Cutting and Grinding Wine Bottles into Drinking Glasses 

+Zac Fitzgerald a tile saw and a lap wheel for $10,000? maybe his cost that much in his nice shop but you can buy the smaller or used versions of those machines for fairly cheap. you can get each for a few hundred new or you could go on craigslist and get them for less than 100 each. i had already cut bottles with my tile saw before i saw this video so i knew the bottle was going to give at the end and chip the lip.

Thanks for knowing a joke when you see one and playing along Jason.

no i mean i see your point. the title says "how to turn bottles into drinking glasses" which sounds like a DIY project to save money and then the guy has a professional lapidary shop. i just keep seeing comments like this and i want people to know they can actually afford doing this to bottles.

+Zac Fitzgerald et al, This video is not meant as a DIY type of situation but more for people wishing to start a business making drinking glasses and candle holder from wine bottles producing multiple hundreds of glasses at a a time. There are many techniques out there for smaller quantities and hobbyist production, this routine is just a training visual for larger scale production. Thanks for everyone's comments though.

+hisglassworksinc and how much would each drinking glass had to cost for this to be a viable business?

Glad it was helpful!

Wow! Thanks so much. I really appreciate that. Glad that you enjoyed the video. They are fun to make and I wish I had time to do more. Makes me happy that you enjoyed watching it.

Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the techniques shown translate into many other glass projects.

We do ship worldwide and would be happy to give you a quote for the equipment. You can also start slowly by using loose grit silicon carbide on a piece of plate glass for grinding down the rims of the cut bottles.

12/13/2020 Probably Amazon or eBay who knows now Habor Freight, Home Depot, Lowe's or even Walmart I wouldn't rule out Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

All these tools can be used for any glass or lapidary coldworking. Nothing is limited to just grinding bottles. There are a lot of extremely successful businesses that only make drinking glasses and candles out of cut wine bottles with this equipment as well. I'm sorry that your inability to see a lucrative business is holding you back.

@@hisglassworksinc My guests don't give a F if I serve them a beverage in a BLAND PLAIN STRAIGHT SIDED $15.00+ hand converted wine bottle glass, or an ornate crystal emblematic $2.00 glass from Walmart or Target. My guess is that you also believe in the fallacious concept of human caused climate change, and that jo bidet^ is an effective president, (or should that be presidork).

You certainly could and some people do. I find it hard to maintain a grip on the glass wearing gloves once the glass is wet. It interrupts my "feel" for the grinding when I wear any gloves. I've never had a cut bad enough to require medical attention, but I certainly have been cut many many times by glass while working.

For small quantity numbers, yes. The hot-pop method is quite good. It's certainly more time consuming though so for large production it's not as feasible cost wise. The wet saw works much better for larger production runs.

A lot depends on the number of pieces you're looking to make and if you're looking for making drinking glasses or candle holders. We do have the smaller Maxi-Lap grinder that is less than the larger 12-inch grinder. In a 10-inch size it works quite well for bottle cutting. You an also hand work rims with loose grit silicon carbide on a piece of plate glass for a very inexpensive solution. All can be found on our website www.hisglassworks.com

You can use loose grit silicon carbide on a piece of plate glass to grind down rims for small scale use. We have a video here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zTDUpXGkC0g.html

You can cast it. It will be full of bubbles and it actually floats almost like volcanic rock. Mostly we collect in a cascade system and dispose of it on a monthly basis. Be sure to wear a respirator when cleaning up the dried ground glass as it's basically silica dust which is quite dangerous to inhale.

This video is meant more for those who wish to start a business making drinking glasses or candle holders from wine bottles. Definitely excessive for only making a few of these. This is more for making hundreds of these a day.

Urbina Urbina take a serious job for living... don't waste 30 min to watch a relaxing information..

JiJi She can do what she wants with her time.

JiJi She can do what she wants with her time.

Collin Johnson you are right. +JiJi is workaholic. we need to relax and screw our time.

+JiJi No one likes a troll. Who are you to judge anyway?

