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mrfibble

Etched Glass ?

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Question

 

 I don't have a sand blaster   etc   so am thinking of trying to etch glass  another way     someone said there is a paste or something that's used with the vinyl as a stencil     anyone have any experience with this    ease of use etc etc

 

 Cheers

 

 David C

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armor etch. Easy to use but doesn't etch very deep at.

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Best bet is to watch the Sunday paper for the Michaels, JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby 40%/50% off any one item coupon that seems to be there every week and use that - Armor Etch is a little pricey if you pay full price.

 

Be sure to read all the safety instructions as they aren't kidding about it being able to cause extreme burns that can be delayed and you may not experience any pain - initially.

 

You can scrape off the used cream and put it back in the jar and re-use it, which will help cut down on costs.

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ok cheers :)    so the air brush and grit would give the best results rather than paste ?

 

( sorry for such lame questions     still learning )

 

David

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Etching cream < air eraser with 180+ abrasive < sandblaster with 80/90 grit abrasive

 

If you etch with an acid cream and then wipe your finger along side your nose and then across the etch, the etch almost (temporarily) disappears - ditto for condensation on the glass.   The etch isn't very deep and it doesn't take much to reduce it's visibility.

 

Using an air eraser with a high number abrasive grit will give you a similar effect and if you're talented with an air brush, you'll be able to do some amazing free-hand etching.

 

If you're just looking to make a vinyl stencil and etch away, then a sandblaster will give you a much deeper and more visible etch in a lot less time.   Although a sanding cabinet that recycles the grit is an idea way to do it, you can get the same results with a $20 hand-held sandblaster and a bucket of grit.

 

If you use an air eraser, hand-held sandblaster or blast cabinet, make sure you wear a quality respirator to keep the glass dust out of your lungs - silicosis is not something you want.   Also, leave your watch, cell phone and anything else you don't want scratched up well away from your blasting area - you'll end up with that grit all over everything and wiping it off of items will scratch them, so keep them away and if you do get grit, blow the grit off with compressed air or your breath - don't wipe!

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OWJones   Thank you very much matey  really appreciate the advice  and the link    

 looks like ill be saving up for a air compressor ......

 

 cheers    or as my wife will now tell me       stop reading bloody forums   they cost us monies...

 

 :)

 

david

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If you go the route of sandblasting I found throw away plastic smocks work great to keep you pretty much dust free. I tuck the sleeve into a pair of gloves and never got any sand or dust up the sleeve.. And as Jones said use the air to get rid of the dust.

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If you are going to be doing sandblasting with a cabinet, do yourself a favor and buy a reclaimer kit and make certain that the cabinet seals really well. 
You would be surprised at how much the dust from the media can get everywhere.

Visqueen (poly paint drop cloth sheet) wouldn't be a bad idea to contain the sandblast cabinet dust and if you're garage or shop is connected to your house, your spouse might not be happy with dust all over the place.

Just a thought.

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I have a old stainless cabinet from a fast food place the wife acquired that sitting doing nowt I was thinking of making a stand/frame for it to sit on and replace the door with glass so I can see in  and drill tool/arm holes in the sides......

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I have a old stainless cabinet from a fast food place the wife acquired that sitting doing nowt I was thinking of making a stand/frame for it to sit on and replace the door with glass so I can see in  and drill tool/arm holes in the sides......

 

If you are going to make your own, I encourage you to watch some of the videos online about mods and making your own cabinet.

Just putting a glass door on it will cause you all kinds of headaches. 

You'll want the film (replaceable) for the inside and frame it and gasket it, so you can replace the glass at a later date, because if you use it quite a bit, you WILL be replacing it.

 

It would be wise to think ahead and set it up so that it is sealed well and replaceable.

Also, being stainless, I would get "bulkhead fittings" to run the airline through the cabinet wall and rivet in plates over your vent holes. Inside and out. There are quite a few videos that show this.

 

If you do not have the vent hole in the cabinet, you will blow the seals/gaskets out and the sandblasting dust will go everywhere.

Remember that you are pushing a lot of air into the cabinet and even using a vacuum/reclaimer, you are building a lot of pressure in an enclosed area. Without a vent, you take the chance on pushing the sides out, pushing gaskets/seals out or creating a big mess. 

I have channel plates over my vent, with propylene filter sponge stuffed into the plates.

Pull them out every once in a while, shake them out outside and put them back in. It helps keep the media dust from getting out.

Hope that saves you some headaches. ^-^

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Here's mine. I have since changed the top to a full cover Plexiglass with removable clear sheets. The drain acts as my vent and I have a cloth bag attached to it so I can reclaim the media.

post-7680-0-49014700-1428229194_thumb.jp

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