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Author Topic: Glastar G3 Grinder  (Read 5410 times)

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jerrysg

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Glastar G3 Grinder
« on: November 06, 2016, 09:36:32 AM »

Our lapidary club had their silent auction yesterday and I picked up a Glastar G3 glass grinder that I though I could use to shape cabs. Price was right--$7.50! Motor works and the bit looks like it has some life left in it. Problem is that it looks like the working top is missing and maybe other things but I have no idea what they may be.    :icon_scratch:   The Glastar web site was of little help because they only sell through distributors and the only thing I was able to get was the manual (2 pages) and the names of 2 retail stores in the Tucson area that I will contact when we are in town again.

Looked on YouTube in the stained glass area for some info but all of the videos use more modern grinders and I am after info on this machine and not stained glass techniques.

Does anyone have one of these machines that could post pictures so I can see what parts are missing! Also any info on where I might find parts would be appreciated. New bits are not a problem since the new machines still use the same shaft configuration as the G3.

Thanks for any help.   :WEEEE:

Jerry
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Jhon P

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2016, 12:05:53 PM »

Dose it look like this
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Barclay

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2016, 03:09:23 PM »

I don't think you are missing any parts.  I believe that machine if for grinding the edges of flat pieces of stained glass.  While you can shape a preform with it, i don't think you can dome a cab with it.  Still for $7.50 it will save wear and tear on your wheels which cost a whole lot more.
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kenny

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2016, 04:35:18 PM »

I don't think you are missing any parts.  I believe that machine if for grinding the edges of flat pieces of stained glass.  While you can shape a preform with it, i don't think you can dome a cab with it.  Still for $7.50 it will save wear and tear on your wheels which cost a whole lot more.

I actually have two of these, you have everything, you did better than me I paid 35 each for mine. I actually converted mine to a flat lap it can be dine only problem the RPM's are to high.If I get at it tomorrow I'll post the conversion.
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jerrysg

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2016, 06:44:01 PM »

Jhon P,

Thanks for posting the picture. That's my machine but I think mine is an older model than your's. Here's a picture but as I suspected it's missing some parts. No crosshatched plate on top. (Is it plastic and is there somewhere to get the part?) No back splash shield but I can make one out of acrylic without a problem and no splash shield on top. Obviously safety glasses and a waterproof apron when using it. At least the sponge is there!

Barclay,

I just plan on using this to mill the cab shape on the preform.  Will still use the flat lap to shape the dome but this should save some time since I will not have to mount the 80 grit disc just for the outline shaping. Can also do inside curves which are not possible on my flat lap. For those with the inside curves I will do the cab doming at the club since they have wheel machines.

Jerry
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jerrysg

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2016, 06:58:59 PM »

Jhon P,

Is the bit you have on your machine used to make a grove around a cab for wire wrapping?

Jerry
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hummingbirdstones

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2016, 06:26:08 AM »

Jerry,

Here's a link to a place that has replacement grids for the Glastar grinders.  You'll have to check to see if it will fit the G3 since they don't make that model anymore.

http://www.anythinginstainedglass.com/tools/glass-grinders-glastar.html

Here's a link to Glastar.  You might just contact them directly to see what fits the G3:

http://www.glastar.com/
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Robin

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2016, 09:07:34 AM »

@humingbirdtone is right about the grid mine were like yours the older one, they will cut preform and do have a bit that you can ue for grove wrapping actually two different sizes. You don,t have to have the grid as the bits are adjustable up and down, i have seen the grids on ebay. Cutting preforms is fairly tedious for hard stone like agate, I will use it for finishing touches the last mm or so but they work great on softer stone and inside curves well worth using.



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Jhon P

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2016, 12:29:31 PM »

Yes it is a groove cutting but. That is all
I use it for
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jerrysg

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2016, 04:43:02 PM »

Jerry,

Here's a link to a place that has replacement grids for the Glastar grinders.  You'll have to check to see if it will fit the G3 since they don't make that model anymore.

http://www.anythinginstainedglass.com/tools/glass-grinders-glastar.html

Here's a link to Glastar.  You might just contact them directly to see what fits the G3:

http://www.glastar.com/

Spoke to Glastar and they were no help other than to inform me they had discontinued my model 15 years ago. But then I knew I had an "Oldie but Goodie".

