Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Etching Glass

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Elizabeth City NC
    Posts
    19

    Default Etching Glass

    I had bought a diamond drag bit that was quite expensive and was thoroughly disappointed in its performance. I attempted to etch a military symbol about 5 inches long and 1 inch high and the diamond wore out before it finished. I don't know if i had received a bad tip or what but had to get a project out asap.

    So in my hasted I attempted to use a diamond etching bit for a Dremmel #7134 and to my surprise it did quite well and actually carved the glass vs just etching it. It did so well i actually set it up to do a multi layer cut in glass first cut was 1/32 and the second was 1/16 to give a 3d effect. Unfortunately I didn't save a picture of the project, but just for fun i etched a 3 dollar picture frame glass i got from hobby lobby to show everyone. The vector was not very good either

    #7134.JPGKIMG0029.jpgNCM_0024 (2).jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Elizabeth City NC
    Posts
    19

    Default

    BTW I made all my cuts with the glass submerged in water, The bit will burn up if you don't use water. My first cut I used a spray bottle, but later on I submerged the glass using a cookie pan and 2 sided tape.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    7,832

    Default

    You wouldn't think a diamond would wear out with glass? But the other bit looks like it worked quite well. That's a good tip about submerging it in water but i would have thought the tape wouldn't hold. What brand of two sided tape did you use? Good job...
    Words of Wisdom:
    “Words that sink into your ears are whispered…… not yelled”
    “The biggest trouble maker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every morn’n”
    “The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth”
    -----------
    Just remember...when it's time for the hearse to pull up..there's no luggage rack on top!
    -----------
    The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it...Thomas Jefferson

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    gleason, wi 54435
    Posts
    449

    Default

    Nice recovery with the dremel bit Crypto. You went 1/16 deep in one pass?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Tyler, TX
    Posts
    141

    Default

    looks good, and thanks for the info on hoe to cut on glass

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Piedmont, SD
    Posts
    728

    Default

    Could you clarify- I get the impression you shifted to an engraving type path with the dremel bit spinning. Is that correct, or did you simply drag it with motor unplugged?
    Nicely done!

    Jeff

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Elizabeth City NC
    Posts
    19

    Default

    To answer some questions, to get to the depth of 1/16 I made 4 passes @ approx .0156 a pass.

    As for the tape, I used an industrial 2 sided tape I got from Lowes to hold the glass in place. I also used a heat gun to warm the glass and tape prior to putting it on the glass, this made the adhesive more sticky when applying it. Since there is no draw to the bit I just need to keep the glass from sliding around.

    As for the engraving I added the bit to my tool database as an .04 end mill and cut the glass using the pocket profile with a spindle speed of 12k, .5 feed rate, and step over of 40%. I haven't really pushed this bit yet to see what feeds and depths I can get out of it either, but if anyone tries I like to see their results.

    One more note the bit will wear over larger cuts so I broke down my jobs into segments so I could bump the z down as it wore down. FYI The picture( 5x8 ) that was posted was cut to a depth of .02 and took approx 30 min with no wear of the bit.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Norman, Ok
    Posts
    3,251

    Default

    I'm not sure a CNC is the best tool to frost glass. Sandblasting is the way to go. Far and away it's sharper, cleaner and faster. All you need is a little sandblast resist and a little blast cabinet. I'm sure you could find someone in your community who would be glad to assist.

    Little projects like these should blast in about five minutes. But if you want to use your router, just for fun, that's reason enough to continue.

Similar Threads

  1. Chemical etching of glass?
    By myxpykalix in forum ShopBotter Message Board
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 03-04-2014, 10:26 AM
  2. Etching Glass
    By Howley in forum ShopBotter Message Board
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 01-25-2014, 09:33 PM
  3. Etching in aluminum
    By ttwark in forum ShopBotter Message Board
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 03-13-2013, 02:19 PM
  4. Etching Pint Glass
    By dgilbert in forum ShopBotter Message Board
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 12-13-2011, 08:49 PM
  5. Sculpt Nouveau Qs and Glass etching
    By harryball in forum ShopBotter Message Board
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 02-11-2009, 10:12 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •