Bottle Cutting Demonstration Gone Wrong

When it comes to my bottle projects I’ve come to the conclusion that some things go together quite easily.

Others don’t even stand a fighting chance.  Yes, there was a little bit of a learning curve to drilling the bottles. I broke a few before I was able to make some adjustments to what I was doing to get it down to a science. I wish the same could be said for my attempts at cutting bottles. Silke and I had seen a video that showed how to do the whole things using some string and fingernail polish. Our attempt resulted in a complete mess and a jagged looking, broken bottle.

Enter the G2 bottle cutter. It seemed almost too good to be true. The string, aside from being a mess, was inconsistent with the type of bottle cutting that I wanted to do. My goal was to cut a series of similar bottles so I could make a chandelier. In order to achieve this, I would need all the bottles to be cut consistently to the same length. The G2 bottle cutter is supposed to do just that. With an adjustable arm that allows the user to set the depth and lock it in, I would be able to cut enough bottles and have them all turn out the same.

How to cut glass

To good to be true? What looked good in theory has turned out to be anything but good in practice. I’ve littered the garbage with bottles that just can’t seem to measure up to the desired effect.  The bottles either break or cut unevenly and leave big jagged edges.

This whole adventure has left me wondering what I’m doing wrong. I’ve watched several videos now, all using the same device I bought on-line, all making successful cuts. With so many positives uploaded on YouTube, I decided to throw in a negative. My intent is to not to down grade this product but to have someone simply explain to me what I’m doing wrong.

Watch the G2 Bottle Cutter Demo Video here.

I’ve posted a video response on our YouTube channel and we’ll see if someone will respond. If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know.

Extremely frustrated,

Nick

29 thoughts on “Bottle Cutting Demonstration Gone Wrong

  1. Response from GREENPOWERSCIENCE on YouTube:

    Hi Nick,
    The G2 does not work well as it uses a standard $3 glass cutting wheel designed for flat glass. It does not score properly for cylindrical shapes making separation very difficult to impossible. The wheel we use is a $23 carbide engineered cutting edge designed specifically for cylindrical cutting. It also lasts well over 1000 scores. The cost difference is the wheel.

    1. I’m stunned and maybe a little speechless. This is their response? Where do I begin? The box that the product came in clearly states that it’s a ‘g2 bottle cutter’. The pictures on the same box depict a lady cutting a bottle. The instruction manual that came with the device gives step by step instructions on how to cut a bottle.
      ‘ . . . cutting wheel designed for flat glass. It does not score properly for cylindrical shapes . . .’
      If the device is not for cutting bottles then what is it good for?
      If their intent is to up sell me to a $23.00 carbide engineered cutting edge, then their wasting their time.
      How have others been able to make this work? Did they get buy the better edge?

      1. Nick,

        I know your frustration all too well. It’s not so much the cutting as it is the breaking of the glass. I found the boiling water to ice water works the best. About 10 sec in each back and forth until it breaks. It also depends on the type of bottle. I found wine and beer bottles work best. Have not had much luck with liquor bottles. If I cut 10 bottles I say about 5-6 of them turn out good. Some a perfect cut and some maybe have a small edge on it which is frustrating. I say you get what you pay for and for the most part the G2 bottle cutter for me has been pretty good. Hope this helps some.

        1. Hi Jason,

          Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I finally got a beer bottle to work with an almost perfect cut. We made another video, I was pretty excited LOL

          I guess practice makes perfect.

      2. Hello, Diamond Tech here! We are the manufacturers of the Generation Green G2 Bottle Cutter. While perusing the blog site “Crash Test Dummies” we noticed a few misleading comments regarding our Generation Green (G2) Bottle Cutter made by someone claiming to be the “manufacturer,” we would like to set the record straight. We do not recommend nor have ever recommended purchasing a different cutter for the Generation Green Bottle Cutter. The cutter that comes with the genuine G2 (with green accents) is neither “poor” nor “sub-par” and we would never suggest that it is. The G2 was designed to specifically cut round bottles up to 5 gallons. Whoever is making these erroneous claims are misleading your readers and as such the post should be pulled.

