 Kevin
Member
Joined: 23/Oct/2004
Member: 125
Posts: 0
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The problem with the grozing debate is that people don't have a realistic idea of what good grozing is. Most people when grozing try to either crush the glass or snap it off with a lot of force. The very good description of grozing supplied by Tony is not only a lot quicker its also a lot easier - once you've learnt it. Most glassers who see someone who grozes well are almost always surprised by the speed and accuracy which is achieved. It's not propaganda and it's not some eccentric desire to keep ineffecient ways going for the sake of it. The truth is that grozing is very quick and very accurate. To teach yourself to groze well is not hard. It's comparable to when people start cutting glass. Usually too much pressure that is quite uneccessary is used which makes the chances of the glass breaking in the wrong place a lot higher. We would consider someone a poor teacher if they could only teach the student how to cut glass at such a coarse level. But, for whatever reason, people are much more informed when it comes to passing on skills about cutting. There isn't any controversy about aiming for an even gentle pressure where the glass sings as being the way to refine your practice. But for some reason it is controversial with grozing. I mean, if you only ever learnt to cut glass badly then a glass saw might seem very tempting. Much better though to learn to cut glass well and then see whether a glass saw is such a temptation.
Obviously the Aanraku method produces fantastic work. I don't mean to go up against that experience - which is far greater than mine - but people are influenced by what they read without always understanding the options. Some people will prefer to grind but I'd bet there are many more people out there who if they learnt to groze properly would see it as a eureka moment in their glass cv's. It's quick, clean, quiet and easy to learn.
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