Help Center
General Questions
What payment methods do you accept?
We currently accept payments via Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. We also accept payment via Paypal on our online shopping cart. If you're interested in Net30 terms, you can fill out the Net30 application below.
Financing through Affirm...
What shipping methods do you offer?
For domestic shipping within the US, we offer Fedex services including Ground, Home Delivery, 2-day, Overnight, and FedEx One Rate Service (2-day service) for smaller items under 5 pounds and UPS Ground; US Postal Service Ground Advantage service depending...
What are your hours of operation?
We are open from 8:00am EST to 4:00pm EST Monday through Friday.
We are closed daily from Noon to 1:00pm EST for lunch and Saturday and Sunday.
Our website is, of course, open 24-7, 365 days a year barring outages. Any orders placed while we are closed...
Do you offer education, non-profit, or military discounts?
We are firm believers in glass education and try to promote it, and assist in any way we can.
We currently offer discounts to all educational institutions, non-profits, and active military: 10% on all our diamond tools and accessories and 5% on all ...
Do you sell Wholesale?
We do not have specific wholesale accounts or pricing, as we believe all our customers deserve the best pricing we can offer.
Our everyday prices are our retail and wholesale prices. We don't make the differentiation.
Do I need to use water with diamond tools?
All diamond tools should be used with water when you are grinding glass. This isn't necessarily to save the diamonds or prolong the life of the tool, but to prolong your life.When grinding glass, the outcome is ground silica dust. If inhaled, it can ...
Can you plate a tool with diamonds for me or make a custom tool for me?
Of course, we can.
We can either create the tool for you or plate an existing blank that you have.Call or email us, and we will work up a quote for you.If you need us to create the tool, we just need a drawing of it with the correct dimensions and the...
Do you stock diamond disks?
We try to keep 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch diamond disks in stock at all times, as these are our most popular disks. However, this depends on how many disks we have to plate for orders and our ability to plate disks for stock.
We have two electroplating...
Can I recycle my water for diamond grinding?
No.Actually, that's a bit of a lie. You can recycle your water, but we don't suggest it.
You're more apt to start regurgitating contaminants back onto your diamond disk, increasing your chances of unwanted scratching. You also risk embedding debris ...
Shipping
How do I deal with freight damages?
When machinery ships via a freight carrier instead of a common carrier (e.g., UPS or FedEx), you must examine the freight when it arrives to ensure that the machinery is not damaged.
The freight company's delivery driver must note any and all damage...
My package came damaged, what do I do?
If your package comes damaged, please keep all the packing materials and call us right away.
We will file a damage claim with the carrier that shipped your package and send you a replacement shipment.
Electroplated Diamond Disks
How long will my diamond disks last?
This is possibly the most asked and hardest-to-answer question we receive.
Diamond disks are subject to a number of variables that will impact the lifespan of the disk. The main variable is how much glass you are grinding with it. If you're grinding...
I've dropped my diamond disk on its edge, is it destroyed?
It depends.
Dropping a diamond disk on its edge is about the worst thing you can do to it, but whether it is destroyed depends on how bad the drop was.
If the edge has only slightly crinkled and the electroplating has not detached from the disk, then...
How do I make sure I'm removing the scratches from rougher grits when I work on the finer grits?
There is a very simple way to confirm this.
As you are about to remove your piece from the rough grit wheel, hold it in one place for a few seconds so that all the scratches from the rough grit are going in one direction.
When you grind your piece ...
My disk is leaving unwanted scratches in my glass, what's wrong?
There is, most likely, nothing wrong with your disk.
All of our diamond disks come with a magnetic backing and, as magnets are want to do, they will attract metal objects.
Oftentimes, the scratches you are seeing are coming from foreign objects embedded...
What's the best way to store my diamond disks?
Diamond disks can be stored on the flat side of a refrigerator and/or metal filing cabinet (dry the magnet side first).
These surfaces are safe storage if they are flat and clean. You might want to let them hang off the edge about a quarter of an inch...
How much water should I use with my diamond disk?
Ah, water, elixir of life and bane of many a coldworker. Water can make or break how well your diamond disks work, and knowing how much water to use for particular steps can be the difference between joy and heartache.
