Cutting Inside Square Corners

I am a newbie and am probably trying something that can't be done without an electric saw. Is there a way to cut glass to have an inside square corner (like an "L") without changing the pattern to be two adjacent rectangles?

Answer

You're right...it can't be done. I wouldn't recommend doing it with a saw either. The stress at the area where the two sides of the L join could cause the glass to fracture at any time. I've seen pieces, that were hanging for several years, suddenly break precisely where the "stress" cut was made. You'd be better off to re-do your design to accomodate a couple more cut lines.

Before I get a slew of email saying it can be done, I'll tell you how some people do it. In my 35 years of glass work I've never used this technique.

Drill a hole where the two legs of the L join. Make straight cuts to the hole, run the scores and the piece will come out leaving you an inside cut. It will take quite a bit of practice to perfect the technique, so it's not a good idea to try it on expensive stained glass...practice on window glass first.

You will need diamond drill bits and make sure the area being drilled is wet at all times. However, this technique is not something a newbie should be trying, so once again I'll say, no it can't be done by a newbie.

If you want, email me the pattern and I'll show you some ways to re-do it.