View Full Interactive Version Of This Page : Some colors don't etch!
Thirteenmoons
2006-02-20, 7:33am
Why is it that some colors, frits for the most part, won't etch for me? They're not quite as glossy when they come out of the bath but definitely not etched. I just had this problem with Boro Bora yesterday. Just curious.
Transparents don't etch as well as opaques. Frit doesn't etch as well as Moretti. I'm sure one of our tech gurus can say why, but all I know is that it is a pain. :)
Bullseye is the same way -- the translucents will etch (generally) but the others won't.
jaylee78
2006-02-20, 8:54am
I'm not sure why they don't, but another one that doesn't like to be etched is rubino.
alissa
2006-02-20, 10:00am
I can't get cheap black to etch without looking nastily pitted.
A lot of reds (and other colors) come out streaky, as some parts will etch better than others. I wish they would etch evenly!
That's why I love sandblasting!
If you don't want to get a blaster, check around your town for a place that might let you come in and blast stuff occasionally. We have a cold shop at the Museum with grinders and blasters and saws and all that good stuff that people can use.
kimberly
2006-02-21, 11:41am
If you get to where you know which colors of glass etche and which colors are more difficult to etch, you can use this knowledge to your advantage in designs.
Most of the frits people are using are a slightly lower COE that Effetre, slightly "harder" glass, hence, a little more difficult to etch. I have had no problem getting a nice even etch on all Bullseye colors. The beads just need to be in the etch solution a little longer. I etch for a while, take them out, clean and dry, then back into the solution to etch more. Repeat as necessary.
You can also use a tumbler and grit to etch beads all over - lovely soft effect.
Thirteenmoons
2006-02-22, 10:10am
Oh... so you're saying I should get a sand blasting set up and/or a tumbler? Great idea! Lol! As long as I have a good excuse : ) Seriously, I'd love to sand blast but the tumbler sounds like a good investment now b/c I can use it for other applications. I was right on the edge of justifying one! Wohoo!
Melodie
2006-02-22, 12:55pm
I use Etch Bath to etch BE glass, the others won't touch the transparents. This is a stronger solution then the normal bead etching cremes and liquids. You can normally find it at Michael's.
kbinkster
2006-02-22, 2:18pm
Blasting or tumbling is more offective on boro than the acid bath. Just think of all the pyrex laboratory beakers out there being used to hold and measure acids.
smutboy420
2006-02-22, 4:43pm
it has less to do with how "hard the glass is or its COE witch has noting to do with a glass hardness COE is its coeficent of expansion.
and is a matter of chemistry mainly.
Difrent acids and basses can dissolve difrent things and not disolve others.
like for instance quartz glass is way harder then pyrex as far as hardness goes. but way way lower Coe then boro and even much lower then soft glass.
but is a 7 on the moss hardness scale 7 is quartz the stone)
But even tho hyofloric acid will eat boro glass it eats quartz even better.
Because of it chemistry.
smutboy420
2006-02-23, 1:15pm
Oh... so you're saying I should get a sand blasting set up and/or a tumbler?
If you can get a sand blast set up go for it. You can do a lot of stuff with it. and you can deep carve using stencels. If all you need is to get a overall surface fininsh over an entire pcs then a tumbler will work. But the blaster can be used to do what you can do in a tumbler but not allways the other way around. Even a small sand blaster set up will allow you do some pretty big pcs.
hard or soft works just as well.
kimberly
2006-02-23, 1:21pm
it has less to do with how "hard the glass is or its COE witch has noting to do with a glass hardness COE is its coeficent of expansion.
and is a matter of chemistry mainly.
Difrent acids and basses can dissolve difrent things and not disolve others.
like for instance quartz glass is way harder then pyrex as far as hardness goes. but way way lower Coe then boro and even much lower then soft glass.
but is a 7 on the moss hardness scale 7 is quartz the stone)
But even tho hyofloric acid will eat boro glass it eats quartz even better.
Because of it chemistry.
That is cool! I didn't know this. Have to go try now!
