Aloha Everyone,
Evidently there are different mediums to Acid Etch glass. Our
company produces our designs and acid etches the designs onto glass.
Since this is a corrosive, an acid, protective gear must be worn,
especially eye shields, and thick gloves.
The largest request for a design template was 4 ft. x 4 ft. for
interior glass sliding doors. To acid etch anything in the house
which can’t be picked up and taken to a clear water bath, bucket, or
hose, creates a problem that must be well thought out in advance.
Our company’s designer pondered long and hard how to cover a portion
of 2 sliding glass doors which are 4 ft. x 8 ft. In order for a
pattern, and for light to pass through the etching, 2 different
designs would look awful. Therefore, she made on 4 ft. x 4 ft.
template and it was used on both doors. When the door is open, the
2 same patterns give a 3-D effect. When the doors are closed, the
patterns look fluid and has continuity, since both are identical,
the images do not clash with each other.
We are happy the craft stores sells Armour Acid Etch cream, that is
thick enough to be brush on the surface after the template design
has been cut, and the glass area to be etched cleaned.
The instructions on the bottle state use alcohol to clean but
through botched experiments, we have discover that Apple Cider
Vinegar is the best cleaning agent possible, and the acid holds onto
the glass better. We also discovered that their instructions of,
“Once you have applied a thick, even coat, do not repeat the process
with a brush.” We have found this to be incorrect for our use. By
working slower, using a smaller, supple brush, the cream is
retouched over and over, in side to side, top to bottom, and
circular designs for 20 to 30 minutes and 10 minutes as suggested.
After all of our experiences, the best designs have come from the
type of application we use.
We don’t use Armour’s Acid Etch Liquid because it is dangerous, but
handled properly, does a great job for reverse etching. It will
acid etch the entire surface. If you place a resist, we use plain
clear, self adhesive Mylar (or shelf paper) from a hardware store
over the areas we want to remain clear, then the Liquid is used to
give the appearance of a glass texture, just like glass found on
beaches that is smooth and opaque, frosted look.
In any profession there is a need for safety first. Any time any
item is used, the instructions should be read carefully first and
understood by the reader.
Armour’s Acid Etch Cream also has lumps in it, if you do not remove
the lumps prior to placing the cream on the surface, holes will
appear in the design. It is also true, that if you use a large
brush, and etch in the manner Armour suggests, brush strokes appear.
Once an item has been etched, it is almost impossible to go back
and fix the flaws. If our designs come out with flaws, we turn them
into geometrical shapes and can reuse the same glass, not wasting
any products. What does happen is it takes more time = labor= more
costs.
Many templates you buy at a store are copyrighted. This means it
can’t be used on any item that is sold. Since we respect the rights
of the designer, we have an in-house artiste that makes the designs
for our company by drawing the template as her own piece of work,
which we then have copyrighted as well.
If any one is interested in how it looks on glass panes on a house,
reply directly to us at our e-mail address with ACID ETCH PICTURES
in the subject line.
Much Aloha,
Barbara
Sand made up of small quartz particles will work differently and