      3. All l looks good on the info commercials. Make it look so easy. The G2 bottle cutting tool is nothing more than a score line around the bottle. Very cheaply made with glue that does not hold, wing nuts that break, washers that are the cheapest around. Most success I have had is, after scoring the line, use a mini pencil butane torch. I can cut a case of beer bottles in about twenty minutes. Success rate is pretty high on a fairly good cut bottle. I invested in the sanding tools from another cutter that is well worth the investment. Makes sanding and getting it even is a lot easier. Hand sanding is a must for a saleable glass at the flea market. Looks easier than it is.
        Took me a month and a lot of bottles to get it down right.
        If you find a better bottle cutter at a good price email me.

        1. Ivan,
          It has been awhile since I wrote up the review for the G2 bottle cutter. That said, it didn’t take long to remember what a nightmare that whole ordeal was. It is long gone and the last thing it was used for was a door stop for our laundry room in our old house.
          The Kinkajou Bottle Cutter – for $50.00 you will actually cut glass bottles and it’s an alright tool for round bottles. If you’re just looking for a passive hobby and will only cut a bottle now and then, this is the one I would recommend because it’s cheaper.
          The Creators Bottle Cutter – stepping up to just under $100 you have the ‘Rolls Royce’ of bottle cutters. This cutter can cut bottles to length consistently, cut square and round bottles, and is sturdy enough to withstand continuous use for years to come. This is still my favorite!
          The C&C Bottle Cutter – available for just under $50 is similar to the Creators but made of machined plywood. The company is located in England so with shipping & tax you’re looking at about $75 if you’re located in the US. This is a great solution for hobbyists in Europe, but it will not stand the test of time like the Creators.
          How much you want to spend and how often you will use the bottle cutter will play a big role in which one you should get.
          I hope this help. Let us know which one you decide on.

        2. I agree with you about the pencil torch method of separating the two halves of the bottle. You can see a demonstration of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGgqOp6ZZrk
          I disagree about he G2 bottle cutter. Any bottle cutter on the market will only create a “score line around the bottle”. I’ve been using the same G2 for several years and cut hundreds of bottles. I see no reason to pay more for a fancy “bottle cutter” when the only thing it is expected to do is create a straight score line around the bottle.

    2. Bought this piece of garbage off amazon. Tried numerous times and the same thing happens to me as it does to everyone else on this forum. It’s a useless tool and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Stay away from it

      1. Thank you. I have removed the links to this product and we hope that you leave a comment on Amazon to help others avoid this terrible terrible product.

  2. mavericksmom57 said on YouTube:

    IMHO you should try keeping the scored bottle in the boiling hot water a little longer before thermo shocking it in the ice water. I don’t think the glass has had time to heat up through and through

  3. I have bought several bottle cutters, they are dust collectors at my house. The only way to cut a perfect bottle is by using a wet saw, I bought mine at Lowes for around 65.00 dollars. I cut about 35 bottles in about 1 hour, I might have wasted 5 of the 35 bottles I cut. You can adjust the cutter so you are able to cut at different lengths or you can cut them the same. This does not score the bottle, it actually cuts the bottle. Be sure to wear goggles, and gloves, I also suggest a dust mask due to fine particles of glass possibly breathing in these particles. This is the best money I have ever spent for a DIY PROJECT. For the time and money I have spent on the other bottle cutters that just score the bottle, I could have bought 5 of these. Go get one, have fun!!!

    1. Kim,

      Thank you for the heads up on this. I had to laugh at the ‘dust collector’ thing, that’s exactly what I see this G2 bottle cutter becoming.

      The Lowe’s website came up with a Skil 7-in Wet Tile Saw. This looks promising and it seems like a worthwhile investment. My biggest thing is having all the bottles cut with a consistency of length. The string method and the G2 cutter never really worked that way.

      BTW, my bottle ratio is something like 1 good out of every ten that are bad.

