Cutting Pyroceramic Glass?

ddavelarsen

ddavelarsen

Well-Known Member
Anyone know whether it's possible to cut pyroceramic glass the same way you cut everyday glass? I have a piece cut for my old platen but have replaced that and the new platen that's two inches shorter than the old one. I'd rather just cut this piece to size than try to find someplace to order a new piece.

Failing that, anyone know where I can order a pyroceramic glass plate for my newer platen? It's 2 X 8 I think, haven't gone down to measure it. :) But I will before I call someone to see about a new piece if that's what I need to do.

Thanks for any ideas!
 
It can be cut but it is harder to cut than traditional glass.
You can only run your cutter once on this stuff. If you try and run it twice, it will crack somewhere else.
When it comes time to split it on the line, you have a 50-50 chance of getting to split right.

I know a guy that sells 8"x2" ceramic glass here...
 
Thanks Tracy. I went to your site first looking for liners and my "pyroceramic" search didn't turn anything up. So I ended up ordering a couple from someone else. Sorry about that! Do you still stock Norax belts? I'm getting saved up to stock up again and was planning to give you my order. I'll be getting a bunch of X65 and X45s. You can tell I haven't looked over your site for a while. I've kind of been out of shop circulation. :) Getting going again though!

Edit - I paid quite a bit more for what I ordered that your price too! Dang!
 
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i was just coming back to say, we use a tile cutting saw here with a diamond edge blade to make a long piece shorter. I've broken a couple that way also and only cut ceram glass when I absolutely have to.
 
ddavelarsen said:
Good idea Laurence! I have a buddy to who has one, maybe I can impose on him to cut my existing piece until my order arrives. Thanks!
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Keep you feed rate slow & straight and make sure the diamond blade is in good shape and the water level is correct.
 
Frank Niro said:
A good way to sand the cut ends and edges is to use a 150 or so cork belt if you have one available. Frank
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I like that idea Frank. I do have some fine grit cork belts stashed somewhere. I'd forgotten all about those. I read somewhere today you can clean up pyroceramic glass with about a 150 belt, which is about what I used to radius the edges on the one on my old platen. That stuff seems to behave differently than glass when grinding it. Good thing too! Glass is a bear to clean up.
 
Dave,
I use a Ceramic 120 belt and always radius the very top a bit more than the sides.

The Pyro seems to last a bit longer that way before I get those long wear groves in it that make it unusable.

Also I put it on the flat platen with just a couple of drops of super glue. If you tap it just right with a rubber Mallet, You can then use the other side. Put the radius-ed part down & against the platen & radius the new top end.

Works about 60%-70% time without breaking. It a pinch, I have used regular window glass.

Have fun!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
As always, you guys have given me much info of great value. If I can't get my current glass cut to size before my order arrives, I will consider window glass. I've always used JB Weld to attach pyroceram to the platen because by the time I get round to applying the glass, my platen is no longer flat! :) As is the current case. I try to work on different areas of the platen rather than one, but even so it's gotten out of true. JD Weld does a good job of filling in the dips and supporting the glass. I've been successful exactly half the time getting the glass off to flip to the flat side, by heating with a propane torch until the epoxy gives and the glass comes loose. I do always try to use both sides of the glass before completely replacing it.

Laurence, I'm with you on radiusing the top and bottom of the glass more than the sides, to help reduce wear on both the glass and the belt backs. Have you ever been in the situation where you can't identify the belt grit because the printing on the back has been worn off? I use Norax belts for finishing and they tend to last long enough that sometimes I've lost track of what grit I'm using because the back of the belt has become too worn to read. So I've decided to use my trusty Sharpie to keep this annotated so that I don't mix grits.

One thing I've really noticed, since I did not radius the sides of the metal platen when I bought it, is that my plunge cuts are not as pretty as they used to be. I'm really looking forward to being able to change that with the glass so that I can get back to making proper definition in the plunge line.

On a side note -- how many of you truly use belts as if they're free? I try to, but I'm getting low enough on a couple of grits that I'm pushing their effectiveness. Norax can be recharged a couple of times with the sharp edge of a metal cutoff, for example, but this is only marginally helpful. Still, it get a little more cutting out of each belt when necessary. Last weekend I threw away a total armful of expended belts that simply no longer had any life left in them. It made me feel so wasteful! Even though they were just collecting dust and taking up room I don't have. I still believe it's best to use belts as if they're free, and change frequently for good and even cutting. But it's so hard to put into practice! :)

Thanks for all the great help, as always.
 