Rougher diamond disks like the...
I dropped a piece of glass on my disk, did I damage my disk?
Probably not.
A dropped piece of glass is going to happen, at one point or another, to just about everyone. Our Electroplated disks are made strong enough to withstand most of those drops without any problem.
You might notice a small ding on the disk...
My piece keeps "grabbing" the disk, especially at finer grits, what's going on?
This is almost always caused by too much water on the finer grits. What's happening is you are hydroplaning on the disk. As you grind, you are floating on top of a layer of water. Occasionally, you will displace enough of the water so your piece will...
How fast should I run my diamond disks?
The speed of your machine will depend on the size of your disk. Remember that diamonds like to run fast and, although you can run them slower, their efficiency will be greatly compromised by slower speeds.
Our recommendations for shaft speed are these...
Can you re-plate a diamond disk for me?
Tough question, as the actual answer is "yes", but the truthful answer is "no".
Technically speaking, our diamond disks can be replated, but the expense of the disposal of the toxic waste generated by the stripping process is so high that it ends up...
Resin Diamond Smoothing Pads
What grit diamond do the colors correspond to in smoothing pads?
Our diamond smoothing pads have a different color for each grit pad. It makes it easier to find the grit pad you need quickly.
The colors correspond to these grits:
100 grit = Black
220 grit = Purple
325 grit = Maroon-Brown
600 grit = Cherry Red...
The edges of my smoothing pad are curling up, what do I do?
This is something that happens from time to time on smoothing pads.
The base material for the smoothing pad is a synthetic felt. Once the phenolic resin is applied to that felt and allowed to cure, it slightly shrinks the base material. Felt materials...
The color is coming off my smoothing pad, is it defective?
The coloring is simply a dye added to the phenolic resin to differentiate the grit on the pad. It has no usefulness on the pad at all beyond that.
If color is coming off your smoothing pad, the pad itself should still be fine. It just means we used ...
My smoothing pad is turning white and isn't working as well as before, what's wrong?
If your smoothing pad has begun to turn white (especially along the edges of the disk), then you are beginning to trap ground glass into the underlying mesh of the felt substrate. Over time, this ground glass can build up to a point where it is covering...
The magnet is coming off the back of my smoothing pad, what do I do?
The easiest thing to do is to let the smoothing disk dry out completely, then use a spray adhesive to re-attach the magnet to the disk.
Usually, a magnet will start coming off only around the edges of a disk. Just spray the adhesive on both the magnet...
Do I use cerium oxide with the smoothing pad?
No.
Our smoothing pads are a diamond disk that will grind your glass.
Cerium is used for polishing your glass. It is generally used with a carrier that has no grinding or polishing ability unto itself, like the ...
Can I use my old smoothing pad for anything?
Absolutely!
One of the best tools in our shop is an old smoothing pad.
When you get a new smoothing pad, you'll most likely still be using your existing electroplated disks. The new smoothing pad will be much more aggressive than you've probably gotten...
I had purchased a set of diamond resin-coated disks I seemed to have worn out my 100 grit pad, I was wondering if the electroplated 100 diamond grit pad would be a better choice. Would the electroplated pad out-work the resin-coated disk and be cheaper in the long run for me?
Resin diamond pads are meant for cleanup after a surface has been ground with an electroplated diamond pad. Even in the 100 grit, a resin diamond pad is not as aggressive and will wear very quickly if used to grind through material rather than clean ...
I have a relatively new felt polishing pad that has delaminated from the magnet. Is it possible to reattach it and is there a specific glue that you recommend.
As water and adhesives do not like one another, you may find that your smoothing pad and/or felt pad can detach from the magnet backing after periods of use. We recommend sending the pad back to us, and we'll apply a new magnet to your pad at no cost...
Small diameter diamond disks
My velcro backed diamond disks keep flying off my mandrel...
We've seen this happen occasionally with these diamond disks. Over the years, we've continued to refine the attachment structure of the velcro-backed diamond disk. The mandrels now have a much better hook system than in previous generations, so you should...
What is 3M's Dual Loc attachment system?
