I thought that it would be fun to share one of my cutting techniques. The above video demonstrates how I use a glass scoring tool, running pliers and the flathead tile nippers to cut out freehand full shaped hearts out of stained glass:
Recently I've been seeing lots of misinformation about glass cutting for mosaics online, things that are meant to discourage people from using hand-tools to cut out semi-complex shapes out of stained glass, actually even simple shapes. Those videos are used for marketing much more expensive machinery such as grinders and wet saws. I must add that I don't have anything against people using those machines to create their artwork but they are not always needed by people with healthy hands to cut out many of the shapes they want to incorporate into their stained glass mosaics. For example all of the shapes in all of the artwork I've created up to this point are all hand cut. If I was cutting glass for stained glass windows, a grinder would be useful to help create the tightest joints which are crucial for a structurally sound window. Or if I wanted to cut out extremely intricate shapes that I could not possibly achieve with hand tools, I would definitely invest in a good wet saw.
I am an advocate for fine craftsmanship that is achieved through constant practice and the full understanding of the tools one chooses to use and the material that one uses. I love seeing the satisfaction on my student's faces when they can independently cut out beautiful shapes out of glass, never knowing how easy it can be if done properly. I hope that you enjoy this glimpse into my cutting technique and don't shy away from learning the basics of glass cutting.