[@Robbyc]

@Robbyc asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Can you cut glass underwater with scissors?

What do you think?

[SteveFish]

This depends upon what you want for a cut. It would probably be easier to just throw a rock at it on land and just skip the water.

[CliffordK]

You mean using ordinary household scissors to cut a glass window, or a glass jar by submerging it?  I don't think you'll get very far. 

Even if you boil it in your pressure cooker, it won't be hot enough to cut easily. 

For window glass...  use a glass cutter (at least for fairly straight lines).

Water would help with cooling if you are using a saw.

If you had something very thin like a piece of mica, perhaps water would help keep it from shattering when you cut it.  But I'm not sure of what one's goals would be.

[Geezer]

You know, I do have a vague recollection that I've heard this one before, but whether it's true or not, I can't remember. (Yes - Thanks very much Geezer. That really was a big help  [])

I do know you can neatly shear off a glass bottle if you partially fill it with oil (or maybe it was water??) and plunge a red hot poker into it. Not that I ever actually tried it myself you understand, and I don't recommend you do either 'cos it sounds bloody dangerous, but I'm pretty sure I read it in a book I had quite a while ago that was called, something along the lines of, "100 Interesting Things To Do When The Weather Really Sucks", which was not an infrequent occurrence where I grew up, let me tell you.

[Bored chemist]

I have tried both.
They don't work.

[Geezer]

I have tried both.
They don't work.

You must have had the same book!

[CliffordK]

The method I remember for "shearing bottles" was to take a string.  Dip it in gasoline.  Tie it around the bottle and torch it... 

(with adult supervision, of course).

I don't remember how effective it was, but I think we got a couple of them cut.  But, there was always a risk of damaging the bottle (not always a clean cut).

[RD]

Kids' crafts bottle and jar cutter is a fun way to recycle ...

and will give you a smile like The Joker if you use one as a tumbler.


On a similar bottle-modifying theme: apparently you can melt a glass beer-bottle in a microwave,
(but you do have to warm it with a blowtorch first) ... http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1004040/melt_a_frickn_beer_bottle/

[Bored chemist]

If I catch anyone trying to melt a beer bottle in my microwave I shall be rather annoyed.

"The book of experiments" by Leonard de Vries