How long to etch glass

Despite what the internet crowd on other sites tell you, products like vinegar, alcohol, smudge free glass cleaners, pure acetone, glue removers, etc, either do not work or are just not necessary. The problem is, these solutions create a barrier that hinder the Etch Cream from making full contact with the glass. The fact is, most of the time your glass is just not that dirty.

The glass you probably will be working with most of the time will be new glass or glass that is already sitting around your home and only needs light cleaning. If you do need more than soap and water, like for recycled glass or old bottles and are having trouble getting all the crud off we have a whole TIPS segment on removing labels and glues , we recommend soaking the glass for awhile in very hot tap water and dish detergent like Dawn for awhile and then give it a scrub with a nylon scrubbie.

Most of the time this enough. If something stronger is still needed, try inexpensive store brand nail polish remover with acetone non-oily , sometimes this is successful at removing glue but you will have to wash the glass afterward with hot soap and water to remove the residue from the acetone.

If your glass can stand up to the dishwasher, you can clean it in one, but the area the stencil will go on will need to be wiped over with a paper towel dampened with plain water to remove the residue left behind from the detergent.

If your piece cannot be immersed in water like sandwiched layers of glass, glued together pieces, etc , you can use a glass cleaner, like our high quality, non residue glass cleaner or ordinary blue Windex not the smudge free kind and a soft paper towel. You can also use a wadded paper towel dipped in clean very warm water and dish detergent.

Avoid handling the area where the stencil will go, the oil from your hands will leave marks in the etching. Wear rubber gloves if touching the glass where you will be working cannot be avoided. Make sure your glass is dry and room temperature. If the glass is cold, the stencil may not adhere well enough. Inspect the side of the stencil that will be touching the glass before applying it. Make sure there is no dirt, debris, hair or dust stuck to it.

Re-check the area on the glass too. Once you have applied the stencil in the desired location, inspect it carefully and make sure that all the edges of the design are firmly attached to the glass. Peel N Etch stencils and vinyl stencils you cut yourself - With these stencils you have to remove the stencil pieces from the design by hand.

Often the edges of the cut lines will lift when pulling the pieces out. If allowed to remain, the etch cream could leak underneath the edge and leave a blurry, ugly spot. Once you have removed all your pieces, lay a piece of paper we like PC printer paper because its lint free and very smooth over the stencil. The paper will prevent the tool from damaging the stencil while rubbing over it.

Take a burnisher tool and rub over the area on top of the stencil until it is well bonded, Lift the paper from time to time to see if you missed any spots. Pay particular attention to the small, highly detailed cut areas. There are a number of tools you can use to burnish with, but it should have a blunt flat edge. One end is pointy to remove the stencil pieces and the other end burnishes down the edges.

Other items you can use are a letter folder, old credit card or a Popsicle stick. Try to weed out the pieces of your design as soon as you apply the stencil. The adhesive backing tends to get more aggressive the longer it sits on the glass and the pieces get difficult to weed out later. It also may leave bits of adhesive behind on the glass, which can be difficult to remove. Over N Over stencils - If these stencils are not laid down smoothly or evenly, part of the design might buckle or pop up off the glass during etching.

Avoid stretching the stencil too much too. Another problem can be the stencil is still wet and the adhesiveness has not returned yet. Pat the stencil on a paper towel and place back on the carrier sheet until it gets sticky again. If your stencil has been used multiple times, there may not be enough adhesive left, so you may need to get a new one or spray it with some stencil adhesive I apply etching cream again and wait another 2 minutes and rinse with cold water.

Check the design. If you see holes, reapply a third time. Can you use adhesive vinyl as a stencil, or do you need something more specific? I use a commercial grade vinyl purchased online Cut my stencils with my cricut. Works wonderfully! When you say commercial grade?

I was curious about using vinyl to make the stencil. The problem I have when etching has to do with the vinyl not cutting completely through. Specifically the inside of letters, like the loop on a lower case g, of the inside of a p. I've tried everything I can think of without luck. Different brands of vinyl, bigger font, simpler font, deeper cut, slower, faster, new blade There is almost always a spot that doesn't cut..

