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Hi can anyone recommend etching cream? I want to fuse glass some pendants then etch pictures on to them.
I will also use to add dimension to plates I have made.

Someone recommended velvet etch, but I've not found it here.

I am in the UK.

Thanks.
K

I've used Armor etching cream. You can buy it online here: http://www.armourproducts.com/ecom-cats ... .html[list][/list]

ST

I have used Etchall.
Bob

Do they work well?
I was told the velvet one is easy (safer) to use as it's not as strong as other etching creams.

Etchall works great, here is a site you can get more info http://www.glass-etching-kits.com/resis ... ctions.htm
Bob

If you are using an etch to etch dichro on a pendant, it will not work on fired dichro.
I use a lot of Armour etching creme but I would not use it to etch glass for a frosted effect. The etching is too inconsistent to get the frosted finish.
I have little experience with the other cremes. If you wish further information, contact Board sponsor His Glassworks. They have their own brew and will probably be very helpful.

As to safety, I have used Armour Etch for over 10 years without gloves and still have all my digits including fingerprints. Acid etching cremes often get mixed up with nitric and hydrofluoric acids. They are etchants, but very nasty.

Barry

Thanks everyone!
I was going to try and etch my designs on pendants, not quite sure where I'm going with it, but people keep asking if I do jewellery so I'd like to give it a go. If I etched on dichro, it would be on the capping clear piece.

theanimallover wrote:Thanks everyone!
I was going to try and etch my designs on pendants, not quite sure where I'm going with it, but people keep asking if I do jewellery so I'd like to give it a go. If I etched on dichro, it would be on the capping clear piece.

Check out Barry's Site above in his post, he does some great work on pendants and he also has some great tutorials.
Bob

I will thanks! I think I was on Barry's mailing list some year's back.

Thanks Bob,
and come on back animallover.

Barry

I've never found any of the etching creams to be as crisp and clean looking as sandblasting and fire polishing.
If you don't have access to a sandblaster I guess it's a solution, but it's just not as good.
The lines seem fuzzy and not as precise, to me.

Brock wrote:I've never found any of the etching creams to be as crisp and clean looking as sandblasting and fire polishing.
If you don't have access to a sandblaster I guess it's a solution, but it's just not as good.
The lines seem fuzzy and not as precise, to me.

Brock, the one good thing I found about etching solution was after blasting your glass the glass will pick up fingerprints and so, on some pieces after blasting I dip in a solution and it eliminates that problem.
Bob

Yeah, there's many things you can do after blasting to seal the surface.
i'm talking about the quality of line achieved by blasting vs etching. I prefer blasting

]I feel that the determining factor of crispness of etch on dichro (as animallover seems to want) is the masking accuracy, not the method of etch. Using a photo process creates highly accurate results and ultra crisp lines.
These were created using Armour Etch.

Barry, those photos are awful. You literally cannot tell how crisp or fuzzy the lines are, but they appear fuzzy.
I'd get better pictures. I'm familiar with photo processes and I prefer sandblasting.

The pictures are fine, thanks for taking the time Barry.
I'm off the mailing list as I live in the UK, too far for me to travel for courses!

We still have plenty of non-course related information.

I'm trying to frost the bottom of some plates, but I don't like the fingerprintability of the sandblasted surface (I think it's 180 AO media). Anyone have any advise as to the available options?

Different grit size?
Different blast media?

Ways to seal without losing too much opacity?

Different frosting methods?

Hi

you might like to check if the etching creams/liquids can be sent by air. Last time I looked, they were in the category of dangerous items. HIS will post, but there is premium to be paid ($50 from memory).

Some other suppliers don't want to ship.

I was looking at the etching products, decide to sandblast...but i do have a sandblaster,
makes the decision a lot easier

cheers, seachange

It occurs to me that if the plates are going to be washed frequently, the fingerprints will be removed every time they are used. If they are not going to be handled, then there won't be finger prints anyway.