Sand Etching: Questions and Answers

Here are some questions about sand etching, grit used, and vinyl cutter equipment asked by fellow customer, Nick.

“Hey Eric, so I’ve been using a 150 grit and it’s coming out nice, but not a smooth as I like, do I need a finer grit or courser? The higher the number the finer the grit, right? The finer the grit the smoother the etch? For a very smooth etch, what grit would you recommended?
Also, how long do the blades on Uscutter machine’s last? Is it okay to cut like 40 stencils at a time or will that over work the machine? Thank you so much for your support!! You’re the best can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on, blessings, nick.”

Hey Nick, great to hear from you.  Yes, the finer (higher number) the grit, the smoother it will be.  Many people chose different grits, but I personally use 150-180 grit.  Some will use as low as 100 grit, and others use a grit so smooth that its considered powder.  But the majority of people use between 120 and 200 grit.  Just remember the smaller the grit, usually doesn’t last as long, that’s why I chose 150-180 and nothing finer.

I can’t give you an exact number on the longevity of the blades. It depends on the thickness of the vinyl and type. Cutting 40 stencils seems okay, but I don’t know how big they are. Maybe try 2 sets of 20 at first.

That would be great to see what you’ve been etching.  If you’re interested, I can feature it on my blog with credit to you at: glassetchingsecrets.com/blog.

I hope that helps.  Best of luck
-Eric

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