Abrasive Etching versus Acid Etching

Hi

I have quite busy this time home and only a few days left before I go back to work I have bought some new additions to my blasting equipment and a use for the third solenoid on my air outlet manifold.

I had originally fitted a electric foot pedal to operate a trigger-less nozzle but thought it may break the solenoid valve with the constant on off so I have bought a air valve foot pedal instead.

Not a cheap option at £40 each but it it was required for the new blasting gun at £70

This is the 6mm Tungsten model, I don't know if it was the right move as this thing is huge and very un-weildy in the cabinet, it also requires quite a lot of air pressure to get a good flow. I have found my trigger gun ideal for glass but not so good for the ceramics but shall give this ago.

Another job I have just completed is the replacement cups I made with Labradoodle on.

Unfortunately it was not a Labradoodle but a Cockerpoo, not my fault but the guy who gave me the info.

I have since replaced these with new cups with a new design.

Can you guess what it says.

Back to the subject at hand.

I was around working at my sister this week who is also very crafty when her friend came round and in conversation mentioned that she had ordered a bottle of Armour Etch to try on glasses but didn't have a clue how to do it. I explained and showed her the blog on acid etching and about the youtube videos, luckily she owns a Silhouette cutting machine and is learning how to use it so she is mostly there.

I wanted to compare acid etch to blasting etch and as I had a glass I had scratched I thought a experiment was in order.

This is just a word on how careful you need to be while working on a job, I had fully blasted this glass and cleaned it, it wasn't till the next day I was packing it that I saw the very deep scratch.

You can see it under the h and above the o in fact you can't miss it, yet I did and can't figure out how such a deep scratch occurred, luckily I noticed it.

So this little test is to see the difference between the two.

*REMEMBER SAFETY --- GLOVES AND GLASSES*

I first heated the bottle of acid in a jug of hot water giving it regular shaking and keeping the water hot by replacing it until the contents felt hot.

Then the template was cut - weeded and stuck on the cleaned glass, I have taken to using optical glasses cleaner now as my sister gets it cheap at the cash and carry.

I then masked off the area as the acid being warm is a lot more fluid and may run where not wanted. 

Then a liberal coating of acid noting the time, this was going to be a 15 minute etch.

I gave it an initial scrubbing with the vibrating toothbrush to ensure all of the corners and edges where fully covered, then around half way through I gave it a second.

After the 15 minuets where up I scrapped off the acid and replaced it in the bottle for further use.

Then a good wash along with the application tools before peeling.

Well there was only one way to test and that was using a wife.

This was the acid.

and this was the blast.

And her verdict: 

Well it's pretty certain the blast came out on top, slightly deeper and more whiter than the acid still the acid isn't that bad and if you have nothing to compare against then it looks fine. It is obviously a lot smoother especially seeing as I am using a rough 120 now worn down to around 150 grit aluminium oxide.

Think I'll stick to my blasting.

Paul