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NOTE: To purchase, scroll down to the bottom of the
page.
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Essential
glass etching materials!
Glass Etching Resists
Our etching
resists are made especially for etching on glass, they are not recycled
from other industries. They are thick enough and tough enough to
repel the blasting abrasive , but the adhesive releases cleanly
from the glass after the etching is finished.
There are different
thicknesses, and they come on rolls of different widths and lengths.
They all have at least a year long shelf life. In selecting the
right resist for the job, you will obviously need to know a little
about etching, but we will try to explain the basics here. All this
information and much more about resists is found in our books, videos
and hands-on seminars.
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Resists
come on rolls of 10, 20 or 50 yards long by different widths, depending
on resist. Etching resists are two layered - the self adhesive resist
itself plus a silicone coated backing layer. This layer protects
the adhesive on the back of the resist until you are ready to apply
it.
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Apply the resist
to the glass (or the back of the mirror in this example) using a wide,
flat plastic squeegee. This insures that the resit goes down without
trapping bubbles (creating weak spots that might blast through, when
using thinner resists). The plastic will not damage the resist while
applying it. Be sure to visit our page on squeegees
and knives to get the best of
both! |
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Basics of
etching resists
Glass etching resists are made to protect the areas
of glass that should remain clear, during the etching process, no
matter whether you are using abrasive etching (sandblasting) or
if you are using etching cream (chemical etching). Resists come
in different thicknesses. The thicker the resist, the tougher it
is and the more expensive it is. Using etching cream only requires
thin resist, however, when abrasive blasting, you will need to pick
a resist that matches the type of blasting you will be doing.
For blasting
at higher pressure (eg. multi-stage carving, deep single stage carving,
or surface etching large areas with coarse abrasive), most glass
etchers prefer to use thicker resist. For light surface etching
in medium to small areas or for shading, use thinner resist. You
can always use a thick resist for a blasting job that normally doesn't
require one. You will pay more for it, but it does give an extra
margin of safety.
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After cutting
each element with a stencil knife, remove the elements of the resist
where you want the etch to appear on the glass. For this process,
you can use your stencil knife, but the point can easily break, which
can get costly if it happens often. It is better to use a picking
needle or "weeding" needle, shown above. You can get these
from our page on squeegees and knives.
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You can use
these resists on round objects like glassware, too. |
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However, you
may be asking for trouble if you try to use a thin resist where
a thick one would normally be used. In this case, you will save
a little money, but if your pressure is too high, your abrasive
particles too large, or if you hold your nozzle too close, you may
go through the resist and ruin the glass you are etching. Depending
on the cost of the glass, the effect of this could vary from a mild
annoyance to disaster.
Different resists
have different cutting characteristics with stencil knives. Rubber
and soft vinyl resists are much easier to cut than regular vinyl
resists, but are always thicker and more expensive. (Because of
the ease of cutting the softer resists, many people prefer using
them for all their etching in spite of the extra cost.)
We have listed
a table below with the different thicknesses of resists, our suggestions
about their recommended uses, the roll sizes they are available
in and their prices. The recommended uses are suggestions only,
and are subject to your own experience and preferences. For example,
it is possible to carve glass deeply using the thinnest of resist.
HOWEVER - you really have to know what you are doing. You have to
slow your etching speed down, keep the pressure low, keep your hand
moving, etc. so you don't over heat the resist. This process will
also take much longer than with thicker resist.
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Type
of resist
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Characteristics
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Recommended
Uses*
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| 6
mil thick x 18" wide x 10 yards long |
White
vinyl, (hard vinyl) |
This
is your standard opaque blasting resist. It's 50% thicker and safer
than 4 mil, but only costs 10% more. Good for multi-stage shading,
surface etching, careful carving to 1/16" depth or less. |
| 6
mil thick x 18" wide x 50 yards long |
White
vinyl, (hard vinyl) |
| 6
mil thick x 24" wide x 10 yards long |
White
vinyl, (hard vinyl) |
| 6
mil thick x 24" wide x 50 yards long |
White
vinyl, (hard vinyl) |
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| 8
mil thick x 18" wide x 10 yards long |
Clear
vinyl |
This
is your standard clear blasting resist. (see #1 below) Good when you
need to see through the resist to correct mistakes in previously etched
designs, for use when you need to trace the pattern through from underneath,
or when you just need to protect the back of a piece you are working
on. Difficult to use for shading and only tough enough for carving
up to 1/16" deep or less, so used primarily for surface etching. |
| 8
mil thick x 18" wide x 50 yards long |
Clear
vinyl |
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| 10
mil thick x 25" wide x 20 yards long |
Soft
vinyl |
Very
soft and easy to cut.Great for wrapping around curved or 3D objects.
Good for multi-stage shading, surface etching, and excellent for light
to medium depth carving (between 1/16" and 1/8" deep). Tends
to suffer from shrinkage, so cut lines will open up a bit if you wait
several days after cutting before you etch. |
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| 18
mil thick x 25" wide x 10 yards long |
Rubber |
Very
soft and easy to cut. Excellent for medium depth carving (over 1/8"
deep). Can also be used on stone. |
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| 25
mils thick x 25" wide x 10 yards long |
Soft
vinyl |
Soft
and easy to cut. Excellent for medium to very deep glass carving (1/4"
deep or more). Very good for stone or wood. Tends to suffer from shrinkage
(see 12 mil above). |
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Remember, the carving depths mentioned here are only guidelines,
to be checked against your own experience. Your success depends
on how much experience you have and how you set up your blaster.
If you have problems, please refer to our books and videos. As mentioned
above, you can carve with resist as thin as 4 mil (which we don't
carry) or surface etch with resist 25 mils thick, depending on conditions.
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** For more information and to purchase an item, click on the code link for that product. To add one of an item to your shopping basket right away,
click on the "Add One to Basket" button. After clicking the button, you will be brought back to this page.
To view the items in your basket at any time, click on the "Basket Contents" button at the top of every page. |
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| Name | Price |
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300114 | 6 mil thick resist x 18" wide x 10 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$50.00
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300158 | 6 mil thick resist x 18" wide x 50 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$156.00
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300125 | 6 mil thick resist x 24" wide x 10 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$67.45
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300159 | 6 mil thick resist x 24" wide x 50 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$208.00
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300126 | 6 mil thick resist x 30" wide x 10 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$84.27
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300160 | 6 mil thick resist x 30" wide x 50 yards long (white, hard vinyl) |
$260.00
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300117 | 8 mil thick resist x 18" wide x 10 yards long (clear vinyl) |
$67.00
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300128 | 11 mil thick resist x 15" wide x 20 yards long (green, soft vinyl) |
$94.00
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300129 | 11 mil thick resist x 20" wide x 20 yards long (green, soft vinyl) |
$140.00
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300120 | 11 mil thick resist x 25" wide x 20 yards long (green, soft vinyl) |
$162.00
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300130 | 11 mil thick resist x 30" wide x 20 yards long (green, soft vinyl) |
$208.00
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300116 | 18 mil thick resist x 25" wide x 10 yards long (rubber) |
$114.50
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300131 | 25 mil thick resist x 15" wide x 10 yards long (soft vinyl) |
$82.00
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300121 | 25 mil thick resist x 20" wide x 10 yards long (soft vinyl) |
$91.35
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300132 | 25 mil thick resist x 25" wide x 10 yards long (soft vinyl) |
$120.00
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301009 | ImagePro Red 5 mil (roll 10" x 25') |
$195.60
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301010 | ImagePro Red 3 mil (roll 10" x 100') |
$522.00
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