Method: Scoring and a Hot/Cold Water Bath
When I first saw a wine bottle candle, I immediately wanted to learn to make one. I can make that, I thought. The most daunting aspect was figuring out how to break bottles.
I did tons of research on bottle breaking, looking into methods from, lighter fluid and rope to hot/cold water baths and even heavy machinery. I don’t have room for heavy machinery in my tiny apartment (not to mention the cost), and the burning rope method seemed finicky, so I looked into different scoring methods.
I started with the g2 bottle cutter from Diamond Tech Crafts. I liked it because it was easy to adjust and small to store. It worked for me as I was getting used to cutting bottles, but my success rate never got over 50%.
After over a year of the g2, I upgraded to Ephrem’s Bottle Cutter. It has many attachments to help cut bottles of different sizes, and in my first use, my success rate was already over 80%.
If you’ve been having trouble cutting bottles, you’re not alone! If you’re a beginner and you want to try this out, here’s hoping you can learn from my mistakes and troubleshooting!
OVERVIEW OF THE STEPS
- Select your bottle
- Set up your scoring tool at the correct height for your bottle and put a little oil (I use olive) on the blade.
- Set your bottle against the base and roll it along the blade for one full rotation.
- Repeat 1-3 for each bottle you plan to cut, adding oil every 4-5 bottles.
- Get your hot water boiling – I recommend a stock pot for this step and note that you won’t want to use it for food again afterward, so use an old one.
- Get your cold water icy – I use an igloo drink cooler to keep it cold longer.
- Holding the bottom of your bottle, submerge it into the hot water and count to ten. I like to spin the bottle to ensure even heat distribution.
- Carefully transfer it to the cold water and count to ten. I like to spin the bottle during this step too.
- Listen for the sound of the glass cracking and check your bottle to see if the scoring line has started. If it starts to take off down the side, recycle this bottle and start a new one.
- Return to the hot and cold water until your bottle breaks evenly. You did it!
- Sand the edges of your bottle – they will be very sharp!
FIRST – SCORING YOUR BOTTLE
Set up your scoring tool according to its instructions and add a dab of oil to the blade. It’s important to get a good score line around your bottle, no matter which type of cutter you are using. I always listen closely for the noise the blade is making on my bottle. If it sounds smooth, I feel good. As soon as I hear the grinding noise that means it’s completed the circle, I stop going.
One complete rotation around the bottle is enough! Any more can create fractures and cause your bottle to break the wrong way. You need to press heavily enough to hear the noise of the blade and see the etch line, but lightly enough to not fracture your glass. If you find yourself putting a lot of weight into it, odds are you’re pressing too hard.
SECOND – GETTING THE PERFECT BREAK
I use the hot/cold bath method. I’ve found it helps to dip the bottle evenly and spin it, so all sides of the bottle are exposed to the hot water and then the cold water at the same time.
The hot water needs to be BOILING HOT. Literally. I leave the pot on the stove with the gas turned on while I’m breaking bottles. Whichever pot you choose to do this in should be tall enough to submerge the bottle just past the etch line. A stock pot is ideal, but you can also use a wax pouring pot like I have. Reminder: you won’t want to use this pot for food again in the future, as there can be tiny glass shards left behind.
The cold water needs to be ICE COLD. I fill up an igloo drink cooler with ice to keep my water frigid and replace the ice if my bottles start breaky poorly. Again, you won’t be able to use this container to drink out of after this process.
This is the trickiest part. The goal is to expose the full etch line to the water at the same moment. Sometimes I like to hold the bottle in the water just past the etch line, other times I spin the bottle to make sure all sides are getting the same heat. I keep the bottle in the hot water while I count to 10. Then I quickly transfer the bottle to the ice water, again either dipping or spinning.
Once you get the hang of it, one transfer from hot to cold is often enough. Thicker bottles can sometimes take longer, so I’ll go back to the hot water for another 6-10 seconds, then back to the cold again.
Keep in mind the bottle can break at any point in the transferring process, so it’s helpful to have tongs to get the glass out of the water. I’ve never had a bottle break in midair, but it could happen, so be careful!
By now, if all has gone according to plan, you should have a perfect break! Unfortunately, it’s usually not that easy. My first try, I had about 2 successful breaks out of probably 20 tries. I’ve seen a lot of bottles break badly! If I have a bottle I care about a lot (or am breaking for a friend), I’ll try to make sure I have 2-3 successful breaks before doing the important one.
Here’s what to look for: As you’re switching between the hot and cold baths, you will hear some cracking noises from the glass. That’s good! It means it’s working. If you look closely at your etch line, you’ll be able to see the crack going along your line. It looks a little lighter and more reflective than before. When the crack goes right along the line, you’re in luck and you’ll get a great break! However, these cracks can take off in different directions, and once you see that, you’ll know you’re going to get a jagged break. As soon as I see a crack going the wrong way, I stop working with that bottle and put it in my recycling. Sometimes you might not notice it and end up with broken pieces in your water. Use the tongs to get those out and try again with a new bottle.
Don’t be discouraged if you have trouble at the beginning! It took me a lot of tries to get the hang of it and I still have more bad breaks than I’d like to admit!
As always, feel free to reach out if you’re having issues or questions or with any tips to pass along!
samcrafted 