Glass etching

[Bert Kemp]

Is there something other then vinyl you can use for a stencil to etch glass with etching cream. Something I can cut out the stencil on the laser and not worry about the fumes and all?

[Chris DeGerolamo]

Pretty sure there are laserable resists on the market, what about LaserTape?

[Bert Kemp]

I don't know whats available , I've never done any etching, so I don't know how the stuff affects the resists.
Just looked up laser Tape looks like that would work. Thanks

[Bert Kemp]

is there anything else that would work?

[Kim Vellore]

I have not tried it but have you checked peel-able paint. It dries so thin that if it has toxic stuff it might be small when lasered. I would check the msds too.
Kim

[Bert Kemp]

HI No never heard of peel-able paint. is this a mask of some kind?Ok I googled it. don't think this would work. I need to cut a stencil with laser then apply that stencil to what ever glass surface I want ot etch

[David Takes]

Any polyester tape or film would work. For sandcarving flat substrates I use Lazer's Edge Tape from Specialty Tapes (FAST). It can also be acquired through JDS Industries. It is red in color.

I have never used etching cream, so have no idea if lasering through the standard films would leave an adequately cleared surface for cream application. You may discover that the result of cream etching of laser engraved glass is as awful looking as plain old laser engraved glass.

[Tony Lenkic]

Bert,

See this video on you tube. Gives you an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDVWnBepTFs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDVWnBepTFs)

[Bert Kemp]

what I want to do is laser cut the stencil then apply that to a window then put on the etching cream. It still has to be able to stick to a window after take it from the laser

[Gary Hair]

The problem with that is that you need to have a carrier to hold the pieces together and the only way to get this, at least that I know of, is with washout resist like R3 or R5. There isn't anything suitable for glass that is laserable that has a carrier.

Since you don't need much thickness for the resist to work, how about making a reverse-image rubber stamp and using something like Plasti-dip for the "ink"? There are other paint-on mask materials but I'm not sure which, if any, will hold up to the etching cream. I know they hold up to sandblasting as I have used them before.

[Bert Kemp]

guess Im gonna have to try a couple different things to see if something works.

[Jerome Stanek]

I use a vinyl mask that I cut on my CNC with a drag knife