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The Handheld Water Fed Grinder
Click
here if you'd like to read some general information about cold
working equipment.
The handheld water-fed grinder is a tool
that can be used to grind or polish the surface of the glass.
These tools are fairly lightweight (often five pounds or less), easy
to use (but messy), and relatively inexpensive. They can be
either air-powered (requiring a compressor) or electrically-powered
(required an outlet).
In addition to power (either compressor or
electricity), handheld grinders must be hooked up to a source of
water. The water automatically feeds through the grinder while
it's in use, keeping the glass cool. (This is also what makes
them particularly messy; water has a tendency to go more places than
just on the glass.)
Unlike many cold working tools, the handheld
grinder is brought to the glass, rather than the glass to the
grinder. It's best for grinding and polishing the surfaces of the
glass. Like most cold working equipment, diamond or silicon
carbide discs of different grit sizes are necessary to complete the
cold working process.
The Alpha grinder (both electric and
pneumatic) is generally considered to be one of the best of the
brands available. It's also one of the most expensive.
Less inexpensive alternatives include the Silent Green and the
Calibre Hand Grinder, but there are many other brands. Look
for tools used for grinding granite; most can also be used for
glass.
Note that most of the pneumatic models
require significant amounts of air, so for those you'll need a
fairly powerful compressor (or the patience to wait from time to
time as it fills up again).
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Copyright 2005 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
This tip adapted from
posts on the Warm Glass board.
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