help you find the lightest pressure needed to make a successful score.

14. Glass Generally Wants to Break in a Straight Line

Use this knowledge to your advantage.

Trying to force a very sharp curve in a single score is rarely going to give you the break you want. Glass naturally prefers the shortest, straightest path.

Instead, think about how you can gradually work your way to the shape you're after. Sometimes it's far better to make several smaller breaks, each with a gentler curve, than to expect one dramatic score to do all the work.

That's why relief cuts are so valuable. Rather than asking the glass to make one impossible break, you're gradually removing the waste until the finished shape remains. 

Working with the glass instead of fighting against it will almost always give you more consistent results.

15. Practice Makes a More Confident Maker

Like any skill, glass cutting improves with practice. But there's a difference between simply cutting lots of glass and practicing with a purpose.

If you're new to stained glass or still struggle with glass cutting, begin with short scores just a few inches long. Straight lines and gentle curves are perfect for developing a feel for the cutter and learning how different amounts of pressure affect the break.

Once you've become comfortable with those, gradually move on to longer scores and more challenging shapes.

When I was teaching beginner classes, we typically spent about 40 minutes simply practicing basic glass cutting skills on window glass before moving on to a project.  Give yourself permission to make mistakes—that's how you'll learn.

Window glass is one of the best materials to practice on because there's less stress over the cost. You may even be able to get it free from old windows or from a local window retailer. Many of them have plenty of scrap glass they're happy to part with.

As your confidence grows, continue to challenge yourself from time to time. Staying inside your comfort zone feels safe, but it's by stretching your skills that you'll continue to improve.

I still practice new cuts whenever I'm designing a pattern that pushes me outside my comfort zone. 

Practice with purpose, be patient with yourself, and before long you'll discover that the cuts that once felt intimidating have become second nature.

Final Thoughts

If there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this article, it's that becoming better at cutting stained glass rarely comes from one dramatic change.

Instead, it's usually the result of making lots of small improvements that gradually build on one another.

Better lighting.

A more comfortable cutter.

Warming cold glass.

A properly lubricated wheel.

Standing instead of sitting.

Using the right amount of pressure.

Working with the way glass naturally wants to break.

Individually, each one might seem minor. Together, they can completely change how confidently and consistently you cut glass.

So the next time a piece doesn't break the way you expected, don't assume you're simply "bad at cutting glass." 

Instead, ask yourself why it happened. 

Every break has a reason. 

The more often you stop to understand that reason, the more confident and consistent your glass cutting will become. 

Want to Become More Confident at Cutting Glass?

If you're still struggling with glass cutting, my Cutting Stained Glass Made Easy course walks you through the process step by step.

Whether you're brand new to stained glass or simply want more consistent results, the course was designed to help you enjoy glass cutting instead of feeling frustrated by it.

Keep Learning

• How to Cut Glass: Scoring, Pressure, and Common Mistakes
• Choosing the Right Stained Glass Cutter 
• Choosing the Type of Stained Glass to Use