Basically, glass etching is first done by creating a stencil out of a type of resistant material known as a resist, because it resists the etching of unwanted areas (to expose the design on the glass). A resist can be anything, but a rubber or vinyl material works best because it is flexible and can absorb energy easier if you use the sandblaster etching method.
To make a stencil, a design has to be cut out of the resist and peeled away to expose the area that will be etched. Once the stencil is created, it will have to be placed on the glass surface smoothly with an adhesive holding it in place. If the stencil resist doesn’t all ready have a adhesive backing, glue will have to be applied. After, the stencil resist is securely placed on the glass piece, it is ready to be etched. To etch, it depends on the method that you are using, either one of the following:
- Cream Etching - For cream etching, you just need to apply the etching cream over the exposed stencil part, wait to dry (time depending on the manufacturer that you buy it from), wash, and peel the resist off.
- Sandblast Etching (Abrasive Etching) – For sandblast etching, you need to blast abrasives on the exposed area to etch the design out of the glass using a sandblaster rather than spreading cream on. Once the glass is evenly etched, you can peel the stencil resist off, and clean up any abrasive dust or left over adhesive.
- Acid Etching- Acid etching is another method that is less popular today as it used to be. It is considered dangerous because it involves strong chemicals. Since this isn’t a widely used glass etching method, we won’t be discussing too much about it throughout this resource.
More from Google:
- Tags: Abrasives, Acid Etching, Blast, etching basics, Etching Cream, Glass Etching, Resistant Material, Sandblaster
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