While glass grinders aren’t essential to stained glass work, most stained glass hobbyists who work on more than a few pieces a year eventually reach the point of wanting one. Glass grinders make short work of the painstaking hours of hand sanding and grinding needed to ensure that glass edges fit smoothly together.
If you’re like many hobbyists who came to stained glass artwork through a craft or hobby center, you may have had access to professional grade glass grinders through the shop or craft center where you took lessons. When you set up your own workshop, however, those top-of-the-line glass grinders may be more than you need for a home shop. At the same time, the cheap glass grinders aimed at novices and beginners may not offer the torque and flexibility you need to work on the larger, more complex projects you’d like to try. The solution is to choose your new glass grinder from the mid-range glass grinders that offer attractive prices, plenty of power and the flexibility to expand your base unit with accessories as you need them. With that in mind, you might consider one of these top-rated glass grinders when you’re shopping for stained glass grinders for your workshop.
The Gryphon Twister Glass Grinder
The Gryphon Twister is an impressive addition to the world of stained glass grinders, thanks to a simple, intuitive advance that is offered by no other glass grinder in its class – a grinding surface that converts from horizontal to inclined so that you can work in comfort. It also ships with two Gryphon Slip-On grinder bits, which simply slide onto the grinder without the need for tools or levers. It accepts standard grinder bits as well, making it nicely adaptable for your stained glass workshop. And at under $200, it’s reasonably priced.
Inland Wizard IV
Inland is a well-regarded name in the world of glass grinders. The company puts out a number of professional-grade glass grinders as well as several stained glass grinders aimed at novice hobbyists. The Inland Wizard IV is designed for the professional glass worker, but is priced for the stained glass hobbyist. It offers all the features you want in a quality glass grinder, and some little niceties that you won’t find on many other machines. The package includes a second story work surface and a face shield, two of the most bought accessories for working with stained glass grinders.
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