Guide To Buying Your First Stained Glass Grinder by David Roth

At my stained glass supplies store, one of the most frequent questions that I get is about which stained glass grinder is the best. Since its usually a big purchase for my customer, I like to ask them a series of questions to determine which one is best for their needs. There are a lot of options on the market, so it could be a difficult decision.

A stained glass grinder is used by an artist to shaped stained glass as soon as its been cut into a rough shape using a glass cutter. Since your finished glass piece depends on all the pieces fitting exactly together, its no surprise that you need a tool that will help you achieve that goal. Grinders use a diamond coated bit to grind away all the extra stained glass and prepare the edges for the copper foil. The grinder ensures smooth edges leading to a better overall finished product. Typically, you will get 2 grinding heads along with your purchase of a grinder. One is always used for the bigger jobs and the other is used for the really fine detailed work.

While its always easy to put off purchasing a grinder,I would imagine you will see the value after a few uses. At some point every glass artist will want to invest in a grinder. It is a good investment when you figure in how much time you can save. When choosing which grinder, you have to consider what your planned use is. Its always a good move to purchase a grinder that will last you awhile. Its a costly initial investment, but you want to buy a grinder that will last you. You want to make sure that the grinder can withstand the amount of work you will be doing over the years.

There are some important things you want to consider when you buy a grinder. Cost is always a major concert as well as your anticipated use of the grinder annually. RPM's measure how fast the bit turns and torque measures how strong the resistance to stained glass. The number of times you use the grinder per year will determine what grinder is your best fit. If you are planning on only using it a few times a year then a great option is the Wiz CG by Inland. If you are planning on being either or a serious hobbyist then I would recommend The Wizard IV. And for theserious stained glass artists, the G8 All Star by Glastar is a fantastic choice. Its reliable and is the top choice by professionals.

Hopefully a few of these pointers will help you buy the best grinder for your needs.

About The Author

Dave Roth owns and runs a successful stained glass studio outside Chicago where he sells products and has classes. He runs the site http://www.scstainedglass.com, which features http://www.scstainedglass.com/stglgr.html stained glass grinders and supplies, as well as various artist resources.