DJ'S Online Lessons


Glass Etching


Have you always wanted to add that little something extra to your piece of stained glass? Why not try glass etching! It looks great on clear glass and really is easy to do. First collect all of the tools you will need. Clear cleaned, rinced and dryed glass, any pattern you choose, mac-tac, exacto knife with sharp blade, fid, rubbing alcohol, a clean soft brush ( a new flux brush works well), etching cream, fine tipped marker and plastic gloves.

Clean your glass and rinse well. Dry your glass well or else the mac-tac will not stick when you put it on. A final cleaning with rubbing alcohol ensures a clean glass surface for the etching compound to work on. Trace the pattern you have chosen onto the plastic mac-tac with your marker and let the ink dry (very important or else the pattern will smear and it is very hard to know where your real line is)

Once you have traced out your pattern it is time to place the pattern on the glass. Pull back the backing of the mac-tac a small amount at a time and place on the glass (sticky side on the surface of the glass) carefully rub the plastic onto the glass avoiding air bubbles ( the air bubbles can let the etching cream run under your work and etch where you did not want it to).

Once the plastic is on your glass and the air bubbles are worked out it is time to start cutting out the pattern with your sharp (so the plastic does not rip) exacto blade. Cut on the lines of the area where you want the cream to go on to the glass. Remove the plastic where you want the cream to be applied. Where ever you leave plastic on will stay clear and where there is not plastic with be etched with the cream.

Once you have removed all the plastic from the glass where you want to etch double check that all is right because once the cream goes on it starts to etch right away. Working with your etching cream, soft brush and rubber gloves in a well vented area start applying the etching cream. Apply enough cream that the whole area you want etched is well covered with cream. Work the cream over the glass that you want etched with your soft brush and let stand for 10 minutes (personally I can't let it stand still I keep moving the cream around in all different directions until my time is up).

Once the time is up, take your work to the sink (with your gloves on) and rinse the etching cream off of your work (a soft natural bristle brush works well), carefully (so the plastic does not move) with warm water running water. Once all of the cream is off your work dry with clean paper towels. Let it sit for a minute and air dry as well, this will make sure the glass is really dry and you will see the true level of etching. If you are happy with the dry look remove the plastic. If not, do not remove the plastic but apply another coating of cream and let sit for another 10 minutes and then rinse again with warm running water and dry again. You now like the look of the area you have just etched so remove the plastic. There you go your own work of art!! Clean up your work station and brushes and you are set to try another project another day.

Below are some pictures from one of our in-studio etching seminars.