You can do that, yes. But, you'll have to re-anneal the entire piece to remove the excess strain created so the glass won't shatter when exposed to extreme temperatures.

One way could be to get some vermiculite and put it in a crockpot. Crank the heat all the way up. When it’s hot, flame your glass and immediately submerge it in the vermiculite. Cover and turn the power off to the crockpot. Let it cool completely before checking on it. I’ve had much success with this method, but not 100%. Or buy a kiln.

Shawn, don’t play with the saw blades. You can’t lose those moneymakers.

Not really. This is more for those who wish to make a business of making glasses or candle holders for large production.

Sorry, I was being sarcastic.

Yes. Still. some folks have asked the same thing oddly enough.

The blade RPM is around 3400RPM. Moving slower would decrease chipping on the glass further. With a larger blade, the surface foot per minute on the rim of the blade would be much faster and cause more edge chipping even with a fine grit blade so you would want to try and slow down a larger saw's RPM at the shaft to provide a cleaner cut.

@@hisglassworksinc Thank you!

Glad it helped

+Charlie Loventhal It is. Most wet tile saws will work well for cutting glass, but you'll want to use a glass specific blade to avoid excess chipping created by using tile diamond blades. It's important to make sure your saw provides enough water to the blade for glass as well. You can see information here: www.hisglassworks.com/learn/saw-blades/water-usage-with-glass-specific-diamond-blades/

Thank you, sir.

You are very welcome

Our wet saws are listed here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/machinery/wet-saws.html and our flat lap grinders are listed here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/machinery/flat-grinders/small-grinders.html

Where can I buy this machine

This is typically done with larger, heavier pieces to grind them, so the process would be similar. Not sure why you would bother with something so small and light though

This 12 inch Covington grinder is a variable speed that runs from 200 to 1,100 RPM. We generally run it around 900 RPM

Dan Wilson Dan, you can find a kit of all these materials listed here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/kits/bottle-cutting-and-grinding-kit.html

Domes are available on our website here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/cones-and-domes.html

hisglassworksinc hi, thank you for the video. Follow up question, what grit was the resin dome and cone that you used in the video? Do you recommend using only one grit or various to smooth it out?

Not easily. You can bond them together with something like HXTAL: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/adhesives/epoxies/hxtal-nyl-1.html

+morgana3433 We have several hundred customers around the world now making these drinking glasses and doing quite well. Some customers already have contracts with larger firms like Crate and Barrel and many have contracts with hotels and restaurants. It's a profitable business for many folks. We, of course, only provide the tools, not the business acumen.

+morgana3433 that is exactly what I thought the whole time...got here from a video, where a guy took some ballbearings, wood and t-squares and did cut wonderfull glasses.

+hisglassworksinc I have a small but growing business making many different products and pieces of art out of recycled glass. Personally I can't wait until I can afford one of those Covington grinders.

A vice and a hand sander. Clamp the bottle in and sand till smooth, then use sandpaper for the inside and outside edges. It won't be as perfectly smooth as this, but perfectly fine for a drinking glass.

Hand lapping with loose grit silicon carbide is inexpensive and easy to do: www.hisglassworks.com/loose-grit/silicon-carbide/1-pound.html

Yes, but you may want to use a medium cut blade for a thicker piece of glass. Something like a Result blade: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/blades/medium-cut-blades/result-blades.html

Tattoostijl Once you get the technique down and pay attention to when the blade needs dressing, you can virtually have 100% success rate with cutting bottles. A lot depends on learning how glass specific blades operate and making sure they stay dressed as you use them

His Glassworks, Inc. To add on to the above question. How much does the brand of saw matter? I have tried a couple different 10" saws that I have seen people use in their youtube videos and I cannot seem to get it to cut without cracking or chipping the bottle, even going extremely slow with the same glassblades. Any tips for that?

