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Last Day for Christmas Orders

08 Dec 2017 / Comments Off / in Uncategorized/by

The last day for courier delivery prior to Christmas is Dec 19th to Nth Island & Dec 21st to Sth Island

Please note rural delivery adds up to 48 hours to delivery time frame

All orders must be paid for prior to these dates to ensure delivery times are met

Increase in Lead prices

30 Nov 2017 / Comments Off / in News/by

At the beginning of 2017 the price of lead increased by 50%. Until now I have not increased my prices, but unfortunately I’m no longer able to absorb the increase and will be adjusting prices as I replace current stock.

Revitalize your grinder work surface

24 Aug 2017 / Comments Off / in How to ../by

If your grinder work surface is getting rough and the glass is catching on it, especially around the grinding bit, don’t buy a new one. You can restore it to almost new by using a fine sandpaper. If necessary, use a sanding block to help keep the surface level.

Oceanside Glass Tile

15 Feb 2017 / Comments Off / in News/by

With the purchase of both Spectrum and Uroboros, Oceanside will realize many efficiencies by consolidating operations in one facility. The initial product line is still being determined but the first production of Spectrum colors should occur in April and new glass should start arriving at distributors late April or May. They anticipate having a stocked supply to completely fill glass orders by the end of 2017. Pricing is yet to be established and certain products have been discontinued.

Spectrum Glass Update

28 Sep 2016 / Comments Off / in News/by
Spectrum Glass have announced the sale of Spectrum® Glass and their System 96® brands, equipment, and formulas to world-renowned glass manufacturer Oceanside Glasstile (OGT) in Carlsbad, CA.

As an industry-leading glass tile manufacturer, Oceanside Glasstile is already experienced in coloured glass production.

Spectrum Glass products will now be manufactured at OGT’s state-of-the-art facility located in Tijuana, Mexico. The transition is already under way and Spectrum will provide additional details and updates regarding progress throughout the months ahead.

Spectrum Glass Closure

18 May 2016 / Comments Off / in News/by

Spectrum Glass USA recently made the difficult decision to cease manufacturing of specialty art glass and will be closing their operations by July 2016.  Their announcement is as follows

Dear Spectrum Glass Customers;

We are making an extraordinarily difficult announcement today. After serving the art and specialty glass industry for 40 years, it is with very heavy hearts that we must announce the closure of Spectrum Glass Company. Due to several factors, it is no longer financially feasible for our company to continue to operate.

We will continue manufacturing through June and July 2016, and will sell the product inventory currently on hand over the months ahead.

Please know that our primary concern is to help ease this difficult transition for you and all the people we’ve been proud to work with and serve. We are exploring opportunities to transfer our product lines to other manufacturers to help minimize disruptions in sourcing.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our partners, customers, artists and others who have supported Spectrum Glass over these past four decades, and who continue to support us now. We will communicate updates here and via other channels as we wind down our operations.

Prepping Your New Grinding Bit

29 Apr 2016 / Comments Off / in How to ../by

Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly or anti seize lubricant to your grinder’s motor shaft and set screw before installing your bit. The lubricant will prevent glass powder from impacting in the bit cylinder shaft and making the bit difficult to remove for replacement and cleaning. Remove the bit regularly and clean any residue glass powder.

Compressive grouping of the diamond abrasive occasionally creates small surface areas of bunched diamond. To remove the small surface bunchings, attach your bit to the grinder, turn the grinder on, and with a piece of scrap glass, grind up and down the bit 3 or 4 times. Bunchings are only surface residue from the manufacturing process and do not reoccur.

