Just wandering if any of you talanted brush folk , have ever tried etching cream from Handovers of London, & if so how good are the results?? I know there are different methods that one can employ, as in sandblasting or even the acid etching process, but recently i have read that etching cream can work extremely well !! I would imagine that it could be brushed over a vinyl mask ...love to here your thoughts on this , thanks in advance Jeremy
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I tried an etching cream once and the results were very disapointing. But what I used was a hobby shop cream. There may be some better stuff out there that is too dangerous for the general public. Hopefully someone has tried something better than what I tried with better results.
Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
Jeremy, I haven't used the creams, but while you're waiting for an answer on that, I'll chime in.
I have an "air eraser" which is a special airbrush tool with a little sandblasting pot on it. It uses an Aluminum Oxide abrasive which is almost like a powder, it is so fine.
I believe it is by Badger (but I may be wrong). I have etched glass with it on a small scale, less than 1ft square. The neat thing is that it can be used like an airbrush and actually do illustrations, fades and such, that you wouldn't get from a cream. Of course, it also takes practice. If you are familiar with the workings of an airbrush though, you can master this.
[ May 06, 2005, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: Gene Golden ]
Posted by Jeremy Paul Taylor (Member # 4441) on :
Thanks Dave nice to hear your experience of trying this, & I'm sure you are also right about needing something stronger as in dangerous!! if this product does prove sucessfull i will try an upload a pic of my result ..
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Gene, I've been doing a lot of glass etching lately. We've been using a cabinet. I was wondering about using an air eraser for larger jobs that won't fit in the cabinet.
I've been wanting to build a bigger slide through cabinet, but was wondering how much mess the air eraser makes and if it is too expensive to loose all that aluminum oxide.
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Jeremy, I've tried Etchall cream. At a glance, the results look fine, particularly on small areas. However, if you look closely at the celtic cross near the bottom of the wedpage below, you'll notice there's an unwelcome swirly effect in the etching. The cream was applied by pouring it over the glass and mask, then spreading with a squeegee to get a nice, thick, even coat. I wonder if it 'bit' in the instant of pouring and continued biting evenly, leaving fine tidemarks from the initial contact.
Thanks Gene..qoute,I have an "air eraser" which is a special airbrush tool with a little sandblasting pot on it. It uses an Aluminum Oxide abrasive which is almost like a powder, it is so fine.sounds great,i have an airbrush myself an aztec , not something i use alot ,mainly for blending of colours , fades ect! Gene where do you buy your supply's for this process? sounds really interesting ..thanks Jeremy
Posted by Jeremy Paul Taylor (Member # 4441) on :
Hi Arthur interesting reading ,thanks for your info!! I'll see how my attempt goes & let you know!!!...Arthur have you ever visited signchatter ,its a UK site with only a hundred & seventy odd members ,but we would sure love to see you there! very friendly bunch ,& i for one would enjoy your imput as i have seen some quite stunning work on here by you ,cheers Jeremy
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
I have an Air Eraser too, Paasche makes it.
Dave Sherby, depends how long you use the air eraser but it can really kick out some dust/abbrassive in an open environment. I usually refill the little pot once for every couple minutes of use. If you're going to use it in the shop, I would build some sort of little dust room to use it in, even if it's just made out of plastic tarps - if for no other reason than keeping the aluminum oxide from getting all over everything else. If you set something like this up you could design it so you can reclaim the abrassive.
I haven't found it expensive to blast the al oxide all over the floor but I don't use it on a real regular basis for it to matter. I've had the same 5lb container of aluminum oxide for probably 3 or 4 years and I haven't even used half of it yet.
I bought the air eraser and the aluminum oxide from Dick Blick.
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Jeremy, I did have a look at one UK sign forum, not sure if it was signchatter, must give it a try later. Thanks for your remarks; very much appreciated.
Posted by Jeremy Paul Taylor (Member # 4441) on :
Thanks Mike for your input also ,its great reading cheers Jeremy
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
I've etched lots of glassware with cream (I use Armour Etch, which is probably considered a hobby cream) It works good for small areas. I cut a vinyl mask and paint it on with an old brush. In larger areas it doesn't work as well it is difficult to get it to etch evenly. Cheaper glass often has inconsistancies and impurities that make it impossible to get a nice even etch, no matter what you use. I think the air eraser is by far the better method for final appearance, but if you are doing some smaller lettering or a detailed image the cream works great.