  4. I use a G2 Bottle cutter with great success. The trick is to put only about 3 lbs of pressure when scoring the bottle. Many people think that applying more pressure will create a better score line, but it has the opposite effect. When you put too much pressure, it crushes the glass. When you stress it, the crushed glass will break in any direction. With a light score line, it wants to break just along the line.
    To stress the glass you can use hot, then cold water. That tends to stress more of the bottle than needed. I use a pencil torch and spin the bottle around in a Bottle Bit so it heats up all around the score line evenly.

  5. Hi..
    I’ve seen your videos.
    Also I have a g2 glass cutter and I have not managed to cut a bottle correctly. Do you cut your bottles with g2 glass cutter yet? Or do you use other cutter?
    Sorry by my english
    thanks regards

    1. Alonso,

      I’m sorry to hear about all the trouble the g2 is giving you. It is very frustrating to have something that is advertised to do something but consistently falls short. The bottom line: I wasn’timpressed with the g2.

      On the upside, I have reviewed bottle cutters that have done a much better job:

      https://www.bottle-lamp.com/diy-projects/kinkajou-bottle-cutter-review/
      https://www.bottle-lamp.com/diy-projects/creators-bottle-cutter-review-by-bottle-lamp/

      Good luck with your bottle craft projects,

      Nick

    1. I have reviewed the product based soley on my own experience. Anything less would be misleading so it really isn’t an option to be retractable.

    2. It seems that problems result from improper shocking after scoring. Just because G2 is a good product that does what it is supposed to isn’t enough, explaining the basic properties of glass and the shocking process, AND explaining more trouble shooting would be a lot more helpful coming from G2, since despit being good for scoring the product is useless if people can’t get the result they were looking for. I am speaking for myself, as a frustratingly ruined 10 out of 13 growlers which were supposed to be Christmas presents this year.

      1. Leigh,
        Ouch! Growlers aren’t cheap and I feel your frustration with the device. I’ve been blogging about bottle lamps for quite sometime now and it wasn’t until recently (last 2 years), that I actually tried scoring and separating glass bottles. The first thing that I tried was the g2. What a mess. It was so frustrating that I literally gave up. It wasn’t until I wrote a post on this that readers started sharing with me different types of bottle cutters. Branching out with the other devices has made such a huge difference.
        If you are going to do growlers I would recommend either the Creator’s Bottle Cutter or the C&C bottle cutter. Both have an open face that will allow you to place bigger sized bottles on them.

  6. I don’t seem to have much of a problem with the g2 it gives a good score line on all the bottles i cut, Beer,Prosecco, Champagne and wine bottles. I give the bottle a light score then the hot and cold water treatment. I would say i can get 8 out of 10 good cuts with the g2 but i do like the sound of the wet saw, i may have to look in to buying one. I like the idea of cutting through the bottle then straight on to sanding it with out the water treatment.

    1. Billy,
      My g2 was last used as a prop in one of my videos. It might not have made the last move with us.
      I’ve never really given much thought to a wet saw before. There were some plant holders on Pinterest awhile back that were made out of cut glass bottles. The bottles were cut at an angle and literally in half! Everyone was asking how they did it. The only thing that I can imagine doing it would be a wet saw. Do you have one in mind? I really don’t know that much about them.

  7. I just wanted to point out that these bottle cutters don’t actually cut the bottle. They simply score the bottle and then you have to separate them. Some bottle cutters work better at scoring then others. The g2 isn’t even worth consideration.

  8. would use the tops of the bottles to make wind chimes. Tricky to explain but would invole a cork, some monofilament ( fishing line) and a heavy duty wire hanger. Anxious to get started!

  9. The G2 Bottle Cutter DOES WORK but not like the instructions say. After some experimenting I went out and bout a heat gun for $20. After I scored my my bottles I went around the bottle a few times and the used ONLY cold tap water from the kitchen faucet and dunked it in there. After repeating the process 2 or 3 times I got a perfect break almost every time. The Boiling Water to Ice Water is too drastic of a temperature change for any glass that is cut and will break, crack and spider web EVERY TIME!!!

    1. Rick,

      Thanks for sharing that. I have been working with a heat gun for awhile now and really enjoy being able to do the separation process quicker than boiling water. As far as the G2 bottle cutter goes, I pretty much gave up on it.

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