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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on April 30, 2009 at 6:44am

I've read on Cigarboxguitars.com an article in the workshop section. The best/safest way I've read is probably using a "wet saw" like you would cut ceramic tile with. Any type of abrasive cutter would tend to be better than scoring + breaking.

link= http://cigarboxguitars.com/workshops/How_to_Make_A_Bottleneck_Slide...

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on April 30, 2009 at 6:48am

The traditional method is:

Soak a string in kerosene and wrap it around the base of the bottle neck.

Light it and let it burn. That will damage the glass right under the string so it will break there when you tap it... so tap it.

Rub the broken end on the sidewalk till it's smooth enough not to cut you when you put it on your finger.

Of course you can use modern tools like a glass cutter and emery paper if you prefer.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on April 30, 2009 at 7:38am

Cutting and polishing bottlenecks is not easy...I use a diamond cut-off blade on a bench mounted rig to cut the bottle, then there's various ways of grinding and polishing..it's a nasty job, and it took me a long time to figure out how to do this....safety visor/goggles and heavy gloves are the order of the day if you still want to be able to see, and play guitar at the end of the process. Burning string round the bottle, hot and cold treatments or trying to score it with a glass cutter literally won't cut it.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on April 30, 2009 at 7:44am

The last one I made I used a carbide cut-off wheel in my Dremel to score the glass all the way around, then just tapped it.
Broke off clean... I have also used a carbide hacksaw, but that's tedious.

Tried the heated copper-wire method (similar to string), but it didn't work; the slight gap where the wire twisted together was enough to cause failure.

I actually use a piece of copper tubing about 90% of the time....Easy to make too.

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Permalink Reply by JUJU on April 30, 2009 at 7:54am

Hello there
If you look up in the top right hand corner of any Nation page theres a "search Social Network tab" - just type slides into this and theres loads of slide tips - this is the best way or searching the site without looking through everything , Hope you find what your looking for mate
juju.

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Permalink Reply by Jacob Blackwood on April 30, 2009 at 8:52am

I just made a slide out of the burning string around the bottle method. The slide didn't turn out beautiful, but it works.

Here is how I did it.

Disclaimer: I claim no responsibility if you cut your wrists and set yourself on fire. Try this at your own risk.

Step 1: Get a glass cutter tool from a hobby store.
Step 2: Score around the bottle where you want it to break.
Step 3: wrap the area you scored with some sort of cotton thread.
Step 4: pour alcohol or some sort of lighter fluid on the the wrapped area.
Step 5: Burn the thread until the flame goes out.
Step 6: As soon as the flame goes out plunge the bottle into a bucket of water.
Step 7: Repeat 3-6 if it didn't work the first time.You should hear the bottle crack after you plunge it into the water. I gently tapped it on the side of the bucket and it came loose.

Step 8: rub the sharp end of the slide on the sidewalk, or use some sort of sanding tool to grind it smooth.
Step 9: Rock out with your new slide.

Hope this helps. I've only made one slide using this method, but it worked after about two tries with the thread. The first time I didn't score around the neck first. The scoring seemed to help.

Hope this helps. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions.

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Permalink Reply by BT Cohosh on May 2, 2009 at 12:04pm

I've been making slides with an old-fashioned glass cutter and a lot of profane language. I'm lucky if I can get one in 4 to break cleanly. When I get on a slide-making binge I fill our recycling bin to overflowing with broken wine bottles--our pickup guys must think I'm some kind of lush....

Basically, I score a line where I want the break to go, then *gently* heat the line over a flame and immediately run under cold tap water. Repeat ad nauseum until the bottle neck shatters, then start over. When it actually works, you do a little happy-dance in the kitchen, probably cutting your feet on shards of broken glass....

Finishing the edges isn't that big a deal--if you don't need it to be factory perfect. I rub the edges on an old knife-sharpening stone under running water. No nasty glass dust, and it works great. Wears grooves in your stone *fast*, but if you use a cheapie, who cares.

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Permalink Reply by Monte on May 2, 2009 at 5:50pm

Thanks everyone for the tips. I am proud to say that I was succesful on my first two attempts. I used the score and tap method and they both broke leaving a portion of the bottle's body intact. I simply tapped that portion with the ball on the end of the glass cutter and removed the remaining piece. Beginner's luck I guess. You guys are way helpful. I am glad I found this site. Rock on brothers!

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