If you have been working with glass for any length of time then there is a pretty good chance you have a pair of these pliers in your toolbox:
You also wouldn’t be alone if you rarely (or never) use them. That’s because the right way to use them isn’t the obvious way. The good news is that the right way is easy and the results are awesome.
The first step to using grozers is to understand where they are useful. Grozers excel at removing small edge pieces of glass.
For example, the thin strip at the end of this piece of glass is a perfect candidate for grozers:
Grozers are also great for fixing this common problem:
Most of what we do with a typical stained glass edge grinder can be done faster and better with grozers. Just follow the steps that below.
First, position the grozers with the curved jaw on the bottom as shown here:
Next, use the grozers to grab the piece of the glass to be removed. The front edge of the top jaw should be aligned to the score.
While holding the glass firmly in one hand and the grozers firmly with the other, pull the piece straight apart. Do NOT snap the glass down – this will only leave you with a crushed edge.
Pull the glass hard and straight away from the score:
Pulling apart is the key to using grozers. Most people are surprised the first time the piece of glass “pops” off. It is amazingly effective and can save you countless trips to the grinder.
Bonus tip: If your glass is too small to hold try gripping it with two grozers – then pull straight apart.
Originally published July 25, 2012 on FusedGlass.org