Any Thing Stained Glass (ATSG) does have a replacement grid for the G12 machine and I stopped into one of the Tucson stained glass supply stores this afternoon to see what they had. The Tucson store's replacement grid package also contains the molded splash shield and the riser to use the 1/4" bit at the top of the shaft.  Price is a bit more than the ATSG but includes more.  G12 grid is slightly larger than what will fit on my G3. G12 grid is 8x9 and opening at the top of the G3 is 8x8. My Dremel should take care of that problem.  Will be taking my machine into Tucson tomorrow to make sure everything will work before I make the purchase. Pictures of the progress to follow!

Jerry
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jerrysg

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2016, 10:59:18 AM »

Here's the progress on the G3 grinder.

This is the new top that I bought at a Expressions Art Glass in Tucson. They were very helpful. I took my machine in and we went back into their workshop so that I could see if the top would work before I bought it.

Photo 1 (New Top) shows the top as purchased. As you can see, it does not fit down on the machine.

Photo 2 (New Top Upside Down) shows the underside. Since both the machine and the top have places to hold the wetting sponge, they rested on top of each other.  What is not obvious is that 2 of the support pins rested on top of the machine's screw mounting mounting posts.

Photo 3 (New Top Trimmed) After a little work with a cutoff wheel on the Dremel.

Photo 4 (Ready to go) shows the top in place and ready to work.  The top sits a little higher than the aluminum plate that I removed, so the sponge didn't really wet the grinder bit. Need to use a longer sponge to get it up to the grinding surface on the bit.

Photo 5 (Drip system) Shows the solution to the wetting problem.  I put the G3 back-to-back with my Ameritool Flat Lap and used the drip system for the flat lap to keep the sponge wet.

First cabs trimmed on the grinder were a couple of Gary Green slabbed from a rough that I got from Summit's Summer of Sharing. Thanks for this and all the other stuff in the box.

One small problem is that the top shifts slightly when I'm working on the cabs.  I am going to take some moldable plastic (InstaMorph) and make some guides for the bottom that will keep the top in place. Could use some duct tape but am going to avoid that solution.

Jerry
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hummingbirdstones

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2016, 06:30:22 PM »

Excellent!  Glad you were able to find a work-around.   :icon_thumright:
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Robin

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Re: Glastar G3 Grinder - Additional
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2017, 05:15:53 PM »

New guy here.  Don't do rocks or glass, but my wife does.  She recently bought an old Glastar G-3 that looked identical to jerrysg's above in Reply #4 above.  She, too, wanted it to look "more modern", so I started looking into it and found this thread.  I liked the outcome shown in Reply #10, but there were a few details missing on how it was accomplished.   

Not sure I can mention vendors, but seeing the practice already used in this thread, I'll mention that I got a Glastar replacement top plate for a G7 - G12 - G14, p/n 30750, from Rocky Mountain Glass Crafts in Loveland, Colorado.  Lots of places likely sell this part, and there is absolutely no endorsement implied here.

I modified the G-3's original plastic somewhat to accommodate the replacement top, not the other way around (with one VERY minor exception).  This is so another replacement top can be fitted with the most minimal modification (trimming some pins), as explained below.

To begin, I found that two of the back-side "pins" on the replacement top exactly lined up with two of the old screw towers.  However, the towers were threaded, and the pins needed to slide down into non-threaded  holes.  The pins are 1/8 inch in diameter, so a drill of that size was selected.  Note the blue tape on the drill.  That is to prevent it from drilling any deeper than necessary.  I wanted to make sure that I did not drill all the way through into the motor chamber, as I don't want the possibility of water getting to the motor.



Since the holes are now only about 5/8 of an inch deep, the pins that will fit into them will need to be no longer than that.  The length of the pins will be determined by how deep you make the holes.  The third pin is trimmed to clear a small plastic riser in the tray.  That pin could be cut completely off if desired, as it really doesn't do anything.



Next thing to get trimmed was the sponge surround "fence".  Since the new top also has a fence, and they are both at the same position relative to the cylinder, they interfered with one another. 

Again, I trimmed the original fence down to about 1/4 inch high so another replacement top's fence won't have to be trimmed.  My plastic was cut down with the use of a Dremel, but I'll leave that for you to determine how.  You will not be creating a water leak by trimming this, but leave a little height to the original fence.  Be sure to tape up the motor shaft so plastic dust doesn't get down in the motor's bearing.



The new top's dimensions leave a gap at the front so you can determine the water level. 

Note that the splash guard is made of a "rubber" material, and flexes out of the way easily.





Also note that this new top will accommodate Glastar's plastic eye shield.

Hope my first post here is able to help someone in the future.  Isn't that what the forums are for?

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