How to sand by hand and cut a pane of glass the right way

DIY projects can be difficult, especially when you're required to take on new and challenging tasks. To make your project a little easier, here are some tips to help you sand by hand and cut a pane of glass with confidence.

It may take longer, but sometimes sanding is a job best done with your own hands. Here are the different hand-sanding materials, so you can make the right choice.

• Glasspaper (the more accurate term for sandpaper) is the cheapest option for hand-sanding.
• Aluminum oxide paper is more expensive, but works better and lasts longer.
• Silicon-carbide paper — sometimes called wet-and-dry — is used primarily for smoothing metal surfaces and keying painted wood before decoration.
• Garnet paper is for the fine finishing of furniture that will be varnished or polished.

Different tasks require different techniques — here are some techniques you should know.

• If you're sanding a flat surface by hand, wrap the paper round a sanding block made of cork or timber (an offcut will do for many purposes). Always work along the grain of the timber. Scratches across the grain are hard to remove, and will show up if the timber is later varnished.
• It's best to hand-sand furniture: it takes longer but gives a better finish. When you're sanding curved areas, shape the paper with your palm rather than use a block.
• Use the right grade of paper. A coarse grade is adequate for rubbing down paintwork before painting, but use only fine grades for finishing planed timber.
• Don't use sandpaper to remove paint: the friction will quickly melt the paint and clog up the abrasive surface, rendering it useless.

You will need:

• Pane of glass
• Newspaper
• Chinagraph pencil
• Glasscutter's wheel
• White spirit
• Straightedge

1. Lay your pane of glass on an open newspaper. Using the rules and lines of print on the page, align your glass. With a chinagraph pencil, mark the line along which you plan to cut.
2. Lubricate a glasscutter's wheel with white spirit. Position a straightedge on the cutting line. Hold the cutter so that your index finger applies pressure to the wheel. Starting at the furthest point from you, run the cutter the full length of the glass without stopping.
3. Lift the glass and tap lightly underneath with the ball-end of the cutter. Then place the glass so that the scored line is immediately above the edge of the straightedge. Press firmly on both sides, and the glass will snap cleanly along the scored line.

Tackle your DIY projects with these professional tips and learn how to sand by hand and cut a pane of glass in no time!