Hi
Where to begin.
There are a lot of people out there who can do amazing things, there skill is unbelievable and in these modern times we are fortunate in that a lot of them make videos and put them on You Tube. I shall trawl through the myriad out there and try to link them on the side of the page but of course search yourself and see what interests you.
I shall also Label certain words ie gold leaf so that in the future if anyone wants to search a certain topic you just need to select the key word in the label box and it should bring up each post on that subject.
There are also many different areas people like to focus on, some etch wine glasses, some deep etch and colour fill bottles while some do huge architectural works or flat work in a variety of sizes. The basics are the same no matter what you decided to do but the equipment you require may differ greatly.
I shall also Label certain words ie gold leaf so that in the future if anyone wants to search a certain topic you just need to select the key word in the label box and it should bring up each post on that subject.
There are also many different areas people like to focus on, some etch wine glasses, some deep etch and colour fill bottles while some do huge architectural works or flat work in a variety of sizes. The basics are the same no matter what you decided to do but the equipment you require may differ greatly.
Probably the best way to start is of course to get tuition but as these people are few and far between, especially in the UK, that may be a little difficult. I remember I went to a quite renowned glass worker in the Newcastle area and had a couple of hours tuition with the son which cost me two of 'The Sandwitch' carving DVDs.
Of course there is a relatively cheap entry into the world of etching and that is Etching Creme, I shall not cover this right now as I shall do this as it's own posting.
I would also recommend joining a Glass forum as there is a wealth of information to be had and the people in the forum will also remember when they first started and give help where and when they can, don't be shy in asking.
Which ever route you take getting the correct equipment the first time around can save you a lot of money in the long term, unfortunately there are not many people than can lay out the few thousand pound for a top cabinet and compressor not to mention the couple of hundred for extraction systems and a carving gun.
Buying the wrong equipment can also cost you a lot of money in the very short term as you will soon find that it is at best inadequate for the job or at worst totally useless and you will have to start buying again.
Yes I am talking from experience.
I have owned 4 compressors and 4 different blasting cabinets, when I first started buying equipment I didn't have a clue what to buy and thought it was maybe for a couple of items. So a lack of knowledge meant I spent a lot of money on the wrong equipment.
The first bad purchase was a small Sealey cabinet. Cost around £60. I think.
A small plastic box with a pair of gloves in, didn't last long.
My next cabinet was home made and a lot larger but I had trouble with extraction so that didn't last long either.
For my next cabinet I decided to go large and had a shed built.
Difficult to see in this shot, the cabinet is at the back and is the full height and width of the shed, I had a big suction system but still had problems with extraction.
That the front sub-frame from my Panther after blasting, this ruined my expensive Aluminium Oxide, so DO NOT clean rust with your precious grit.
The next cabinet is also homemade and is still under construction over a metre wide inside and this time; I think I have the extraction problems sorted, will look at the cabinet when finished.
There are lots of good and very expensive cabinets out there with extraction systems built in and maybe I should have gone this route but I enjoy building them.
Compressors have also come and gone.
My first was a small 3hp Sealey direct drive with a 50 litre tank. Cost around £275.
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As with most people the main thing I looked for was the horse power and the CFM (cubic feet per minute) which is the amount of air taken in for compression, and the FAD (free air delivery) which is the amount of air deliverable for use after compression. I now, after owning one of these know differently. The main thing to look for is the decibels, this thing made so much noise I could not bear to be in the same street as it. It had to go (eBay)
My next was an old used machine with a 150 litre tank. Cost around £150.
Only a single piston pump and around a 2 hp motor, at around 5 to 6 cfm was not up to the job. Now in my brother in laws garage.
My 3rd was a refurbished machine from Shiremoor compressors and cost around £275.
A much better machine giving out around 10 cfm with a twin piston pump and a 3 hp motor on a 160 lt tank, I kept this in the garage and run a hose into the shed so the noise was not a problem for me, unfortunately it was for Lynne as it went around the house as the garage is attached. I sold this when my next one arrived.
My 4th and my last is a very quite Hydrovane HV-02, these are a rotary vane machine with no pistons going up and down and at 69 decibels it's around the same as a Henry vacuum. I bought this as a used serviced machine from a compressor company at a cost £1200.
I have this in the garage and it's a lot quieter, its also 3hp and gives out around 10 cfm.