E Squared Glass You may need to look at water usage on the blades. With glass specific blades, they are a finer grit diamond so they will require more water at the contact point of the blade and the glass to avoid excess heat buildup. You can see a video on this here: www.hisglassworks.com/learn/saw-blades/water-usage-with-glass-specific-diamond-blades/

+Tattoostijl The success rate is dependant on your skill as well as the tools and method. I have tried many different techniques for cutting bottles and using a tile saw is by far and away the most consistent with the least waste. I use a cheap 7" tile saw, but I invested in their best blade and I am happy with the result. However, I am still looking forward to the day I can afford a nicer saw like the one shown. I went from breaking more than I was making to 99%. If I break something these days, usually it is usually my fault.

+Treyads It can, but you won't be able to cut all the way through the bottle and would instead have to rotate the bottle through the blade.

+Treyads Yes, but to compensate for the lower quality saw you should use the best quality blade you can find. The guys that make this video have one that is great. (I don't get any benefit from saying so) I bought a few different blades before giving in and stepping up to better quality. The main issue is lesser quality blades will leave more chips in the rim. Better blade means less chips, which means less grinding. I can't wait until I can afford a better saw. I like the one he is using, but I also have my eye on a ring saw. Another thing about saws is the clearance, which will dictate how large a bottle you can cut.

I use a 10", you get one from Chicago Tool. harbor freight.

Oh yeah, this is the most expensive glass I ´ve seen ever. Thousands of dollars in equipment for it. LOL.

This process is more about larger scale production. The higher the production, the lower the cost.

We have people make wind chimes from them and use them as luminaries by sandblasting or acid etching them and putting them over candles.

If you torch the rims, you'll also want to re-anneal the pieces as you'll introduce a tremendous amount of stress into the rim by torching it. That will increase the risk of the rim shattering on someone if there is a large temperature shift in the glass.

+jorge lopez You can purchase all this equipment from our website at www.hisglassworks.com We even have a kit that lists all the pieces here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/kits/bottle-cutting-and-grinding-kit.html

hisglassworksinc +

You can purchase all the machinery and tools from our website at www.hisglassworks.com. You can also email us directly for quotes on all equipment.

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

@@hisglassworksinc thank you very much.

+hisglassworksinc Very good video.

+hisglassworksinc I agree, the time involved in properly annealing the glass would make fire polishing impractical for most scenarios.

Would be helpful to share source of supply for all tools used

@@davealmeida2670 Everything is available from our website at www.hisglassworks.com

The least expensive way to start out grinding pieces flat from a saw cut is to use loose grit silicon carbide on a piece of plate glass and hand lap the pieces. Quick, efficient, and inexpensive: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/loose-grit/silicon-carbide.html

Very helpful. I watched that video as well. I have two more questions remaining. What should be my starting grit, mid grit and last grit for a bottle to be fairly soft to the touch (not to drink from). Also, How much should I get? Would you also recommend I get the diamond sanding pads also? thank you

I would start with a 120 grit from the saw cut, then use a 400 or 600 grit to finish off the rim. It will still be a bit hazy, but it would be a soft texture on the glass.

I would only get the handipads if you were looking to make a bevel on the rim. If they aren't being used for drinking glasses, then there is very little reason to bother with a beveled rim.

Thank you very much for the help. wish me luck!

मुझे. ग्लास. कटिंग. मशीन. पाहिजे. त्याची. किंमत. किती. व. कुठे. मिळेल. याची. माहिती पाहिजे

Of course. You'll just have to get water to the dome some other way (either with the external water line or a sponge with water by hand). The domes are diamond so they like to go fast. If you have a lot of grabbing or squealing from the bottle, you may need to slow it down though.

@@hisglassworksinc great thanks for the info. Great video awesome detail!

+Cyberdactyl Given the actual threat level of fingernail damage using diamond coated glass blades, and considering that "this guy" has provided a 27 minute demonstration video and you've provided a comment, I'm thinking that the "massive omission" you have proposed is a little less massive than you are making it out to be. There's a big difference between respecting your tools and fearing your tools. I think you're fear-mongering and splitting hairs (or fingernails). But, that's just me.

BigRalphSmith I'm not talking about splitting hairs, but fingernails. ;)

+Cyberdactyl It is true that diamonds will cut through your fingernails and I have, in my 22 years of experience, groud through my fingernails more than once on a belt sander and flat lap, but I've never managed to cut through my fingernail with a diamond blade before. I would put that into a very rare category of occurrence. I do appreciate the added tip and I'm sure it will help others who watch our videos as well.

