Adjustable Glass Bottle Cutter

I have wanting to make a bottle cutter for a while now, just because I really like the idea of making glasses from bottles. I found a lot of designs online, but one thing they all had in common, is that none of them are adjustable. Now I want to be able to cut different types and sizes of bottles, so I came up with this design that can be adjusted for different bottles. Cutting glass bottles can be really fun, and drinking out of a glass you made is also satisfying. Plus you get to repurpose an ordinary glass bottle into something new and useful.

For this project I used:

- 1x4 Scraps
- Glass Cutter
- Polyurethane
- 1/4"x2" Bolts
- Wing Nuts
- Epoxy
- Wood Glue
- Screws
- Glass Bottles

After I decided how I was going to build it, I cut out the pieces and sanded them.

I joined up the corners by adding some wood glue, then driving in some screws.

I began by drilling the two holes the size of the bolts on the sliding block. Then I put the block in place at each of the furthest ends and used the same drill bit through the original holes to make marks. I then drilled the rest of the holes through and drew lines connecting them for the slots. I used the jigsaw to cut out the slots along the lines.

Since I would only be needing part of the glass cutter, I used the Dremel to cut off the part I would need. I cleaned that up with a file and sanding block, so it looked better. Then I lined it up on the side of the board with a bottle, so I could find out where it should go.

I finished it with some more sanding, I used some files to sand in the slots. I glued the bolts into the holes in the sliding block with epoxy. Finally, I tested the sliding block with the wing nuts, and screwed on the glass cutter. Also this glass cutter can be adjusted too, by screwing it into a different spot.

At this point, I decided to give the cutter a try. First I adjusted the sliding wall to where I wanted the cut, and scored the cut on the glass. Next I heated up some water just to boiling, and slowly poured it over the score for about 30 seconds. Next, I quickly switched to cold water over the score for about the same time. Lastly, I slightly twisted the bottle, and it popped apart. I smoothed the cut up using some sandpaper and Dremel.

Now that I have finished and tested it I decided to give it a polyurethane finish. This is actually the first time I have used polyurethane, so I wanted something to give it a try on. When it was dry, I put all the parts back on and I was done. I also added a set of rubber feet on the bottom for traction and stability.

Cutting bottles actually turned out even more fun and easy than I thought it would be. It's and interesting process, and very satisfying when the bottle pops in half in your hands. So far I have only broken a few bottles in the process, and I am looking forward to cutting many more bottles in the future.

By the way something I noticed, almost all the colored bottles(green, brown) I have tried to cut have broken, opposed to all of my clear bottles have been a success. Maybe the colored ones are made cheaper, or the clear ones are thicker glass, I don't know. Hope you enjoyed and have fun cutting bottles!

REMEMBER TO BE SAFE, GLASS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.