Using items for other than its intended purpose.

[Packard]

As a commercial glazier I use the diamond pads sold on Amazon in various grits made for tile and glass.  They are very reasonable in price.  I do not let customers pick up plain cut glass as the chance of cuts is high on people not familiar with handling glass.

I never thought to use the diamond pads.  I just looked on Amazon.com and that looks easy enough.

However, I think the knife sharpener is going to be faster. 

This one costs $12.00 (they get a bit cute with the description as “diamond honed tungsten carbide”).  I suppose some people read that as actual diamond cutting heads.

There are some with diamond cutters, but I don’t know if any are available that have you move the sharpener rather than move the blade when sharpening.

In any case, glass will wear out tungsten carbide faster than steel.  I think it is worth trying for the efficiency.  One single steady swipe will make an edge safe (though I always take two swipes).

I did not invent this idea.  There was a glass edge unit that looked exactly like a knife sharpener, but cost 5 times as much.  I don’t think it sold well to the picture frame industry.  We all were very experienced handling glass.

 

[woodferret]

Just came across a video of someone inverting a cheap small aquarium air pump into a vacuum pump for epoxy/carbon-fibre pressing.  Just popped it open and flipped the two diaphragm assemblies