Cutting Glass

A while back, we bought a light fixture from an outlet store. It was missing a bunch of glass pieces, which meant I could buy it for a discount, and that I had a DIY weekend project on my hands.

I ordered a whole bunch of pieces that were close to the sizes I needed from frame destination. From these starting pieces, I planned to cut the glass to size.

I had zero experience cutting glass before, so it was a bit scary. I was afraid that I might cut myself, create a huge mess and end up with cracked useless pieces of glass. I watched a bunch of videos on youtube, like this one, then I bought this cheap glass cutter, and just started scoring and cutting. I didn't need to be perfect, thanks to me ordering some extra glass and because the edges of the glass are hidden in the final product. In the end, after about a day of work, the project was done.

So, how does cutting glass compare to my usual coding weekend projects? They're awfully similar. Both require you to take some time and research about tools and best practices. Both are painful to do, but rewarding when you see improvements and progress. So, I approached this glass cutting project the same way I do coding (little by little). I started with some easier cuts and marvelled at my success or reflected on my errors; then I went at it again and again until I was done.

I love being a programmer, software engineeer, coder. I think it helps me whenever I do anything. And whenever I spend time working on something else, I find myself using the lessons I learned while coding. Hopefully I learned something while I was cutting glass today that helps me become a better coder.

For those interested in glass cutting, here are some of my personal notes:

• I didn't use any oil. This was a one-off project so I didn't care too much about maintaining my $3 glass cutter.

• I found a long hard cover book as a good tool for helping cut glass. I first used it as a straight edge to make nice long scores. Then, I used the book to hold the glass while I was cracking the glass. The book helped me apply even pressure while protecting my hands.