Have a Blast with Glass

Image Gallery Once you have your equipment, glass etching begins with a penciled drawing... Transferred to adhesive material, the design is then cut out with an X-acto-type knife...

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Etching with sand can be a challenging, creative, and commercially rewarding endeavor.

Most people think of sandblasting as a purely industrial skill. However, in the hands of a skilled craftsperson, the same equipment that is used to gnaw away paint in auto body shops can be used to cut lovely designs on glass. Furthermore, the artist who can etch shop windows, tops for coffee tables, wineglasses, and the like will find that customers are numerous ... and eager to pay top prices for his or her work.

THE RIGHT MATERIALS

In order to try your hand at this art form, you'll need glass, masking, and sand. (Both sand and acid will produce a frosted look on glass, but sandblasting can offer the artisan a greater range of depths and textures than do the corrosive chemicals.)

Local glass companies will often give away (or sell for next to nothing) broken glass and mirrors, which—at the very least—can be used for practice. Once you've gained some experience, the same stores can supply you with plate glass and mirrors of sufficient thickness (at least 3/16" . . . but 1/4" is better) for this craft. The firms can also cut large sheets to your specifications ... although they can't trim tempered safety glass, since that material must be ordered precut from the manufacturer. (Federal building codes require that the "heavy duty" panes be used for any installation within 18 inches of the floor or 12 inches of any door. Consult your local codes for additional regulations.) And, of course, restaurant supply houses will usually sell mugs, glasses, and stemware at a discount if you buy in quantity.

Your design can be cut from any adhesive material ... including masking tape, contact paper, and 1/8" rubber resist. This last product works best for heavy blasting, in which a range of depths (and, therefore, of shades and textures) and very clean, smooth cuts are desired. Resists are occasionally available at art supply stores, but you'll probably have more luck locating them at a monument carving company.

However, if you can't find local suppliers and can afford to buy in quantity, the 3M Company manufactures rubber resist under the name "Sandblast Stencils" (Catalog No. 507-508). It is available both in 10-yard rolls (varying in width from 12-1/4" to 30") priced at $30 to $74, and in cases of 50 flat sheets (12-1/4" X 24-1/2") that list for $113. The company also produces 9mm. and 15mm-thick Flatbush masking tape (Catalog Nos. 280 and 300). Suppliers should be listed under "Tapes—Industrial" in the Yellow Pages.

For glass etching, the most desirable sand is extra-fine, 90-mesh grade. The coarser 60-mesh is more readily available, however, and does work just about as well for all but the most delicate jobs. Building supply companies sell common types of sand, but it may be necessary to order the finest grades from specialty stores. (Your used sand can be recycled by sifting it through a fine-meshed window screen . . . or it can do wonders for heavy-clay garden soil.)

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