Talked to a guy who only uses a 6-inch wheel for his bevels on heavy glass
He said it gives him way more control on thick pieces, especially for custom shower doors. I've always stuck with my 8-inch and never thought to change. Has anyone else tried this for big jobs?
That smaller wheel idea makes a lot of sense to me after a few years of fighting with thick glass. I had a 12mm panel for a storefront window a while back, and my 8-inch wheel just wanted to chatter and skip along the edge no matter how steady I kept my hand. A coworker let me try his 6-inch on that same piece and it tracked much smoother, almost like it had a better bite into the glass. I never would have thought to switch sizes on my own, but it really did help with the control on that heavy stuff.
Forget the wheel size, the real trick is matching the wheel's hardness to the glass thickness. A softer wheel on a smaller diameter can hug the edge of thick stock without skipping. It's a feel thing you pick up after a few bad cuts.