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Our Top 3 Glass Grinders for Stained Glass
This post is a product review on glass grinders for stained glass. It follows our experience on a stained glass course, which is discussed in detail in this article. While this is not an exhaustive guide on glass grinders for stained glass, we do focus on three specific grinders (two that we have personal experience of) that we feel comfortable in recommending. We include our hands-on impressions, where possible, highlighting both the strengths and potential limitations of these models. Our goal is to provide insight for fellow enthusiasts looking to invest in a reliable glass grinder.
Owen & Lorna x
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Introduction
Getting started with stained glass work requires the right tools, and a portable glass grinder is an essential piece of equipment for beginners. This guide highlights our top three picks for glass grinders for stained glass, offering personal insights (where we have personal experience) into the features, ease of use, and affordability of each model. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a reliable tool to refine your skills, any of these options, we think, should amply serve your glass grinding needs.
1. Mxmoonant UK Plug Portable Stained Glass Grinder
Our choice!
We start this review with our top choice and the grinder we personally purchased, the Portable Stained Glass Grinder by Mxmoonant.
Perfect for beginners (like us), this grinder easily handles hard, brittle materials like glass (even textured glass) and ceramics and features an automatic water absorption system that ensures consistent operation without the risk of working dry. This not only improves efficiency but also extends the life of the diamond bits.
With a powerful motor that runs smoothly and quietly, operation is simple: just remove the grille, add water, replace the grille and you’re ready to go.
- Performance: Though designed to be compact and portable, this grinder has more than enough power for small-scale projects and is ideal for beginners.
- Ease of Use: Easy to set up and operate, even for beginners. You can start glass grinding straight away.
- Versatility: Comes with two diamond grinder bits (5/8″ and 1″), for use with different materials like stained glass, mosaic, and ceramic.
- Safety: Comes with a plastic screen to protect your eyes against any tiny fragments, though we would still recommend using safety glasses as well.
- Build Quality: Sturdy design, though not to too heavy to carry.
- Value for money: This is a good mid-range grinder for under £120. It’s also an “Amazon choice”.
As we personally use this grinder ourselves, it’s our top choice for those just getting into stained glass work.
2. Professional Stained Glass Grinder Machine Starter Kit
Our second choice is the Glass Grinder Machine Starter Kit, which we include here because it pretty much contains everything you need to get going with stained glass.
The grinder comes with 5/8in and 1in diamond bits that easily handles tough materials like glass, marble, and ceramic. It has a compact 16.5×16.5 cm work surface, ideal for small projects and an automatic water-filling feature, so the grinder keeps things wet while you work.
The kit comes with everything you need: a glass cutting set with 5 tools and a handy storage bag, plus a soldering iron Set (220v, 60w with adjustable temperature). It also includes solder wire, copper foil tape and 10 Protective finger cots to prevent cuts and grazes while you grind.
Full starter kit includes:
- 1 Stained Glass Grinder
- 1 5/8 grinding head
- 1 Hex Wrench
- 1 Wheeled Glass Tile Pliers
- 1 Glass Tongs
- 1 Broken pliers
- 1 Oil Inlet Glass Cutting Tool
- 1 Oil distributor
- 1 metal File
- 1 Soldering Iron Set with Sponge and Stand
- 5 Soldering Iron Tips
- 1 Solder Wire
- 1 Copper foil tape
- 10 Protective finger cots
At just under £280, this grinding kit seems a bit pricey at first glance, but you do get everything you need so, as starter kits go, it’s probably a good buy.
3. Bulipu Portable 220V Electric Stained Glass Grinder
Budget option
For our third and final model, we’ve gone for this Portable 220V Electric Stained Glass Grinder by Bulipu. By far the cheaper option in this review but we include it because we used this model on the stained glass course we attended in 2024 (discussed here). Over 12 weeks, this little machine took a real hammering from the ten or so students who attended (ourselves included) and it never disappointed us in either its ease of use or performance.
It is versatile and suitable for grinding various forms of hard materials such as glass, marble, and ceramics, including flat, curved, rounded, and beveled shapes.
As you’d expect for under £80, it’s a little more basic than the other models on this page. So, for example, it doesn’t feature the automatic water absorption system, relying on a sponge instead (which works fine) and it doesn’t come with a plastic safety screen to protect your eyes, but we’d always recommend wearing eye protection in any case, no matter what machine you’re using.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the right portable glass grinder is crucial for beginners in stained glass work and the models we review in this post cater to varying needs and budgets. The Mxmoonant is ideal for those looking for a balance between ease of use and performance, while the Professional Starter Kit provides a comprehensive set for beginners. The Bulipu option is a good choice for those on a tighter budget, offering reliable performance despite its simplicity.
There are many stained glass grinder suppliers on the web, but for convenience and simplicity, we have gone with Amazon’s range, which offers a good selection of grinders at reasonable prices.
