Stained Glass Cutting Technique – Tips for Accurate Cutting
Improve Your Stained Glass Cutting Technique

There are lots of factors that result in an accurate stained glass cutting technique. The angle of the cutter head, the pressure and consistency to name a few.
You know this but continue to struggle. Your panel grows bigger and bigger. There are uneven gaps resulting in untidy soldering seams. It’s disheartening.
If you’re experiencing all these little annoyances with your stained glass making there are ways to nail these basics once and for all.
If you don’t have a class near by my Stained Glass Made Perfect course has helped many people rectify these small – but irritating! – mistakes. The class is online and done in your own time so you can master all the techniques even if you aren’t able to get to a physical class. You can find out more about it here Stained Glass Made Perfect.
Stained Glass Cutting Technique – Preventing Flares
Here are 3 quick ways to avoid those annoying flares that stop your glass pieces from fitting snugly together:
- Always break glass with thumbs when you can, it makes the cleanest break.
- For cuts going to a point try starting the run at both ends first before fully separating the glass. You’ll hear a little ‘click’ as it opens the fissure – that’s the glass telling you it’s ready to break apart.
- Whenever possible open the glass from where you ended, not began, the score.
You’ll get a little flare at the pressure points of the pliers that can’t be 100% avoided. These tricks will keep them to a minimum. Feel free to add any more tips of your own at the bottom of the page, thanks!
Stained Glass Cutting Technique – A Guiding Hand
Have you thought of using your non-cutting hand to help guide the cutter head? The weight from the cutting pressure holds the glass in place as you cut.
It really does make a difference.
I know, I know, you’re taught to hold the glass with your non-cutting hand. You’re told that the glass will move if you don’t hold it. It’s not that this is wrong, it’s just another way.
Try This
Have a look at the Tiny Video Tip – taken from the Stained Glass Made Perfect Course – and see how accurate the cutting is.
Then try the method for yourself. It might feel mighty weird to start with but promise me you’ll stick at it for a bit?
It will become easier the more you practise and it might be the accurate cutting answer you were looking for.
You just didn’t know it!
A readers question about gaps
I bought 3 of your stained glass courses which are very very helpful. Because I have made quite a few pieces already and attended class courses, I thought I would try a more intricate pattern for my copper foiled piece. Everything is cut and foiled but I am worried about two areas (photos below) where there are slightly bigger gaps than ideal. My difficulty is that I don’t have any more of the white glass the daisy petals were cut from. I would have recut the offending petal if I could. I hoped there would not be such a gap.
Do you think these gaps are small enough to ignore? And if not – how on earth do I sort it? Janet Leonard
Milly’s Answer
You could recut the two surrounding pieces (in pink) and trim the surrounding foil (in green) to reduce the gaps.
Sometimes, especially with flowers and organic subjects, the varying gaps add to the life of the piece – make it seem more alive. What in nature has regular gaps?
and a follow up:
Hello, again Milly. Here is a photo of the daisy sorted as suggested by you. I did cut back the foil as you suggested but then decided to just recut that piece as well and I cut back the foil on the new piece.
Thank you very much indeed for your help. I am much happier now with the piece. The changes did take quite some time but definitely worth the trouble.
And here’s a picture of the finished work in all its glory – stunning.
The pattern is a free pattern available from this website here:
Free Daisy Stained Glass Pattern
If you know anyone who would benefit from these quick tips, feel free to Pin on Pinterest or Share on Facebook with your friends. Thanks in advance.
For a whole host of Stained Glass Cutting Tutorials go here
https://everythingstainedglass.com/stained-glass-cutting-techniqueshttps://everythingstainedglass.com/wp-content/uploads/denise01-web.jpghttps://everythingstainedglass.com/wp-content/uploads/denise01-web-150x150.jpgStained Glass TutorialsCutting Stained GlassImprove Your Stained Glass Cutting Technique There are lots of factors that result in an accurate stained glass cutting technique. The angle of the cutter head, the pressure and consistency to name a few. You know this but continue to struggle. Your panel grows bigger and bigger. There are uneven gaps resulting...Milly FrancesMilly Francesmillyfrances@gmail.comAdministratorEverything Stained Glass

Thanks Milly, I love to read your tips, I work full time and find it difficult on weekends to find the time to practice them. Not moaning, I am blessed to be working in these times, just have the wish to spend more time with my projects and trying out all these wonderfull tips. Keep them coming Nx thanks to all that contribute. Sandy.
Thanks Sandy. I’d second that, thanking all who contribute too – it’s quite a bank of expertise we’re amassing here 🙂 I think that might be a good name for a company… Bank Of Expertise – that’s us!
Milly,
Keep the tips coming! Always can learn something new.
Cheers!
Frank
Thanks Frank 🙂
Hello Milly, once again, thanks for the tips. I do use both hands when cutting, the tip I would like to add is to have a what they call softboard , the board they use for notice boards to cut the glass on. The glass sits still when cutting with two hands.
Regards and happy creating.
Willem (South Africa )ñ
Thanks for the tip Willem, very useful for everyone 🙂
Hello, Willem!
Can you share an online link to “softboard”? Here, in the USA, we do not have anything called softboard and, when I google it, all that comes up are SURFBOARDS!
Is it a kind of styrofoam or foam sheet?
Many thanks,
Murleen Ray
California
Would this be corkboards what is used for bulletin boards?
Thank you for all your article they have helped me out a lot. I have a very hard time cutting small pieces any help with that?
You can try cutting small pieces all in one go from a bigger piece of stained glass and then breaking off around it (rather than doing one score line at a time)
Also, when breaking the score, try using two pairs of pliers – one to hold the stained glass shape, and grozer/breakers to snap the excess off.
I hope that helps.
I do so enjoy hearing a person of your knowledge remind me of different tips that might make me better. Thank you so muc
You’re most welcome, I hope this one helped. It’s always worth trying new stained glass techniques out on a scrap piece of glass to see if it’s a method that suits you.
I love the instructions, just have to practice them now. My worst cuts are straight cuts even with a ruler. Just turned hubby on to your site and he loves looking through your products.
I’ll have to dig my ‘Cutting Straight Lines’ video out for you Patt. You’ll get the hang of it soon I’m sure.
I love reading everything this There is no one near me to exchange ideas with,so this is great thank you
That’s the great thing about the Internet Audrey – it makes sharing our skills much easier. Glad you’re finding my stained glass tutorials helpful.