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3/4 Inland Speed Bit

Item# 7212S

Speed Bit, February 23, 2009 4 stars

Pros
It is faster, especially noticeable with thicker glass, like fused layers.

Cons
"Speed bit" is misleading. It's faster because it is coarser and removes the glass in chunks rather than dust, and it throws them both up as well as out. This means you need a face shield, not just eye protection. It can chip regular glass as well as delicate glass. It does not leave a finished edge on the glass.

Other Thoughts
As in any craft, "the right tool for the right job" applies. You'd use this like a coarse rasp in woodworking, for roughing out and removing large areas of glass, stopping before you get to the final size and then switching to a finer grit to finish. This has its place in your toolbox, just don't expect it to necessarily speed up your production of finished pieces.

Rotary Tool Set

Item# 67310

Rotary Tool Set, February 17, 2009 5 stars

Pros
It's great having the option of using it as either a standard hand-held tool or with the smaller extension for more detailed work. I especially like the way the stand keeps everything OUT OF YOUR WAY!

Cons
Take note: The included bits are for wood/plastic and don't work on glass. You'll have to buy the diamond bits separately.

Griffi Glass Gripper

Item# 40486

1 of 2 found the following review helpful:

Griffi Glass Gripper, January 30, 2009 4 stars

Pros
It really does grip well, even at the slippery-when-wet stage. The nicely off-set handles mean no sliced up thumb pads, no scraped knuckles and no fingernails ground into weird shapes.

Cons
Unfortunately, the jaws have a limited range and don't open wide enough to hold thicker pieces, like two-layer fused glass.

Frit Sifter

Item# 63999

3 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Frit Sifter, January 27, 2009 4 stars

Pros
Graduated mesh sifters are a MUST HAVE if you make your own frit.

Cons
Besides not being a stacking set that can sort in one step, the biggest problem is no catch pan for the final powder. This means repouring each sort into the next container with more airborne glass dust each time. You definitely want to keep the dust mask you were wearing when pounding the frit on during the sifting. Still, it beats trying to poke assorted size holes in the bottom of cottage cheese containers.

Other Thoughts
The mesh sizes don't necessarily match up with commercial sizes. The smallest mesh is super fine, so you might want to sift the batch through whatever sifter you use when applying powders before using the final mesh size.

Aanraku Frit Piston

Item# 63998

2 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Frit Piston, January 14, 2009 4 stars

Pros
The handles on both the piston and the casing make it far easier to use. I especially like the super strong magnet.

Cons
The biggest problem is that both the piston and the interior of the casing are painted. It scrapes off into the glass and isn't removed with the magnet. While this isn't as much of a problem with larger frit sizes where it will be sifted out, if you work with the powdered form, it tends to muddy/mute the colors.

Other Thoughts
Here's a tip for using the magnet: Never drag it directly through the glass--you'll be forever trying to get the filings cleaned off. Instead, drop it into the corner of an envelope, e.g., and drag that through. Then just hold it over your disposal container, pull out the magnet and the filings fall right off. And the white background of the envelope makes it easy to see when you've finally gotten them all.

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Phoebe's info

joined:	Nov 26, 2008
location:	WASHBURN, ME US
display name:	Phoebe S.