Chipping off back side glass using tile saw

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Isabell
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 6:33 pm

Chipping off back side glass using tile saw

Post by Isabell »

Hi everyone.

I have just cut out with my tile saw a two layer thin glass dichro glass into small pieces to make jewelry out of the small pieces. My problem is that I am noticing some chipping off the edge back side of the glass after cutting it with the tile saw. I have tried griding the chipped off parts to a smoother look and touch but it just does not look good.

Anyone has any suggestions?

Thank you all.

Isabella
Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

Isabella,

Aren't you going to fire these pendants again to fire polish the edges?

If so, the little dings should disappear. Be sure you clean the edges well with a toothbrush. When I have to reshape dichroic pendants using my grinder, I paint the edges with Super Spray before the next firing.

When I use my tile saw on pattern bars I get those same little "notches" but they disappear once I fuse them to a blank.

Hope this helps.

Judy
Isabell
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 6:33 pm

Post by Isabell »

Judy, Thanks.
Yes I fire polished the small glass pieces at 1300 F. but the chipped off edges are still there and showing.
I need to keep the size of the cut small cut out pieces since I have already grinded them to the right size I need them to be. Plus I have already done an incision arround the entire edge of each piece. If I fire polishe these pieces at a temperature higher then 1300F. Iwill lose the incision I spent my time doing.
Any ideas?
Isabella
Dolores
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Post by Dolores »

Try a lapidary blade instead of a tile blade, one specifically for cutting fine stone. I did just that with my tile saw and now have nice smooth, chip-free cuts.

DOLORES
Judy Schnabel
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Post by Judy Schnabel »

Dolores,

Is the blade you bought the Yellow Hornet or something like that. This blade was discussed several months ago.

I just started using a tile saw and it does waste a lot of glass.

Judy
jolly
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Location: Port Townsend, WA

Post by jolly »

I just ordered a cheap tile saw but I have never used one to cut glass. However, in woodworking to keep a piece from chipping we place another scrap piece under. The scrap piece gets the chips not the good piece. I wonder if a piece of scrap float under your piece would work? It has to be a tight fit so your top piece would have to be flat. -Jolly
Dolores
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Post by Dolores »

Judy,

It's a Pro-slicer. Most lapidary suppliers carry this or something similiar (i.e. eloxite.net, Diamond Pacific, even Rio Grande). A lapidary blade is very thin steel with diamond particles encrusted on the rim. It's intended for your expensive stones that one cannot afford to lose to a chunky blade. The original blade that came with my cheap-o tile saw (Harbor Freight) chewed up my glass something fierce and rusted. My tile saw is as noisy as heck, but at least I now get beautiful smooth cuts with hardly any glass loss.

DOLORES
Brian and Jenny Blanthorn
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Re: Chipping off back side glass using tile saw

Post by Brian and Jenny Blanthorn »

Isabell wrote:Hi everyone.

I have just cut out with my tile saw a two layer thin glass dichro glass into small pieces to make jewelry out of the small pieces. My problem is that I am noticing some chipping off the edge back side of the glass after cutting it with the tile saw. I have tried griding the chipped off parts to a smoother look and touch but it just does not look good.

Anyone has any suggestions?

Thank you all.

Isabella
In addition 2 comments U got

Enshure blade paralelivity 2 bed

Clamp glass firmly

Try heavy tape under glass

Or try

Wax em Up tm

Mounting the dicro on glass with candel wax + bit bees wax

Then warm 2 remove

Brian
Image
dchambers
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Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2004 12:23 pm
Location: Atlanta, Ga.

Post by dchambers »

What kind of tile cutter and blade would you recommend and any suggestions on where to purchase, is this a HomeDepot item? I have been using a Gryphon saw, but it eats blades in a hurry. -

Thanks,
Doug Chambers
Doug Chambers
dee
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Re: Chipping off back side glass using tile saw

Post by dee »

Isabell wrote:Hi everyone.

I have just cut out with my tile saw a two layer thin glass dichro glass into small pieces to make jewelry out of the small pieces. My problem is that I am noticing some chipping off the edge back side of the glass after cutting it with the tile saw. I have tried griding the chipped off parts to a smoother look and touch but it just does not look good.

Anyone has any suggestions?

Thank you all.

Isabella
isabell, i have an mk diamond tile saw and use 2 different blades by them - the 215gl glass blade, miniscule chipping that does disappear during a firepolish but is somewhat slow and the 303 professional lapidary blade, more chipping than 215gl, requires smoothing edges with grinder afterwards, but much faster, slightly larger kerf than the 215gl, but when i smooth the edges with the grinder - i do ALL edges, top, bottom, corners - the pieces come out beautifully in a firepolish and i don't firepolish too heavily....

these blades come in 2 or 3 different sizes and 2 different arbor sizes....
D
Dee Janssen
Unicorn's Creations Studio
http://ucjewelry.com
dee@ucjewelry.com
dee
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Post by dee »

dchambers wrote:What kind of tile cutter and blade would you recommend and any suggestions on where to purchase, is this a HomeDepot item? I have been using a Gryphon saw, but it eats blades in a hurry. -

Thanks,
Doug Chambers
i've been very happy with my mk diamond but it is noisy - marty at centre de verre did mention another type of tile saw that he prefers, call and ask him what brand it is, i can't remember at this point ;P and i tend to purchase online if i can find it cheaper than locally when tax/shipping is considered and yes, home depot and lowes both carry tile saws and here they carry the mk diamond brand....
D
Dee Janssen
Unicorn's Creations Studio
http://ucjewelry.com
dee@ucjewelry.com
gone

Post by gone »

Isabella,
Is there a reason why you can't cut the two thin layers with a glass cutter? The tile saw seems like overkill, unless I'm missing something.
Cheryl
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you stole the words right out of my mouth!

Post by Cheryl »

There really is no reason to use a tile saw to cut 2 layers of glass. It takes more time (probably quadruple once you consider the cleaning you have to do after sawing) and you waste glass. Not to mention you don't get as clean a cut. Just score and break!
Isabell
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 6:33 pm

Post by Isabell »

Thanks eveyone for your suggestions. It really helps out.
I think that you guys are right. I should not have to use a tile saw.
I thought I would save time if I cut with the tile saw by getting more precised glass cut since I need to have lots of them the same size.
But this may just create more work.
Isabella
Cheryl
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Try Morton

Post by Cheryl »

If you don't already have it, you might want to invest in a Morton system. It's a grid with rulers & markers that allow you to, essentially, set up a "jig" so you can make many cuts that are exactly the same. Your local stained glass store will have one. There are other systems - Morton isn't always exactly what the doctor ordered - but I haven't used them.
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