+Cyberdactyl if you seriously remove your fingernails down to the nail bed with your grinding equipment on a regular basis, you need lessons. You might ask "this guy" for them--I believe HIS does offer classes.

Cynthia Morgan Well. . .I certainly agree. So he should have made the safety, point and that it could happen, since he is giving a tutorial to beginners.

All equipment is available on our website at www.hisglassworks.com

We do ship to Mexico and would be happy to quote anything out to you.

+Charlie Blum We actually sell the equipment but we do have numerous customers with all these pieces that do nothing but bottle cutting. They have been quite successful.

For interior bevels, you would use a cone instead of a dome

The CrystalMaster Pro is a direct drive motor system so the shaft on the grinder is not large enough to have a threaded mount on it. We can't connect a cone or dome to the center portion of the CrystalMaster Pro.

Several things to try. If the blade is too rough or hasn't been dressed recently, it may pop out a chunk of the bottle at the end. If you are pushing too hard into the blade and not letting the blade dictate the speed, then the stress in the bottle is released near the end and causes a blowout. If you slow down too much at the end, you can build up heat in the bottle from the blade staying in one place too long and the strain pops the bottle there. You need to go slow and steady as you cut letting the blade dictate the speed. Don't put too much pressure on it. Don't stop near the end of the bottle but continue on through to the back of the blade and then bring the bottle back towards you after the blade has cut through. Don't stop at the end but continue on through the cut.

You can contact us here: www.hisglassworks.com/support/contact-us.html and we would be happy to put together a quote for you. Mark

That is correct

These are available on our website here: www.hisglassworks.com/shop/machinery/flat-grinders/small-grinders.html

Soak the bottles in water and dishwashing detergent overnight and the labels will typically slide off

I do a LOT of wine bottle tiki torches and remove labels by soaking in water for a bit then I use a grinder with a wire wheel to remove the labels FAST. Takes about 45 seconds if that....well over 200+ bottles and found it's the easiest way, then I use goo off to remove sticky glue, wash with soap/water and good as new.

I use Dawn to soak them. Most of the time, the label comes right off. Some need a second soaking.

@@robstegmann4792 I've found Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to work great on goo.

We recommend the Superlok Glass+ blade for bottle cutting: www.hisglassworks.com/grinding-tools/blades/fine-cut-blades/husqvarna-superlok-glass.html

The water used encapsulates the glass dust and prevents any dry airborne silica dust.

Muchas gracias por su respuesta, ahora por favor me podría indicar cual es la vida útil del DISCO DE DIAMANTE ELECTROCHAPADO DE GRANO 80 DE 20 PULGADAS ?

We don't have an Ebay store and used equipment is few and far between because people don't tend to get rid of these pieces of equipment very often. We'll see about one or two used grinders for sale a year at most.

We have some customers working a thousand bottles a day in production

Yes, we have many ceramic artists that use these for their crystaline glazes. The grinder is the Covington 12 inch lap listed here: www.hisglassworks.com/machinery/flat-grinders/small-grinders/covington-12-inch-variable-speed-lap-grinder-html.html

You can use smaller blades like a 7 inch blade but you'll have to roll the bottle through the blade instead of cutting all the way through the bottle.

@hisglassworkssinc, I am awaiting your response, sir.

It depends on what you need to do with the glass tubes as the best options. Please email us at support at hisglassworks.com

+Mike Donnell You can email me at support at hisglassworks.com and I can help you with that.

+Mike ODonnell Check out your competition on Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, etc. Once you see what others are selling them for, consider how much you want for your time and the value of the product. There is probably a balance somewhere in there.

Still a lot of folks doing that way today

We haven't had a 220V wet saw available for over two years now as MK is having trouble sourcing the correct motors. The flat lap grinders are available with a 16-week lead time. You can email us through our website www.hisglassworks.com and I"d be happy to quote anything out for you.