My 1978 diary records me learning how to cut a hole in a piece of glass - ‘an insertion’. Because I have a tendency to keep everything, I found the 1978 insertion in my glass racks (above) and was surprised to find how close to the edges of the background glass I got as I smashed and nibbled my way to the perimeter of the circle.
Large piece of glass showing the bashing and removal stages during the cutting of an irregular shaped hole in it.
These days, I use a drill or order a piece of glass already drilled with holes. I have been known to sandblast through the glass to start a hole off, but decided to return to the old school method to cut a big hole for a chunky glass insertion with an irregular shape. The method goes like this - first score and open up two circuits; then cover the centre with crisscrossed lines; then start bashing from underneath the glass; then start removing squares of glass with the notches of an old fashioned glass cutter; finally remove the edge pieces with glass pliers.
Left: hole in glass, Right: piece of glass to be inserted in it.
Handling glass and finding out how much it is willing to do for you is satisfying. It was actually harder cutting small holes in thin glass to make the central panels of glass sketches that explored some ideas. Should the colour of the glass extend beyond the circular lead line (above right) or be contained by a thick lead line (below right) ? Should I combine black painting with enamels on the coloured glass strips (below) or should I introduce sandblasting in lines that ignore the leading (above) ? It’s hard to decide these things on paper, but the little glass sketch often provides the answer.