Dave, I believe we all use belts until they are "gone" but when doing the blades I do not use belts that even start to act as if they are much worn. The "rejected" belts then are used for contour grinding of blades and liners for folders. Frank
 
Yeah, good point Frank; I do that too, just hadn't thought about it that way. But I do use them till they're dead and no good to anyone. :)
 
ddavelarsen said:
As always, you guys have given me much info of great value. If I can't get my current glass cut to size before my order arrives, I will consider window glass.

Laurence, I'm with you on radiusing the top and bottom of the glass more than the sides, to help reduce wear on both the glass and the belt backs. Have you ever been in the situation where you can't identify the belt grit because the printing on the back has been worn off? I use Norax belts for finishing and they tend to last long enough that sometimes I've lost track of what grit I'm using because the back of the belt has become too worn to read. So I've decided to use my trusty Sharpie to keep this annotated so that I don't mix grits.


On a side note -- how many of you truly use belts as if they're free? I try to, but I'm getting low enough on a couple of grits that I'm pushing their effectiveness. Norax can be recharged a couple of times with the sharp edge of a metal cutoff, for example, but this is only marginally helpful. Still, it get a little more cutting out of each belt when necessary.. But it's so hard to put into practice! :)

Thanks for all the great help, as always.
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The print on the Norax does disappear fast! I only use the X65 so I don't get the mix problem.

As far as the flat steel Platen goes. I true mine up on the 6 X 48" belt sander, A 4 x 36" would work too! I roll the edges of the steel slightly to get the angle I wish for plunge cuts.

You can still do the edges you wish.

I do this about once a week when not running a Ceramic glass on it. My steel Platen and the ceramic get deep grooves in them from the 36 grit Norton Ceramic belts I use for major removal.

The super Glue in about 3-5 drops works well and I am able to pop it back off with a rubber mallet, then clean with Acetone if necessary to use the other side. As I stated this will work about half the time or better.

Keep your nose to that Grindstone!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
Got my nose to that grindstone this morning! Got the new glass installed and did some jewelry work for my wife, and then proceeded to start the hand finish on a current blade. It's giving me fits; more hand work than I want to do, but that's what it's taking. Usually I can get by with doing most of the work with a palm sander with a Micarta platen on it, but this particular blade just ain't cooperating. :) So hand work until I get it right. I'm sure enjoying being back in the shop again, even though I get tired of standing pretty quickly. Must be getting too fat. Or just plain lazy. :D
 
ddavelarsen said:
Got my nose to that grindstone this morning! Got the new glass installed and did some jewelry work for my wife, and then proceeded to start the hand finish on a current blade. It's giving me fits; more hand work than I want to do, but that's what it's taking. Usually I can get by with doing most of the work with a palm sander with a Micarta platen on it, but this particular blade just ain't cooperating. :) So hand work until I get it right. I'm sure enjoying being back in the shop again, even though I get tired of standing pretty quickly. Must be getting too fat. Or just plain lazy. :D
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Dave,
Then sit down and grind! I started sitting down to grind after my second back surgery, I wondered why I waited?

It will take a little while to reorient yourself, Then it's smooth sailing and your nose is closer to that grindStone! :biggrin:

Laurence

www.westsidesharpening.com
 
rhinoknives said:
Dave,
Then sit down and grind! I started sitting down to grind after my second back surgery, I wondered why I waited?

It will take a little while to reorient yourself, Then it's smooth sailing and your nose is closer to that grindStone! :biggrin:

Laurence

www.westsidesharpening.com
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LOL! Man, I did sit down this morning while I was rubbing out that blade. Smart move! I've tried grinding sitting down, but haven't figured out how to do it yet. I get my whole body into the movement while I'm grinding, sitting just makes me screw up more. Maybe it just needs practice. I do have a nice tall stool to sit on.
 
I have to grind sitting down because I have to walk with forearm crutches. When I first started grinding while sitting it gave me fits, until i started using a chair that swiveled. It helped a bunch.
 
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