Gryphon Gryphette Glass Grinder

Bought this grinder when I decided to get into the hobby and tried one out at a classroom. It's very compact, portable, drains and cleans easy, and comes with splash guards and a lattice base to allow small bits to easily fall into the trap. The quality of the build feels good and even after a ton of use, it's never slowed down or broke or had issues. The sponge can be easily soaked and inserted, even without taking the lid off, and changing out bits is quick and easy, though be sure to get bits that fit the machine, because not all of them will that you can find at supply stores.The machine runs quite quietly when not grinding, but obviously gets loud when you start putting it to use. It has a lot of power behind it, easily able to keep grinding when applying a lot of force (like far more than you'd need to actually grind) and the bits grind through all types of glass without issue. The only flaw that I have with it is that the water reservoir doesn't pump up into the bit, so the sponge will eventually gum up and need cleaned when you start seeing build up on your glass.A+ product for those new to the hobby or that need a small machine that can be easily moved and stored

This thing is a work horse. It's small in size so it doesn't take up a lot of space. I grind plates and dishes of all thicknesses and materials. I turned the sponge at an angle behind the grinding but like I read in other reviews which helps keep it wet. Changing the bit is simple and I think it's pretty universal so the one they sell at Hobby lobby may work to replace. It definitely has a noise when running but not bad imo. I was listening to the hold music on my phone the other night while I grinded pieces & I could easily hear the music. Quite happy with this purchase and shipping was fairly quick.

The media could not be loaded. Works well and is small. Just wish it came with protection shield which I will have to order separately and pay for

I bought a no-name brand first and got nervous so I returned it and bought this one. The store I’ve taken stained glass classes at sells it too so I knew it would be good. It works very well, not too loud and maybe it’s the way I have the sponges set up but it does make a lot of water spray. No big deal and certainly not an issue. Cleaning is standard, everything comes together and apart quickly. I’ve swapped out the grinder bit for different sizes and that worked good as well.

Got a few chipped edges at first, but seems better now. Ability to swap out standard bits is great. A little awkward to remove water and clean, but it is lightweight so easy to move. I pour water out into coffee filter to keep sediment out of my sink and it works great.

Yeah, I'm in love with this. Lets me get nice, tight fittings between my glass pieces on my mosaics. It works well. There is splatter; the guards do a pretty good job of catching it but not all. The tray underneath holds quite a bit of water so you can work for several hours of project time and not have to be constantly putting in water. Comes with sponges, and they're fit to shape but I have yet to master getting the sponge cut down/fit to just the right position. It keeps wanting to fold over in the direction of the rotation. But I will figure it out (cut a little off to make it shorter?). My unit has a bit of an odd deal where the on/off rocker switch doesn't always switch on the first time I push it, but it does turn on. Doesn't seem like the switch will fail, just ... I don't know. Can be a bit of a nuisance when you have everything in position and you want it to start. There is a waterproof shield over the switch and I wonder if it's getting hung up on that somehow. The grinder bit it comes with is a good multi-purpose bit for general use and it is easy to adjust and easy to replace. Sure wish the replacement bits were cheaper, but I start it off with the bit just up high enough to catch the edge of a typical piece of glass (3 mm) and then when that area is too worn to work effectively I adjust the bit up by another 3 mm and that way I get 4 or 5 "fresh" bits out of one. I product a piece every month or so, so this gets probably about 1 hour of use a month (of actual grinding time) and I am just now having to move the bit up for the first time after I would say between 2-3 hours of grinding time. So, this bit should last me almost a year unless I get really ambitious. The grinder is a nice size, nice weight, doesn't scoot around on the counter when I'm using it; easy to clean and store away. At this point I can't believe I ever lived without it. I posted an image to show how I can now get such a nice fit between my pieces of glass so that I can minimize grout lines for a cleaner look.

I did way too much research on grinders and ended up getting this one. I’ve been using it for at least 6 months now and I have no regrets! The new grinder heads chew through glass quickly, so go slow at first. I tend to overfill it a bit and it makes a mess if the guard isn’t on, but that’s just user error. I would absolutely recommend this grinder for a beginner.