I have dedicated wiring for the 3hp motor direct from the fuse box with a larger fuse in to take the current and start loads.
I know this latest machine at £1200 is expensive and they are around £2000 new but after years of buying what where for me the wrong machines I have finally found the correct one.
So selecting the correct gear for yourself comes down to (as with most things) the money; you get what you pay for. But in my humble experience the rotary vain is the one to get. There are a lot of older machines on the market and as long as they are serviced with the correct oil should last for thousands of hours as the vains are cast iron. Also no bearings to wear just lubricated bushes and the more use the smoother the blades get and the better they work.
I shall go into cabinets separately in its own post.
I have also linked a video on equipment requirement which is very well made and informative from AZ Glass Classes so please have a look and give it a like.
Paul
Of course there is a relatively cheap entry into the world of etching and that is Etching Creme, I shall not cover this right now as I shall do this as it's own posting.
I would also recommend joining a Glass forum as there is a wealth of information to be had and the people in the forum will also remember when they first started and give help where and when they can, don't be shy in asking.
Which ever route you take getting the correct equipment the first time around can save you a lot of money in the long term, unfortunately there are not many people than can lay out the few thousand pound for a top cabinet and compressor not to mention the couple of hundred for extraction systems and a carving gun.
Buying the wrong equipment can also cost you a lot of money in the very short term as you will soon find that it is at best inadequate for the job or at worst totally useless and you will have to start buying again.
Yes I am talking from experience.
I have owned 4 compressors and 4 different blasting cabinets, when I first started buying equipment I didn't have a clue what to buy and thought it was maybe for a couple of items. So a lack of knowledge meant I spent a lot of money on the wrong equipment.
The first bad purchase was a small Sealey cabinet. Cost around £60. I think.
My next cabinet was home made and a lot larger but I had trouble with extraction so that didn't last long either.
For my next cabinet I decided to go large and had a shed built.
That the front sub-frame from my Panther after blasting, this ruined my expensive Aluminium Oxide, so DO NOT clean rust with your precious grit.
The next cabinet is also homemade and is still under construction over a metre wide inside and this time; I think I have the extraction problems sorted, will look at the cabinet when finished.
There are lots of good and very expensive cabinets out there with extraction systems built in and maybe I should have gone this route but I enjoy building them.
Compressors have also come and gone.
My first was a small 3hp Sealey direct drive with a 50 litre tank. Cost around £275.
.jpg)
As with most people the main thing I looked for was the horse power and the CFM (cubic feet per minute) which is the amount of air taken in for compression, and the FAD (free air delivery) which is the amount of air deliverable for use after compression. I now, after owning one of these know differently. The main thing to look for is the decibels, this thing made so much noise I could not bear to be in the same street as it. It had to go (eBay)
My next was an old used machine with a 150 litre tank. Cost around £150.
Only a single piston pump and around a 2 hp motor, at around 5 to 6 cfm was not up to the job. Now in my brother in laws garage.
My 3rd was a refurbished machine from Shiremoor compressors and cost around £275.
A much better machine giving out around 10 cfm with a twin piston pump and a 3 hp motor on a 160 lt tank, I kept this in the garage and run a hose into the shed so the noise was not a problem for me, unfortunately it was for Lynne as it went around the house as the garage is attached. I sold this when my next one arrived.
My 4th and my last is a very quite Hydrovane HV-02, these are a rotary vane machine with no pistons going up and down and at 69 decibels it's around the same as a Henry vacuum. I bought this as a used serviced machine from a compressor company at a cost £1200.
I have this in the garage and it's a lot quieter, its also 3hp and gives out around 10 cfm.
I have dedicated wiring for the 3hp motor direct from the fuse box with a larger fuse in to take the current and start loads.
I know this latest machine at £1200 is expensive and they are around £2000 new but after years of buying what where for me the wrong machines I have finally found the correct one.
So selecting the correct gear for yourself comes down to (as with most things) the money; you get what you pay for. But in my humble experience the rotary vain is the one to get. There are a lot of older machines on the market and as long as they are serviced with the correct oil should last for thousands of hours as the vains are cast iron. Also no bearings to wear just lubricated bushes and the more use the smoother the blades get and the better they work.
I shall go into cabinets separately in its own post.
I have also linked a video on equipment requirement which is very well made and informative from AZ Glass Classes so please have a look and give it a like.
Paul
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