Cutter Maintenance

05 Sep 2014 / Comments Off / in How to ../by

Avoid letting the cutting wheel clunk off the glass edge at the end of a score. This dulls and can chip the wheel. Stop at the glass edge or gently drop the cutter over the edge.
Do not remove the wick from your cutter; it is what feeds oil to the cutting wheel! The wick looks like a fine white thread and you will see it when the cutter head is removed. Once the wick is out you no longer have a self-oiling cutter as it is impossible to replace.
Store your glass cutter upright rather than lying on its side. The cotton wick that runs from the oil chamber to the head of the cutter lubricates the cutting wheel. Storing the cutter upright will keep the wick saturated and your cutter ready to go. If the wick gets dry, it takes a minute or two for the wick to saturate and begin self oiling the cutting wheel.
Periodically check the space between the wheel and the head for accumulated grit and glass slivers that can prevent your wheel from rolling smoothly. Use an old toothbrush to push out any debris you find.
Periodically examine your score and cutter wheel for wear. Hold your cutter up to the light and examine the wheel and look for nicks and chips, a sign that it is time to replace the cutting head. If you notice that your score looks dotted, has skips in it or it seems like you need to apply more pressure, then your wheel is dull and it is time to replace the head. Scoring a piece of mirror is an easy way to examine your score line for defects.
Cutting oil will deteriorate over time. If you notice your oil turning colour or thickening, remove any from the barrel and refill with new. Filling the barrel only partially full will help avoid this problem

Filling Oil Fed Cutters

05 Sep 2014 / Comments Off / in How to ../by

Most quality stained glass cutters have an oil feed system. Using cutting oil not only keeps the cutter head lubricated and free rolling; it also deposits a thin line of oil along the score which makes it easier to break, although they can be used without cutting fluid.
1. Remove the brass oil chamber cap being careful to leave the black “O” ring in place on the stem.
2. Use the provided bulb syringe to fill the chamber about 1/3 to 2/3 full with a quality cutting fluid.
3. Replace the cap making sure the black “O” ring is in place. Tighten until snug. NOTE: Over tightening the cap can crack the acrylic style barrels.
4. You regulate the flow of oil by opening the cap slightly, a half to a full turn. Loosening the cap too much makes the oil run out too fast and if fully closed you will have little or no oil at all. Experiment with your cutter to find the right flow rate for your cutter and cutting speed. When your cutter is not in use, tighten the cap so that oil doesn’t leak out. An alternative to filling the cutter with oil is to keep it in a small container (a glass jam jar or old coffee mug works well) with a bit of paper towel, sponge or cloth in the bottom and fill with enough cutting fluid to just saturate it. Roll the wheel over the oil soaked sponge / cloth before every few scores to keep the wheel lubricated. This is also a great way to store your cutter and protect your cutting head.

Scoring Tips

05 Sep 2014 / Comments Off / in How to ../by

1. Make sure the glass surface is clean and dry. Any surface grime will keep you from achieving a good score.
2. Make sure you position the material so you can comfortably complete the entire score in one complete motion. Stopping and then starting creates an imperfect score that may not break properly.
3. Make sure your work surface is absolutely flat and keep it free of small glass chips. Use a bench brush to clear your cutting area and prevent the temptation to sweep away glass chips with your hands.
4. Always score on the smoothest side of the material. If you can’t visually tell the front from the back, then it shouldn’t matter which side you score.
5. For barrel cutters, often called pencil style, hold it just like a pencil with the screw on the cutting head facing up or forward. You want the cutter to be as close to perpendicular to the material as possible as you make the score. For the Pistol Style cutter, wrap your hand around the cutter body and it will automatically be in the best cutting position.
6. Start at the edge and apply consistent light to medium pressure while you push the cutter across the material you are scoring. It should sound like an ice skater going across the ice. Lift your cutter off just as you reach the opposite side. A good score appears as a continuous scratch across the surface. Pushing too hard (a common mistake) makes popping or snapping sounds as you make the score and in the score you may see slivers, grit, and furrows. All are indications you pressed too hard. Here is an easy test to see if you over score:
Make a series of scores on a piece of scrap glass about 1/2″ apart, applying less pressure each time. Use your running pliers to break out the scores in the same order that you made them. Discard any pieces that didn’t follow the score and any that wouldn’t break. If they all followed the score then do some more and lighten up! Look at the edge of the pieces. A good score has a smooth cut edge. An over-scored piece has a rough edge with pits and looks kind of like a zipper. Practice until you consistently get a clean edged break.
7. Break each score as you make it.
8. It’s generally easier to follow a pattern line if you push the cutter. This allows you to look ahead and see where you are going offering more control and better accuracy.
9. When scoring along a ruler or straight edge, it is often easier to ride the cutter head along the edge if you pull toward yourself.