- Published on
The Machine Itself
Because our class is essentially a production facility, we use the top of the line models from Inland and from Glastar.
I used to recommend an Inland Wizling CG grinder, but the price on
them has gone up from less than $100 to closer to $130. New or used they are great. Used, just check eBay. Grinder bits come with new ones. They last 100 hours or so before they need to be changed. However, you can change the bit whenever you feel like it’s not sharp enough (when it's yours you can change
them every 10 if you'd like!) They should also come with a plastic wrap-around
“splash shield” and a face shield. Buy a putty knife/spatula for scraping out the reservoir as needed.
Here are a couple of lower priced ones I found that you might try.
Gryphon Gryphette Hobby Grinder $95 (cute, small, for light-to
medium duty)
Glastar Diamond Star Grinder $150 (good solid grinder for hobbyist)
Grinder Bits
Click here for the stunning array of choices.
In my classes, sadly, we have only enough in our budget to replace them every 6 weeks. We have 6 up and running almost constantly throughout the day. you can buy brand-specific ones, but I have found that most of the grinder bits out
there to be a pretty standard size to fit the motor shaft. We usually use 3/4" to accommodate smaller curves. Using 1" is fine too. We have one extra grinder
dedicated to having a tiny bit (1/4" or 1/8")
Here are my favorites:
Aanraku TWOFERS 3/4" 100/120 grit (You get two for somewhere
between $23 and $25. Good for us.)
Inland 3/4" Speed Grinder Bit (I'll set one of these up every once in a while, and they. Grind. Glass. Fast.)
Because our class is essentially a production facility, we use the top of the line models from Inland and from Glastar.
I used to recommend an Inland Wizling CG grinder, but the price on
them has gone up from less than $100 to closer to $130. New or used they are great. Used, just check eBay. Grinder bits come with new ones. They last 100 hours or so before they need to be changed. However, you can change the bit whenever you feel like it’s not sharp enough (when it's yours you can change
them every 10 if you'd like!) They should also come with a plastic wrap-around
“splash shield” and a face shield. Buy a putty knife/spatula for scraping out the reservoir as needed.
Here are a couple of lower priced ones I found that you might try.
Gryphon Gryphette Hobby Grinder $95 (cute, small, for light-to
medium duty)
Glastar Diamond Star Grinder $150 (good solid grinder for hobbyist)
Grinder Bits
Click here for the stunning array of choices.
In my classes, sadly, we have only enough in our budget to replace them every 6 weeks. We have 6 up and running almost constantly throughout the day. you can buy brand-specific ones, but I have found that most of the grinder bits out
there to be a pretty standard size to fit the motor shaft. We usually use 3/4" to accommodate smaller curves. Using 1" is fine too. We have one extra grinder
dedicated to having a tiny bit (1/4" or 1/8")
Here are my favorites:
Aanraku TWOFERS 3/4" 100/120 grit (You get two for somewhere
between $23 and $25. Good for us.)
Inland 3/4" Speed Grinder Bit (I'll set one of these up every once in a while, and they. Grind. Glass. Fast.)
- Published on
Single temperature vs. Variable temperature?
Although there are some who swear that temperature-controlled irons are the
way to go, they didn't work for us. Maybe it's just having a classroom-setting,
and far too many students using them, but they didn't last. They burnt right out on us. For our purposes, learning to control the iron at one temperature was a
far greater skill to have mastered than to try to teach 125 students at a time to futz with controls. It just didn't work for us.
I used Weller irons for years. Mika irons, too. We've used $35-60 ones, we've
had temperature controlled ones. Then I found Hakko. We use Hakko 456’s because they are workhorses. They have been discontinued. Nooooo!!!!! Buy one specifically for stained glass, with a 3/16” tip. You can try getting a 20-30 dollar one made by Weller. Go with 80 to 100 watt, but some will say that this
doesn't matter much. Lower wattage is fine, too It needs to go to 800-1000
degrees for good solder flow. Upgrade when necessary to a 50-60 dollar one.
UPDATE as of 8/14: Due to unique circumstances, I was able to buy
replacement irons for my classes this year. Since the 456s are gone, we got
the Hakko FX601-02 Adjustable Temperature Irons. So far, so good. Using a special tool that comes with the iron, we can lock them at the 410 degrees
Celsius (about 800 degrees or so.) This solves a major problem we used to
have when we first tried the temp controlled irons- students changing the
temperatures. They go up two more temperature settings- up to 1000 degrees, which is waaaay too hot for us. They aresmaller, and the cord is a bit long.
We'll see.
2017 Update: The irons have been nice! As the tips wear out, the temp can be raised. The replacement tips are about $15 each. Not bad. A typical hobbyist
probably can have this iron for a good long time.
NOTE: the heating element inside the metal shaft is made of delicate
ceramic. DO NOT tap or hit the iron against anything to shake off excess solder. The element may break. (Learned this the hard way...)
Here are my picks:
Mika 100W Soldering Iron $32.00 A good one to start.
Weller Iron $40
Weller Iron and mini-stand $60
Hakko FX601-02 Adjustable Temp Iron $60-70
And a nice holder:
Studio Pro Soldering Iron Holder
Although there are some who swear that temperature-controlled irons are the
way to go, they didn't work for us. Maybe it's just having a classroom-setting,
and far too many students using them, but they didn't last. They burnt right out on us. For our purposes, learning to control the iron at one temperature was a
far greater skill to have mastered than to try to teach 125 students at a time to futz with controls. It just didn't work for us.
I used Weller irons for years. Mika irons, too. We've used $35-60 ones, we've
had temperature controlled ones. Then I found Hakko. We use Hakko 456’s because they are workhorses. They have been discontinued. Nooooo!!!!! Buy one specifically for stained glass, with a 3/16” tip. You can try getting a 20-30 dollar one made by Weller. Go with 80 to 100 watt, but some will say that this
doesn't matter much. Lower wattage is fine, too It needs to go to 800-1000
degrees for good solder flow. Upgrade when necessary to a 50-60 dollar one.
UPDATE as of 8/14: Due to unique circumstances, I was able to buy
replacement irons for my classes this year. Since the 456s are gone, we got
the Hakko FX601-02 Adjustable Temperature Irons. So far, so good. Using a special tool that comes with the iron, we can lock them at the 410 degrees
Celsius (about 800 degrees or so.) This solves a major problem we used to
have when we first tried the temp controlled irons- students changing the
temperatures. They go up two more temperature settings- up to 1000 degrees, which is waaaay too hot for us. They aresmaller, and the cord is a bit long.
We'll see.
2017 Update: The irons have been nice! As the tips wear out, the temp can be raised. The replacement tips are about $15 each. Not bad. A typical hobbyist
probably can have this iron for a good long time.
NOTE: the heating element inside the metal shaft is made of delicate
ceramic. DO NOT tap or hit the iron against anything to shake off excess solder. The element may break. (Learned this the hard way...)
Here are my picks:
Mika 100W Soldering Iron $32.00 A good one to start.
Weller Iron $40
Weller Iron and mini-stand $60
Hakko FX601-02 Adjustable Temp Iron $60-70
And a nice holder:
Studio Pro Soldering Iron Holder
Scroll on down for each tool's 'Post'......
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:
We've used a lot of tools over time. Here's a bunch you might find worth buying. Scroll down, and each 'post' is a separate tool or material. I have, where I can, active Amazon links, to start your shopping process. If it is available elsewhere, I will usually let you know.