Any tricks or hints? I always double cut my vinyl and that seems to make sure there are no spots that aren't cut. Maybe that will help. I have found that if I clean the glass with alcohol first and let it dry, I get a cleaner and deeper etch. Hello, Can you tell me if you can transfer a photo over the etching cream after it has completely dried?

I find that Oracal makes the best stencil for etching and everything actually. It sticks awesome, even if there is a bubble it doesn't pull up. It also comes off easily, especially with hot water, which I used to rinse off the cream. Hey there, I featured this project in my blog post of 15 DIY wedding gifts to make with a Silhouette! Thanks for the Silhouette inspiration!

I use good old Contact paper for my stencils - one thing I have found to be helpful in getting it to stick, especially to slightly rounded surfaces, is to place it on the glass to be etched, then turn the hair dryer on it on Low heat, moving it around and gently pressing down the stencil especially on the cut edges, til it feels a bit warm.

It really helps the "sticky" afix itself to the glass. I think I am going to try that this weekend! Same here Melissa I had to start again on one of mine and leave it on for about minutes to get it to etch enough : Great tips! Read the safety precautions on the container.

Wear protective clothing and eye protection. Step 9. Use a popsicle stick to apply etching cream in a thick, even coat. A brush is usually recommended for this step, but it's easier and faster to apply a thick coat with a popsicle stick.

Step The etching cream may have some visible crystal chunks; these are a necessary part of its chemistry. However, the etching result can be blotchy and uneven in the areas with crystals. You can remedy this by using the popsicle stick to guide any large crystals away from the area being etched and onto the taped area. Leave the etching cream on for 5 minutes.

I use a timer for this. Twice during that five minutes, after approx. This redistributes the cream in case there are any air pockets or crystals that are creating spots or uneven etching. Be gentle--you don't want to loosen the tape or stickers. Wash off the etching cream under hot tap water, using your gloved hand to wipe it away.

The heat of the water makes it easy to pull off the tape and stickers. Practice first. If you decide to try etching on glass, I recommend that you practice on an old jar or something you won't mind discarding.

I'm sure glad I didn't ruin one of my good glasses in an early practice round. Efficient, time saving tip. If you are etching multiple pieces, it progresses faster if you do all of the taping and sticker application on every piece first. Then you can shift gears to applying the etching cream. I found that I could apply the cream to 3 glasses at a time, wait five minutes and start rinsing them off in hot water.

It's okay if the 2nd and 3rd glasses have the cream on a little longer while you're rinsing the glass before them.

Here's my set of 12 glasses. I don't think anyone would know that the etching wasn't done professionally if I didn't tell them. These could be adapted for so many gifts. There's no limit to the ways they can be personalized for birthdays, weddings, and special occasions. Glasses, jars, candle holders, vases Designs can be added by using silhouette shaped stickers flowers, leaves, circles, etc. See below how Yummy reader Cecilia used this tutorial to etch names onto mason jars for a bachelorette party.

What a clever, awesome idea! Thanks for sharing your photos, Cecilia. Additional online information about etching glass:.

Site Navigation. Looking for holiday gifts for the foodie in your life? Monica's favorite gear for Etching Glass. Etching Cream. This oz bottle is enough for many projects. It is easy and fast-acting. The finished etched glass is durable and dishwasher safe.

View on Amazon. Also available: sticker letters. These sturdy glasses are great for beer, iced tea, water, or any cold beverage. Disposable Latex Gloves. It's essential to wear gloves to protect your hands from the acidic etching cream. I also wear these when I cut and peel hot chile peppers. I use this tape for protecting the glass areas that I don't want etched, and to create a straight line for placing letters.

This tape adheres well but removes easily without leaving a sticky residue. Wooden Sticks. I used these for spreading etching cream on the glasses. They work much better than a brush and are disposable.