DJ'S Online Lessons


How to cut a perfect circle


Decide what size of a circle you need, so you will know which tool to use. For small circles you could free hand cut the circle or else use the Morton Teeny Circle Guide following the directions included in the package. For larger circles I use the Glastar Circle and Strip Cutter. This is a non-lubricated cutting tool that is great for those larger circles and perfect sized strips of glass you need.

Set the circle cutter for the size of circle you need. Place the circle cutter in the center of your glass square you have previously cut. Run a test circle (do not press hard on the cutter head when it is not lubricated) to make sure you have enough glass under the cutter tip all the way around the square. We like to use kerosene as our lubricant (it is cheap to use and does not gum up our expensive cutters) Use a clean flux brush (I will fold the metal end of the brush over a bit so that I can reuse this brush as my kerosene brush and not mix it up with any other chemicals) and dip it into some kerosene, run the wet brush under the tip of the cutter head all the way around the circle not pressing to hard as you are just lubricating the circle shape. Once the circle is lubricated you may now press down on the center to hold the cutter axel in place and holding the cutter head tight press down and turn the cutter head all the way around the circle back to the spot where you started.

Take the cutter off the glass and score one line from the circle edge to the edge of the glass. Turn the glass over and start to press GENTLY around the circle score line you made on the other side. This may take a few times going around before it finally breaks so do not press harder or rush yourself because you will most likely break the whole circle. Once your score has broken all the way around turn the glass gently over.

With your hands or running pliers gently break the score line you made from the edge of the glass to the circle score.

Your perfect circle should now drop out of the excess glass and not need to be ground. If your circle did not come out keep running and breaking score lines around the circle until it drops away from the excess glass.


There you are - with a little patience and the right tools you can now make all the circles you want and never worry about their shape again. And remember if you need more of the same size just leave your settings on the cutter and keep cutting.