Glass etching - cheaply?

The absolute cheapest way per piece is to sandblast using double layers of
contact paper or sign vinyl and cut your own patterns with an Xacto knife.
The most accurate is probably photo emulsion (like from Photobrasive) for
making the mask and then sandblasting, You can use the sun to expose the
film and wash it out with a garden hose with a pressure nozzle.
Use aluminum oxide, 180 grit or finer. You can build your own sandblasting
box. Small sandblasters can be had at Harbor Freight for less than $100.
And a regular home compressor will power them for a short period, but long
enough to do some glasses or small panels.

--
There are no mistakes, only unexplored techniques

"ConTactMe" wrote in message
om...
What's the cheapest way to etch glass? I can do it with a dremel on a
router, but it's a long process, and very inaccurate for reproductions.
How
can I convert a picture chemically to glass? This is for home projects,
but
I still want excellent results, and am willing to spend some money upfront
on the process, or build any devices I can to make it cheaper in the long
run.

Thanks

I just got a small blast box from Harbor Freight for about $70. I haven't
even had time to try it yet.

How much CFM and pressure are you using for glasses and small panels?


"Louis Cage" wrote in message
.. .
The absolute cheapest way per piece is to sandblast using double layers of
contact paper or sign vinyl and cut your own patterns with an Xacto knife.
The most accurate is probably photo emulsion (like from Photobrasive) for
making the mask and then sandblasting, You can use the sun to expose the
film and wash it out with a garden hose with a pressure nozzle.
Use aluminum oxide, 180 grit or finer. You can build your own
sandblasting
box. Small sandblasters can be had at Harbor Freight for less than $100.
And a regular home compressor will power them for a short period, but long
enough to do some glasses or small panels.

--
There are no mistakes, only unexplored techniques

"ConTactMe" wrote in message
om...
What's the cheapest way to etch glass? I can do it with a dremel on a
router, but it's a long process, and very inaccurate for reproductions.
How
can I convert a picture chemically to glass? This is for home projects,
but
I still want excellent results, and am willing to spend some money
upfront
on the process, or build any devices I can to make it cheaper in the
long
run.

Thanks