How do I cut and polish glass and plastic fibers?

Using an optical fiber cutting block or optical fiber hot knife, one can cut plastic jacketed and unjacketed fibers. A cutting block insures that the plastic fibers are cut perpendicularly, which minimizes loss due to scattering. A hot knife is simply a heated blade that yields clean terminations. It also polishes plastic fibers as it cuts them by using the heat to fuse the glass. Pressing the ends of plastic fibers perpendicularly against a hot plate can also provide effective polishing. Edmund Optics offers both an Optical Fiber Cutting Block and an Optical Fiber Hot Knife.

Grinding glass fiber ends with an abrasive material, such as sandpaper, can produce an effect polish for glass fibers. Best results can be achieved by taking a very fine grit sandpaper, wetting the sandpaper slightly, and, while holding the optical fiber perpendicular to the sandpaper, polish the fiber in a "figure-8" motion. The figure-8 motion allows the fiber to be polished evenly on all edges and the moisture prevents the fiber from being nicked by large grit on the sandpaper.