3M's Dual Lock backing is a system of mushroom-shaped plastic pegs aligned onto the backing material and on the mandrel. The diamond disks "snap" onto the mandrel and are held in place until you pull them free. They have a tremendous amount of shear ...
How do cerium impregnated disks work?
3M's cerium-impregnated material uses its Trizact structure to encapsulate cerium oxide into tiny pyramid shapes.
When water and pressure are applied to the surface, the cerium oxide is slowly released from the structure onto your piece. The pyramid...
What's the difference between the 3M diamond disk kits and the smoothing disk kits?
The 3M diamond disk kits with velcro backing and Dual Loc backing are made from 3M's 6002J electroplated diamond material. They range in grit from 60, 120, 200, 400 and 800 grit. Being electroplated diamonds, even at 800 grit, the surface you'll get ...
3M electrostatic diamond material
Is there any special handling for 3M's electrostatic diamond disks?
Not really.
You use the electrostatic diamond material the same way you would any other diamond material. Be sure to use a proper amount of water and go to work.
If you're using the electrostatic diamond material as a belt, you should know that the...
What's the difference between electroplated and electrostatic diamond disks?
Electroplated disks have diamonds locked into place with a layer of nickel that is grown around the diamond in a chemical bath. The rigid diamonds will give a very aggressive grind on your glass. These are generally used for rough grinding to a finer...
Abrasive wheels
How do I polish from the profiled engraving wheels?
This has been a long-standing dilemma for many engravers and glass artists. Many do not polish those surfaces or will etch the surface for uniformity or attempt to have the surfaces acid-polished.
Now we offer a way to easily and quickly pre-polish ...
My felt wheels is bloated and misshapen, what happened?
Felt material is a porous natural wool felt and will tend to swell when in lengthy contact with water. Under normal circumstances, there isn't enough continuous water contact on a bench grinder or lathe to cause the wheels to swell significantly. If ...
What do the electroplated and sintered radiused wheels do?
The electroplated and sintered radiused wheels we carry have a radiused profile on the edge of the diamond wheel that, when used on the glass, will create a lens on the surface of the glass.
These wheels often remove and polish punty marks from the ...
I have an 18" covington lap grinder. What is the shaft and threading I need to order for that? Also, what else do I need to purchase to use the cone with the grinder?
Belts
What is the difference between the grey Trizact belts and colored ones?
The grey-colored Trizact belts have a cloth backing, so they are a little more substantial and track a little better with less heat generation on the glass. The colored Trizact belts are film-backed belts, so the backing is a little slicker, generating...
Adhesives
Approximately how many square inches of surface area of glass will a 1.3 ounce kit bond together?
Roughly a 6 inch x 6 inch area. The smaller kits are more for small jobs like jewelry and crack repair.
What is used to thin HXTAL so it can be used as a clear coat?
Can it be used to fill pinholes on the surface of fused glass? if yes, thinned or full strength?
You can thin HXTAL with Acetone for clear coating surfaces. You can watch our video on this technique here. For filling holes, you'll want to warm up the HXTAL in ...
Is it possible to remove cured Hxtal from a glass piece and if so, how to do it safely for the glass?
The easiest way to remove a large joint of HXTAL is to heat the glass to around 500 degrees F. This will break down and burn off the HXTAL from the glass.
If you don't have access to a kiln for this process or the piece is too complex, we also offer...
Hi Do I need a UV light to cure this adhesive?
No. HXTAL is an epoxy so it is a chemical reaction between the resin and hardner. No UV light required
Can hxtal be applied to a glass surface that has been mirrored? For example, to adhere a metal mount to mirrored glass.
Yes, but the weak spot of the joint will be the mirroring on the glass and not the HXTAL. The HXTAL will bond to the mirroring but the mirroring may shed from the glass over time.
I’ve heard of people using Hxtal to fill open bubbles on the surface of castings and I’d like to try it. Would this product be the best way to remove the Hxtal if it doesn’t look good? Or would it be better to use heat in that case?
ATTACK will work well to remove small areas of HXTAL, yes.If the HXTAL has not fully cured, you can also try Acetone.
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