Glass Saws

by Tim

Have you tried and do you recommend glass saws. It seems like a good idea to do small detailed work. They are expensive though.

Which saw do you recommend.

Answer

Yes, I occasionally use a glass saw. There are times when I wonder why I bought it, since I use it so seldom, and it takes up a lot of room on my work bench. For what I paid for it, I could have bought a lot of glass that I would use every day.

That being said, if you have the money to spend on new glass working equipment, it does come in handy now and then. I have the Taurus ll Ring Saw. There is a newer model out now with some features that mine doesn't have.

I have used my saw to cut a few shapes that would have taken me a lot of time to do by hand. I have also used it to cut a small working piece out of the last bit of a particular color, or a particularly difficult to cut piece of glass. By doing that, I was able to save as much as possible of the rest of the glass.

If you are just starting out in glass work, I'd say no, this is not the time to buy a saw. You need to perfect cutting glass before you start using aides. A saw is not instead of a glass cutter, it is used in addition to a glass cutter and then, only if you really need to use it. Don't get lazy because you have a saw.

A saw does not cut a perfect looking edge, so you will have to grind the edge after you saw cut it. Also, a saw is very slow. I could have 2 or 3 pieces cut by hand in the time it takes to cut a piece with a saw. Lastly, there is a learning curve with a saw. If you cut on the line or the edge of the pattern piece, the glass will be too small. You'll have to figure out just how far from the edge to cut, so that your glass will come out the right size.

There are a number of saws available. I have only used the Taurus Ring Saw. I know that it is very popular and a lot of glass workers use that brand. It might be a good idea to go on one of the stained glass forums and ask which saw people use. You will get quite a few replies about glass saws, and have a better idea of which one you might want.