Useful Facts About Glass GrindersGlass

Glass grinders are used in a number of different industries and businesses and for many different uses. Among the most common business uses for glass grinders is grinding lenses for eyeglasses. Outside of industry, however, glass grinders are most commonly used by stained glass hobbyists to help them grind and smooth glass pieces for their artwork. If you’ve taken classes in a stained glass workshop, chances are that you’re familiar with using glass grinders in your work. If you’re like many people who learn on their own, however, you may be interested in these useful facts about stained glass grinders.

Glass grinders aren’t a necessity for working with stained glass, but using a grinder can make your work easier and more professional. Grinding makes it easier for you to alter the shape of your glass. Because grinders allow you far more precision than glass saws or cutters, you waste less glass due to inaccurate cuts. That ensures that all of your pieces fit together better, which guarantees a more professional finished piece.

In addition, copper foil adheres better to an edge that’s been ground because glass grinders leave a rougher surface for the adhesive to grab and bond with. A grinder makes it possible to grind perfectly angled mitered edges for lamps and 3-D glass pieces. You can use specialty glass bits for drilling holes and adding or removing texture from your glass pieces.

Choosing the Right Glass Grinders

Grinders come in two basic sizes. Large glass grinders have a 12”x11” work surface. Midsize grinders have a 10”x9” work surface. Choose a grinder that will fit comfortably on your workbench or worktable, and that will provide enough space for the types of projects you enjoy creating. A midsize grinder works well if you do lots of precision work with small pieces. If you work with larger pieces of glass, invest in a larger glass grinder.

Torque is the unit of measurement for power. The more torque your grinder has, the more quickly and efficiently it will grind your pieces. If you intend to work with larger diameter grinding heads, invest in a glass grinder that has more torque.

You can buy a basic glass grinder for less than $100, but many hobbyists outgrow basic grinders quickly. You may find that a mid-level grinder is a better investment for your workshop. You may also want to invest in accessories that make your grinder more useful or help you operate it more safely. Accessories for glass grinders include additional work surfaces, face shields and different types of grinding heads and drill bits.

With all the glass grinders available on the market, you’ll have no trouble finding the best one for your needs. Consider how your hobby may expand in the future and choose a machine that doesn’t limit your future choices.