There
are several elements in maintaining one of the work horses of many
glass studios.
Water
Ensure
there is enough water to supply the pump or sponge that wets the
grinding bit before starting any grinding. Too
little water reaching the bit, fails to lubricate the diamonds and
keep the glass cool. If you are getting a white paste or a powder on
or near the glass, you need to increase the water supply.
Empty
the reservoir daily. This keeps the water from producing a smell, and
allows you to clear the glass residue from around the grinding bit.
If you are changing to a finer grit, it is important to change the
water, clean the resevoir, and thoroughly clean the sponge each time
you make that change. Otherwise, you risk bringing coarser grit to
scratch the finer grinding surface.
You
can also buy a additive for the water – often called a diamond
coolant – which is intended to provide a kind of lubrication for
the diamonds. This may extend the life of the bit a little.
Bit
maintenance
Periodic
removal of the bit
and lubrication of the shaft should
be part of the regular maintenance of the grinder. You
should make sure that the socket for the grub screw is clear of glass
residues before attempting to turn it. I do this by using a needle or
other thin sharp object to clear out all the glass powder. When the
socket is cleaned, I push the key into the socket very firmly and
hold it there while turning. Prevention maintenance is to fill the
socket with vaseline or thick grease after tightening the screw.
Inspect
your bit carefully for smooth areas showing that the diamonds have
been worn away. Also look for dents, and other irregularities on the
surface, indicating that the bit is damaged. In these cases, the bit
should be replaced.
Before
putting the old or new grinder bit back, ensure the shaft is smooth
and without corrosion. Then coat the shaft with Vaseline or a
proprietary anti seize-compound. This will ease the removal of the
bit later. If the shaft is corroded, use a strip of fine wet and dry
sandpaper to shine the shaft.
Sometimes
bits need to be dressed – removing protruding diamonds, or cleaning
and exposing new ones on a worn bit. To dress the bit you can grind
some scrap glass, brick, or use a dressing stone to lightly grind
some of the abrasive material away. This can extend the life of the
bit.
Adjustment
of height
If
your grinder bit is too low or too high the
diamond surface will not grind the whole of the glass edge. This can
lead to chipping of the surface of the glass at the edges.
A
good practice is to start with the bit as high as possible to allow
for differing thicknesses of glass. As high as possible is with the
bottom of the diamonds just below the platform of the grinder. This
will ensure that you can deal with varying thicknesses of glass
without immediate adjustment. You can then reduce the height of the
bit as it wears.
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