Sunday, March 6, 2011

Do You Need A Stained Glass Grinder For Suncatcher Projects?

Weather you need a stained glass grinder for suncatcher projects is really not the question. Eventually you will need a grinder if you plan on staying with stained glass as a hobby or as a business.

Using a stained glass grinder will make your stained glass projects look more professional. This in turn makes your projects easier to market to the public.

Novices and experts alike use stained glass grinders for almost all projects to smooth the rough shapes you often get from cutting glass and to make your stained glass pieces fit together more precisely.

Grinding heads vary according to sizes, grits and types. Stained glass grinders generally come with a couple of standard 3/4" and 1/4" diamond bits.



A variety of specialized diamond bits are available for almost all grinders in many shapes and sizes for work like mitering corners, making holes in stained glass, grinding tight inside corners, or chisel pointing the edges of glass projects.

Because stained glass suncatchers are usually made from just a few pieces of relatively larger size glass, stained glass grinders are not an absolute necessity.

If you get into Tiffany style lamps, glass boxes, wall hangings and projects where many precise pieces are involved; a stained glass grinder is pretty much a necessity.

For beginners, choosing a grinder can be a daunting task.

There are so many types and brands of grinders available in the market that you should definitely take some time to research them before you buy.




Most of the good ones will take a chunk out of your pocketbook, so be sure you consider your usage before you pick one out.

Large grinders have the same wheel shaft but a larger work surface; generally 12" x 11". The mid size grinders have a smaller work surface of about 9" x 10.5".

If you have the available working space and eventually plan on working with larger size glass projects; get the largest glass grinder you have room for on your work bench.

Larger grinders are generally more efficient than their smaller counterparts, if for no other reason than they have higher hp motors. Higher horsepower motors generally provide more torque however, this is not always the case.

The more powerful stained glass grinders will have less tendency to bog down when heavy pressure is applied and will grind your glass projects much faster.

Motors are usually rated by horsepower, however this does not necessarily mean that the grinder will perform well. Horsepower alone does not equate to optimum performance.

Torque rating is more helpful than horsepower in determining how well a stained glass grinder will function.

The more torque your grinder motor has, the better it will perform. This simply means that the grinding bit can be turned against the glass much harder and with much more pressure without the motor losing any r.p.m.

In addition the the numerous grinding bits that are available for your grinder, there are also many types of helpful grinding accessories you can purchase to make the job go easier.

Face shields, water splash guards, eye protectors, thumb pushes, upgrade kits and additional work spaces can be purchased for every brand of stained glass grinder sold.

As you get more involved with more difficult stained glass projects, you will find other specialty tools such as ring saws or band saws a benefit to cutting out your stained glass pieces.

If you feel that you need a stained glass grinder for suncatcher projects, consider purchasing a name brand grinder with a lot of features, a good guarantee and a high torque motor to maximize grinding performance.