If you’re a stained glass hobbyist, you’ve probably explored stained glass grinders as tools to make your work easier. Glass grinders make it easier to shape and smooth the edges of your glass pieces, cutting the amount of time it takes to complete your artwork. While glass grinders aren’t an essential glass working tool, they can make your crafting more professional and more enjoyable by reducing the parts that are purely labor intensive.
There are many glass grinders on the market, ranging in price from about $100 to nearly $500. They each offer the same basic features, but the more expensive ones offer additional features or higher quality that gives you more versatility and use from your grinder. If you’re considering purchasing a glass grinder for your hobby, understanding the different features and specifications of stained glass grinders can help you decide which grinder is the right one for your use.
These tips can help you figure out what your needs are and which glass grinders will best suit your needs.
Consider Your Volume of Work
If you only do a few pieces of stained glass art a year or if you’re just beginning and don’t know whether you’ll enjoy the craft enough to continue, you may do best with a budget-priced glass grinder. Look for an inexpensive grinder with the most powerful motor you can afford. Choose one that accepts multiple bits, and, if possible, pick an entry level glass grinder manufactured by a company that offers a full range of grinders, accessories and stained glass supplies. Those are most likely to be expandable so that you can upgrade quite a bit before having to invest in a more expensive machine.
If, on the other hand, you are starting off on a big project or produce a higher volume of work from your workshop, invest in a higher quality machine. Glass grinders in the $100 to $500 price range deliver professional results, and are often the choice of many professional glass artists. These machines have more powerful motors and are made with higher quality materials that will last longer than the cheaper machines. More expensive stained glass grinders also provide you with other features that are nice to have, such as a larger work surface, dual bits, extra bits, accessory drawers, foot pedals and safety accessories like eye shields.
Specs for Glass Grinders
Torque measures the amount of resistance the drill bit exhibits against glass. If you mostly work with small, fine pieces of glass, you can get by with a hobbyist’s grinder with a torque value below 20. In most cases, though, you’ll do better with a glass grinder that has a torque between 21 and 29. There are more powerful glass grinders available for those who do heavier glass work.
RPMs stands for revolutions per minute and it measures who quickly the bit turns. RPMs range from 2,850 to about 3,600. In general, the higher the RPM value, the better for your work.
A good glass grinder can be a very valuable investment to assist you with your stained glass hobby. Consider carefully when choosing among the many glass grinders on the market to make sure you get the best value for your money and the best choice for your art.
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