# Tell me the best way to cut holes in tempered glass **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761 "2013-06-11T23:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/21 "2013-08-15T09:21:14Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Question: I have a beautiful tequila bottle (with a blown glass interior sculpture). I would like to convert it to a lamp (need a small hole drilled in the base). Should I bring it to a glass shop? Drilling sounds dicey-I have never done it before. I’d get a professional to tackle it - but even then, you need to face the slight risk that it may go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/22 "2013-08-15T09:23:00Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > For searchers who get a hit on the title of this thread, your drill supplier has a FAQ [page](http://www.diamond-drill-bit-and-tool.com/Diamond-Drill/How-To-Drill-Tile-Glass-Stone.shtml#Drilling%20Tempered%20Glass) on drilling tempered glass. > > Short answer - don’t try. Concur. Drilling tempered glass is almost exactly like untying one end of a hammock - there’s little reason to expect it to remain in place. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/23 "2013-08-15T15:59:26Z")
Tempered glass can be cut with a water jet. > [@](#): > > Question: I have a beautiful tequila bottle (with a blown glass interior sculpture). I would like to convert it to a lamp (need a small hole drilled in the base). Should I bring it to a glass shop? Drilling sounds dicey-I have never done it before I use a diamond encrusted hole saw to cut holes in liquor bottles. I stuff them with led Christmas string lights, they look pretty cool when done. The trick is to use a drill press with light pressure and some type of coolant/lube. I just use water in a putty ring as mentioned before. I do however break some bottles so there is no promise that it will work every time. If you just need a small hole to pass a cord through you can buy a drill bit instead of a hole saw, most hardware stores sell bits for drilling ceramic/glass tiles. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/24 "2013-08-15T19:24:58Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Tempered glass can be cut with a water jet. Where did you hear this bit of nonsense? I hate people who ask for a cite, but I am going to be that guy today. If you want a hole in tempered glass, you cut the hole and _then_ temper the glass. Tempering glass involves treating the glass with heat or chemicals. What happens is that the outside skin or layer of glass is shrunk just a little. This holds the interior under pressure so that any breach of the tempered skin causes the interior glass to crumble under the released pressure. Tempered glass is up to 7 times stronger than untreated glass on the surface but any flaw on the edges, like setting the pane down on even a small piece of gravel that will puncture the skin will cause the whole thing to explode/crumble into bits. This is why emergency window breaking tools for cars are just little sharp punches that disrupt the hardened skin of the window. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/25 "2013-08-15T19:30:51Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Tempered glass can be cut with a water jet. . I don’t think that’s true. > [@JFLuvly](#): > > I use a diamond encrusted hole saw to cut holes in liquor bottles. . . Liquor bottles aren’t made of tempered glass. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/26 "2013-08-15T19:49:25Z")
Might not be the best cite, but here is a youtube video of a waterjet cutting a windshield, [Windshield waterjet cutting for Italian replica on Fiero - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aMPctTRT2I) . Here’s one of a guy using a rotozip, [Windshield cutting with Pete Hagan haganauto.com - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5nm48pYFc) . Where do you think the windshields come from on most of the hot rods that are chopped? It’s just a moderate skill that pretty much anybody can do with a little practice, just need some old windows from the junkyard that you can practice on. ETA: The last sentence refers to using a rotozip. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/27 "2013-08-15T19:53:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Liquor bottles aren’t made of tempered glass. The OP did not mean tempered glass, he thought that tea cups were tempered, I was telling him what I use to cut glass for things I make. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/28 "2013-08-16T21:17:41Z")
> [@JFLuvly](#): > > Might not be the best cite, but here is a youtube video of a waterjet cutting a windshield, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aMPctTRT2I](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aMPctTRT2I) . Here’s one of a guy using a rotozip, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5nm48pYFc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5nm48pYFc) . Where do you think the windshields come from on most of the hot rods that are chopped? It’s just a moderate skill that pretty much anybody can do with a little practice, just need some old windows from the junkyard that you can practice on. > > ETA: The last sentence refers to using a rotozip. Just for the sake of clarity, windshields are made of safety glass (a piece of clear laminate sandwiched between 2 pieces of float glass), not tempered glass. Tempered glass would be much more likely to shatter when struck at high speed by a rock or other road debris. With saftey glass the outer layer may crack, but the laminate and inner layer keep it from shattering. Tempered glass is used for side and rear windows, where road debris is much less likely to hit. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/29 "2013-11-19T19:19:29Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > Show us some pics when you finish, if you don’t mind > **Capt** Another minor zombie alert! I’ve published an [Instructable for my tea light](http://www.instructables.com/id/Tea-Light-for-Two-make-your-own-pendant-light-from/) and you can see plenty of pictures there. If any of you are Instructables members and are so inclined I’d appreciate a vote for the Make It Glow contest. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761/30 "2013-11-19T19:43:49Z")
Oh, my. What a lovely result! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-the-best-way-to-cut-holes-in-tempered-glass/660761.md?page=1)