Important Tools: The Safety Break System by Morton

Well, I guess it worked so I can start posting in the wee hours of the night when I can't sleep anyway.

What I want to share this morning is the most important tool I've found in my 30 years of working in stained glass. It's a breaking tool from Morton, called the Safety Break System. I bought out a stained glass supply store that was going out of business about 18 years ago and they had several of these Safety Break Systems. Only there wasn't any instructions with them and we couldn't figure out how to work it. I was on the verge of throwing them all away when I ran across Don, the owner of Morton, at an art glass convention and he was demonstrating the system. I was floored! I couldn't believe what this "button" could do and that for the first half of my career I hadn't been using it.

Since that day we've used it for our custom work, teach with it in our classes, include it in our tools package and demo it in our store to anyone who will watch. This tool saves time, money and frustration! Makes almost any break easy, successful and clean. Here's what it looks like...

You use the button on the same premise as a running plier (which I have long since thrown away). The beauty of this tool is that you can start your break anywhere on the scribe. You're not limited to starting from one end and trying to force the break to run the length of the glass. You can begin in the middle by laying your glass over the button, centering your scribe on the button and pressing down on each side of your glass with your hands (as we do) or with the push block tool on the top left of the photo above. The button is pressing up on your scribe and you are pressing down on each side of it. Thereby "opening" the scribe.

Picture a half circle scribed on glass...almost impossible to break without losing the outside glass right? OK, what if you could start your break at the top of the half circle. Now the break is only a quarter of a circle. Not hard at all to break....so, you place your glass over the button and gently press down on each side of your glass to begin your break. Move your glass over the button, along the scribe, working your way around the whole half circle and when you can see that you've opened the break all around, pull out the circle!

As soon as I can get the time, I'll add some pictures of this demo. Did I mention this tool is only $16.95? And I've only shared one aspect of what it does...there's other tools included in the system that do other things. I'll share that on my next blog. If you're ready to add this tool to your tool box you can click on the picture above and go to our online store and order it.

Until my next blog, keep on crakin'
Pam

November 20, 2006

I've been wanting to add a blog to our website (www.creativeglasscarvings.com) to offer help to fellow glass artists. We meet so many that have the same questions and that, even after 30 years in the art glass business, I'm still learning something new, I felt I could reach more people with a blog. To learn more about me, our store and those that keep it going, visit our website www.creativeglasscarvings.com .

My main goal with this blog it to share what I know, answer questions and keep fellow glass artists up on what's new on the market.

Since it's the season for giving and receiving and because this year I've promised myself that I would remind my customers that we are working in a toxic hobby that they do need to do whatever they can to stay safe. SO, everyone who is working in stained glass and doesn't own the d-lead hand cleaner and a fume trap must put that on their want list for Christmas. If you don't celebrate the holiday then purchase one for yourself! But don't wait, this stuff craft is toxic. I wish I had followed these recommendations starting 30 years ago when at 16 I started in this craft.

Since I'm not sure this blog was set up right, this will be all for the first blog but when I make sure it's all up and running, I'll post regularly...and update you on the online stained glass classes that we've had on hold for the last 6 years and we will finally resume after the first of the year.