Posted by Mark Sheflo (Member # 3608) on :
I my distant past I used a "hobby" etching cream to etch a design on a 12" x 12" mirror panel. I didn't use a mask, brush or tape. I screen printed it onto the glass. Gave a nice even coating and a fine etch. You would never get a deep etch doing it this way without multiple printing sessions, but it was good enough for me at the time.
Mark
Posted by Jeremy Paul Taylor (Member # 4441) on :
Thanks Kelly & Mark its great to hear the thoughts of people that have tried it , one more thing in regards of the etching cream,how long should you leave it before removing it & what do you use to remove it??
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
The stuff I use you just leave on for five mins and then I hold it under running water and gently wipe it off. If there are any weak spots I apply a second coat over the entire piece (don't try to just touch up spots, because you will get a patchy etch) and repeat the process. When you're happy with the results ( 1 or 2 coats), run hot water over the glass and remove the vinyl while it is hot - it makes it a lot easier to get off. Remember to try a sample piece with whatever you use first, with a little expirimentation you'll find out what works best with the product you are using. Try etching a few beer mugs or glasses from the dollar store with your logo for practice, they make neat giveaways for your favorite customers.
Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
Jeremy, As Mike said, the air eraser is not used to often in my shop either, it is a specialty item. It has a different use than creams, but when you find that particular job, there is no other tool. Vehicle windows, glasses, "frosting" a subtle border into the glossy finish of aluminum...
It IS an airbrush - very small blast pattern, very fine particulate. Dave, I wouldn't consider it for a large project. Use the sandblaster for that... glass or plexi!
By the way, has anyone ever tried sandblasting .040 Aluminum? It's wild! When you blast through the enamel and into the aluminum it is a VERY interesting effect. The area being blasted actually RAISES above the surface... it does NOT blast back as you would expect. The back actually "dimples or puckers" where the blast occurs. I've used this effect when trying to make a graffiti-proof sign. When you clean the sign off, the graffiti paint remains in the blasted areas, but wipes off of the background. Any way I digress...
As an air eraser it is also great for removing paint and rust on small items. You can add a "frosting" to just about anything, without blasting any appreciable depth.
Like Mike, I bought my last jar of Aluminum Oxide at Dick Blick (an artist's supply).
It's kinda like my Cutawl machine and Band-It tool. It sits on the shelf until that moment where no other tool will work, and then it gets dusted off. Then I want to play with it more, but then I stop playing and get back to work.
Posted by Patrick Whatley (Member # 2008) on :
Funny that this came up today. I spent the better part of the morning trying to etch the vase that my niece wants to give her mother for Mother's Day. The Armor Etch would not etch a thing into the surface. Got to be some funky glass or something.
I was out of aluminum oxide for the air eraser so I went to Harbor Freight who, for some unknown reason, carries the stuff. I saw they had a puple spot blaster on sale for $14.99 so I bought it.
That sucker is incredible! 10 times faster than the air eraser and worked great with both aluminum oxide and sand.
Posted by Jeremy Paul Taylor (Member # 4441) on :
Thanks again for your great replys ,I've really enjoyed reading them, & cant wait to have a bash!! Kelly i think your beer mugs it a wonderfull idea ...many thanks Jeremy
Posted by David Overholt (Member # 2096) on :
Jeremy- I've been etching glass for about 20 years, I've used "Armor Etch" and a dry eraser from paashe. The reason you guys are getting un-even etch with the acid is because its not evenly dispursed on the glass. If you look from the back side of the glass and see light thru areas in the cream add more cream umtil its evenly coated. Don't worry about using too much, you can scrape the extra back into the jar after the five minute etch time ( as long as you don't let the cream dry). You can get slight etch variations with the cream by exposing the glass to different etch times.(Kind of like exposing photo paper) I personally like the air eraser best , for the control of the depth.
