What are your favorite colors to etch?

[Patti]

I haven't done much etching--chemical or tumbling. Here are my questions:

1. What are your favorite colors to etch?

2. Are there colors that tend to look ugly when etched?

3. Which do you prefer--chemical or tumbling?

The one thing that I have learned in my brief etching experience is that if my bead was ugly before etching, it was REALLY ugly after etching :lol:.

[Kevan]

The ivorys. Any browns. Pinks. Wait. Maybe colors I don't like to etch. The silver colors, but not all of them, I like Kugler Silver blue etched. Etching takes the iridescent finish off, so it's not great to do it with any of the colors you want that on.

Other than that, I like etched. I don't think the color plays a part so much as the individual bead.

I haven't tumbled. I use etchall dip. I put it on a piece of wire and stick it in the bottle. I put some shea butter on them now afterwards. I just started doing that recently.

I like silver foil on the surface and then etched.

I tried tumbling with some beach sand. After two day - nothing. Not a scratch on the glass. How does the beach do it?

What do people use to tumble glass with anyway?

[SuzyQ]

I can't think of a color I wouldn't etch. I don't etch often but my favorites are copper green and pale transparants.

[AlivELampworK]

my favorite colors to etch are powder pink and moroccan swirl (ask 104).

powder pink.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/alivelampwork/IMG_3243.jpg


moroccan swirl.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/alivelampwork/IMG_3246.jpg

[lnew]

I love etching transparent shades like light green or light brown. It really makes the designs pop out.
84346

[Patti]

Ooooh, pretty beads!!! Thanks for the pictures. And Kevan, thanks for the tip about the wire and the shea butter. I tried soaking in some milk last night after rinsing off the Etch All. About how long do you leave them in the Etch All? I tried about 10 minutes.

I found this thread on tumbling:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48585&highlight=tumble+etch

I think that I will order some of the Silicon Carbide Grit and the Cerium oxide. I think dealing with the Etch All has held back my desire to etch, but if I try using the wire, I am sure that will help!

Thanks again, everyone!

[RyanTheNumberImp]

I bought a tumbling kit with 1/2lb of 80, 220, 400, prepolish and cerium polish as well as 1lb of plastic pellets.

I personally have only used the cerium and plastic pellets, I just toss in all my murrini and let them tumble for a few days and it smooths them out nicely. The plastic pellets are to prevent the glass from knocking against eachother since you don't want big scratches or chips when you are trying to polish.

I would etch a bead with about a tablespoon of 220 or 500 grit, and plastic pellets until you are 1/2-2/3 full. The plastic pellets can be reused, any grits need to be thrown into the garbage (they compact after a few hours of not being in motion, so don't stop the tumbler for too long), but cerium oxide can be reused if you keep the water. I can't see it taking more than two hours, although you could leave them in as long as you want if you want to change the shape.

If you are planning on using cerium oxide as well you should get a new barrel and plastic pellets because just one piece of grit will scratch up all your stuff.

[DesertDreamer]

I love etched ivory, also turquoise. In transparents, rose and pale aquamarine are my favorites...oh, also the palest topaz. (All Moretti.)

I don't think transparent red or orange look as good etched.

[Lara]

Light transparent brown and amber rose are beautiful etched. Copper green is another favorite. Clear and transparent light blue are nice too.

[Carolyn M]

Can I ask what the advantages to tumbling are? I'm trying to cut down on energy consumption, and have to wonder about running a tumbler for days versus dipping beads for 10 minutes.

[RyanTheNumberImp]

Tumbling has a different look, can create a large variety of finishes (from rough through satiny to polished), and can reshape the bead (like tumbling a rough rock into a smooth polished shape). Also, some glass doesn't play well with etching (such as boro) and needs to be sandblasted or tumbled.

That being said, tumbling is a lot more work, and a much larger investment (especially if you use one container and set of plastic pellets per grit).

I just tumble because I had a ball mill laying around and I don't want to have to take each separate slice to a lapidary grinder (although that would produce a better finish).

[Carolyn M]

Thanks for the info Ryan!

[NLC Beads]

Copper green, turquoise - I don't like the silvering they get, so I etch 'em instead.

Silvered ivory, black, regular ivory... Transparents...

I use etching liquid, too, throw 'em in there until I remember I should pull them out - maybe 5 minutes or so?

[PinkLilyDesigns]

Here's a site that shows each color side by side. One etched, one not.

http://serenasbeadery.com/color%20gallery.asp

[bubblebabeuk]

Here's a site that shows each color side by side. One etched, one not.

http://serenasbeadery.com/color%20gallery.asp

Wow thanks for the link thats a FAB resource!

[Patti]

Hi Ryan, I bought all the polishing compounds that you mentioned. However, I didn't find the ceramic pellets, so I bought some glass pony beads. Do you think they will work in place of the pellets?

Thanks to Desert Dreamer, Lara, and LLC for the color suggestions. Can't wait to try them!

And PinkLilyDesigns, that is a really great link!!!

Off to the torch....

[RyanTheNumberImp]

As long as you don't get chipping, I would think anything should work. I was told to use the plastic pellets (and it came with the kit) but I have heard of using everything from small bits of glass to sugar (the stickyness slows down the action). You could probably use nothing, but if the barrel isn't full enough the beads will just slide instead of falling over each other.
The glass pony beads sound fine to me.

Just one thing I forgot to mention, make sure you fill the tumbler with water. You can fill within 1/8" of the lid, but as long as all the contents are covered you will be ok.

Some people say that the container pressurizes over time so you may want to be careful when opening it, although I have never had a problem.