Replies

1. 
   MrBill | Feb 29, 2004 10:54pm | #1

   David,

    There is a special mask for sandblasting. It is a heavy rubber mask about .040" thick with a peel off backing. Most sign places should have it if they are doing any type of blasting.  My wife gets it from a local sign shop but I think it might be available where they sell sand blasting suppies too.

   Vinyl might work, but only if you are lightly "dusting" with the blaster, not doing a deep etch.

   Hope this helps,

   Bill Koustenis

   Advanced Automotive Machine

   Waldorf Md

   
   

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   Edited 2/29/2004 2:56:04 PM ET by MrBill

2. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Mar 01, 2004 03:52am | #2

   There's also etching paste that does its job chemically.   You can get it at many glass shops, particularly ones that sell stained glass or other craft supplies.   It doesn't etch very deeply, but does make the glass opaque.  Vinyl stick-on letters are a good mask.

3. 
   Lateapex911 | Mar 01, 2004 05:14am | #3

   Also, for smaller projects the peel and stick "etched" stuff works well. easy to use and trim, I've used it in cabinets and nobody has ever guessed. Not for everything, just another option.

   Jake Gulick

   [email protected]

   CarriageHouse Design

   Black Rock, CT

1. 
   ponytl | Mar 01, 2004 07:03am | #4

   I have etched a ton of glass... mostly for fun but i did a 25' x 30' storefront for a bar once... and all i've ever used was cheap discount store shelf or contact paper... and an opage (sp) projector hand cut it all with an exacto knife..  have used the same method using sign material to hand cut signs... all turned out well... the grit of the sand does make a difference... but it's not rocket science

   pony

1. 
   moltenmetal | Mar 01, 2004 07:34pm | #5

   I've sandblasted both glass and slate, and several layers of plain old hardware store masking tape were my tool of choice.  I found that the thick rubbery self-adhesive masking stuff was great for dead flat surfaces like glass, but peeled away far more readily than masking tape did on any kind of a curved or otherwise irregular surface.  Plus it's way cheaper.  Amazing how you can blast away 1/4" of slate while three layers of masking tape are resistant to the blasting!

   I'd stay away from the chemical etchants.  Etchants for glass all contain hydrofluoric acid or fluorides and are highly toxic as well as insidiously corrosive to your body.  Hydrofluoric acid causes little pain on contact, but can make its way through your skin and start eating your bones in an hour's time.  Painful and totally unnecessary.

1. 
   Sphere | Mar 01, 2004 10:32pm | #6

   so that's how to dispose of those nasty unwanted bones I got all over the place..HMMMMMmmm

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   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

1. 
   rez | Mar 01, 2004 10:42pm | #7

   Wait till you find a buried tombstone in the side yard.

   We'll see you HMMMMMmmm ing a little quieter then I'll bet. 

2. 
   Sphere | Mar 01, 2004 10:56pm | #8

   got a metal detector..lookin for the ol outhouse site!! Gotta be some buried loot some where!..

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   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

3. 
   rez | Mar 01, 2004 11:00pm | #9

   Outta be a dump out back not to far away.

   Sometimes careful digging will uncover a large flat something that protected the glass underneath.

   First bottle will get an honorary place on the b&g's fireplace mantel. 

4. 
   rez | Mar 01, 2004 11:04pm | #10

   When demoing an old house once I met a guy that studied old land records to look for old cisterns and such. Claimed he unearthed a lot of goodies in the process. 

5. 
   Sphere | Mar 01, 2004 11:12pm | #11

   yeah, I got a chance to talk with one of the old timers nearby..wealth of knowledge about my house..it's the oldest one for quite a ways around me. He is tryin to find any old snapshots he may have..so I can see what it looked like..way back. That will be sooooo cool. I am still finding out stuff about it..(hiding place for slaves and such)..and found out some of the hand chisled rocks from the hearth may be worth some coin..but I am using them in the new hearth and front wall of the porch..

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   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

6. 
   moltenmetal | Mar 01, 2004 11:15pm | #12

   When I was in the environmental clean-up business, one of the hazardous waste disposal companies was known to be run by two Italian brothers of questionable virtue.  The joke around the site was that each roll-off box for disposal came with a free pair of "cement shoes"...Hey- who's a-gonna look in the toxic waste dump?