I've never had any problem etching, tho I've only tried with Moretti and frits. I love the beach glass look of etched transparents and also frit over transparent. The only time I have problems with streaking is when my etching solution isn't fresh - it definitely needs to be changed regularly when being used a lot. I also have a tumbler and that works very well too. Lots cheaper than setting up for sandblasting (although I'd love to have a sandblasting setup!)
SassyCassie
2006-02-23, 6:56pm
Just stumbled along this thread...I am dying to try the tumbler...what kind of grit do I need to get? I don't want to tumble for 10 hours and find no change..hate to waste the energy. :)
Thanks! :)
Cass
kandice
2006-02-23, 7:42pm
Yep, I have to leave it in extra long to get a good etching, and even then it's not as matte as any other color. It looks cool when it's on black, though, because the black etches so nicely, and the rubino ends up being semi glossy. Pretty.
I'm not sure why they don't, but another one that doesn't like to be etched is rubino.
Steph'sBeadCorner
2006-02-23, 7:44pm
You can also use a tumbler and grit to etch beads all over - lovely soft effect.
I was wondering if this is "easier" for those beads that are hard to etch with the liquid and cream forms?
What are you using to etch with? I've never had a problem with Rubino. As for tumbling grit...I guess maybe a 400 to 600 grit. I would advise you to test it out on some beads you don't care too much about. I have bunches of broken beads I use as "ballast" to get the tumbler contents up to 2/3 or whatever it is they recommend.
I was wondering if this is "easier" for those beads that are hard to etch with the liquid and cream forms?
It will always work, although not fast. After all, glass is not so hard as quartz and quartz is no problem to tumble. I don't have problems tumbling until I get up to corundum (mohs 9). I think glass is around 6.
Thirteenmoons
2006-02-23, 9:14pm
I just love all this scientific info! Makes me miss school! Lol! This turned into a great thread! Thanks!
I was really into lapidary stuff before I took my first lampworking class. Haven't done any lapidary since, though (got the fire bug!) I can laugh at the old wives tale that you can tell a real diamond because it will scratch glass since there are many softer stones that will also scratch glass. Glass just isn't all that hard.
smutboy420
2006-02-25, 12:45pm
Glass just isn't all that hard. 100% right on.
lapidary and silver smithing was what I did before glass also. Cool beans.
I'm really hoping to get back into the lapidary at some point, but for now my time is very limited. One thing I really want to try is putting some small tumbled stones in a blown bead. I have some great tourmaline and aquamarine pebbles, nicely tumbled. Compared to aquamarine, glass is downright soft!
WhiskerWood
2006-04-15, 4:53pm
Has anyone tried the tumbler with 400 or 600 grit???
I have a tumbler and I want to try this method out since I don't like using chemicals as a general rule...
I would love any further info. Thanks! :)
Etch Bath will etch BE and the frits, even the transparents. But be careful with the stuff, it's very caustic to hands and eyes.
I discovered "lime away" will etch stuff. even when I tried to wash it off in a hurry it didn't matter... it was etched. big time etched. as in completely frosted :( wasn't good. but might work really well for this purpose.
Oh this is great information! I would love to etch BE erbium pink without pitting and now I have a plan. Thanks!
BonfireBeads
2006-04-16, 8:53am
I just bought some etch bath...thanks Alex! I would love to get a good even etching on my bullseye transparents! (By the way it's on sale, http://www.etchworld.com/item--32-oz-Etch-Bath-Dipping-Solution--15-0280 )
maddog1050
2006-04-16, 6:10pm
If you get a tumbler and plan to use more than one size grit you should get additional barrels, one for each grit. That way there won't be any cross contamination.
Enamels don't etch as readily as opaques either, I have found. So if you make a stringer using enamels and apply that to the surface and melt in, then etch, you will get a nifty ribbon effect where the base bead area is matte and the enamel stringer area is not. Subtle but it looks nice!
By the way, that Etchworld website is great! Thank you for that, Angie!!
JanMD
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