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All This Talk About Etching....

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you all suck now I have more crap to look into.    :)

Yeah that's my problem. Every time I think I have most of what I want to keep me busy for a while I see something on here that I realize I "need" . Once I figured out how relatively easy and cheap it is to etch I just couldn't help myself. First I saw a bunch of the "KICK ASSEROLE" dishes on etsy and I knew I wanted to figure out the etching process. Then I saw Louis & Clarke's Christmas present thread and his liquor bottles and the next day I went and bought the air eraser -- soon to be upgraded to a blast cabinet.

I think I'll swing by my local sign supply shop tomorrow and beg for remnants of anything better suited to wrapping and masking than the stiff Greenstar junk and some better app tape. ( I'm sure I can think of plenty more stuff I could use from them too)

I already went to Dollar Tree today and got some beer and wine glasses. I plan to make some personalized growlers for some of my brewer friends. And I'm not even going to start the list of monogrammed crap my wife wants me to make for all of her friends. I don't know why everyone seems to want to get married and have babies all at the same time.

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Yeah that's my problem. Every time I think I have most of what I want to keep me busy for a while I see something on here that I realize I "need" . Once I figured out how relatively easy and cheap it is to etch I just couldn't help myself. First I saw a bunch of the "KICK ASSEROLE" dishes on etsy and I knew I wanted to figure out the etching process. Then I saw Louis & Clarke's Christmas present thread and his liquor bottles and the next day I went and bought the air eraser -- soon to be upgraded to a blast cabinet. I think I'll swing by my local sign supply shop tomorrow and beg for remnants of anything better suited to wrapping and masking than the stiff Greenstar junk and some better app tape. ( I'm sure I can think of plenty more stuff I could use from them too) I already went to Dollar Tree today and got some beer and wine glasses. I plan to make some personalized growlers for some of my brewer friends. And I'm not even going to start the list of monogrammed crap my wife wants me to make for all of her friends. I don't know why everyone seems to want to get married and have babies all at the same time.

paint mask is cheap and works great also

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I agree with Scott about the paint mask. That is what I use unless I am going to deep carve the I use anchor rubber mask.

Bob

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Ok heres a really really stupid question about etching mugs and glasses...

 

i know i reverse weed it...and i need to mask off the rest of the area that isnt to be hit with the sandblaster, but do i have to use vinyl?? can i use the app tape??? im not going to be blasting directly concentrating on all the other areas, ....or what about electrical tape??

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app tape will work fine in those off areas - they won't be hit hard just some deflected grit in those areas

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ok cool, thanks...

 

i was thinking if that didnt work, i would try electrical tape, i got tons of that.

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Another idea or question. Once its sandblasted and etched..is it possible to paint or do something to give it a diff color?

Maybe use some transparent/translucent paint??

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Not bad at all. Those are either dirty with abrasive dust or you need to tape off better. Particularly the mug. I usually leave about an inch around the outside of my graphic and then tape the rest off with either left over cheap vinyl scraps or just masking tape. Clear app tape works good but the paper style is a bit thin and I think you could accidentally blow right through it. I would resist the urge to use the electrical tape just because I think it will leave a lot more glue residue to clean up. I completely tape off the rest of whatever I am blasting. There are bits of blast bouncing everywhere and it will murder a new clean cup or plate. Ask me how I know this? Yep been there and ruined that. 

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Looks good, just wrap a baggy around it and tape to that rather than tape the whole thing - on  the color search rub n buff - comes in lots of colors and works great

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yep, i upgraded from the air eraser from HF to the blast cabinet from Tractor Supply. Got it as a Christmas Gift. My husband got it for me. !!!! Now i have to find a cheap place to buy a large quantity of blast media. Currently using AO but seems others on other forums are liking the Garnet media better and is cheaper. Any suggestions from you pros. ?

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Yeah i got some overspray where the apptape lifted up...

Im saving up for the blast cabinet and stuff too. Right now i just use the one at work. But it would be nice to have my own at home.

For christmas my dad got me a hobby airbrush paint kit..not sure on that. Im not much a painter...but i guess i could make vinyl stencils for painting designs on stuff..

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Here are some of the things I did this past week or 2.   

 

Just playing around.  

post-69458-0-72081700-1388172180_thumb.jpost-69458-0-66015100-1388172181_thumb.jpost-69458-0-76239700-1388172183_thumb.j

I know the insides of the letters are missing.  This was my very first piece and the plotter decided to steal the insides.  I didn't really car and just blasted it anyways. 

 

I plan on getting a blasting cabinet this week.  

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nice work. I recently started etching and now I am hooked. This forum is def get you to buy more and more equipment when you see all the cool things you could do haha

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careful go-c it is addicting

 

I'm quickly figuring that out.   

I've waiting on my heat press to be delivered next week.

I'm already working on T-shirts and custom etched glasses for my brother's company.  

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Nice work Go-c on the glasses. If you are going to get your cabinet from HF get the larger one, you will like the trap door on the bottom for cleaning out the cabinet. I started with the small one and  it fills up quickly with a pressure pot. I only use it now for when I use 220 ao.

Bob

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