Etching vs sandblasting vs tumbling

demcc2 · #1 2012-01-19, 9:25am

Hi everyone! Which method would you rather choose to give your work a frosted look....etching (with crystals, liquid, paste, etc) sandblasting ( I reallize sandblasting may eat away the glass fairly quick if you're not careful) or tumbling with ultra super fine grit?

Also imagine that equipment would be provided at no charge!!

Duane

Lorraine Chandler · #2 2012-01-19, 10:01am

For me I sandblast the coes and colors that do not like etching. The sandblasting equipment cost us about 700.00 at harbor freight. The medium I have to order special from the bay area.

It is really fun but time consuming and costly for the set up but the results are great. The extra cost has to be added to the bead so they do get pricey.

Tumbling takes a long time, electricity and we can still here that tumbler out in the garage through the walls...tumblers can be expensive and need meduims also.

I love using etchall the best. My beads go in for about 30 seconds to two minutes and they are a soft beautiful velvet. Hardly any time involved, no special pricey equipment and it's done quickly so that I do not have to add any $$ to the beads.

Decisions decisions

Duane I tried clicking on your etsy link but it didn't work for me.

AmorphousDesigns · #3 2012-01-19, 6:38pm

Hi Duane,

I've tried all 3 methods, this is my observation

chemical etch -
Pro: cheap, fast and easy, gets into the crevices of decoration.
Con: doesn't work on boro, safety concerns, needs to be replaced occasionally

tumbling - my current preference
pro: easy, set & forget, large batch processing, works on boro, tumbler can be used for other purposes (polishing and work hardening jewelry metals), grit is cheap.
Con: noisy? (I have Lortone 3B and don't find it too loud), initial expense moderately high, doesn't get into the crevices of raised decorations (could be a pro if you design with that in mind).

sandblast - on my wishlist for boro sculpture stuff someday
pro: fine control of where and how much gets etched, works on everything
con: initial expense high, can be dusty, single item at a time, overkill if only used for small items like beads

fourpawsglass · #4 2012-01-20, 6:49am

I have a sandblaster which I got from a tractor supply place that was only $100. It has a well constructed cabinet with good, strong gloves. I will admit the dust is a problem if you use it inside so my DH constructed me a base with wheels that allows me to move it outside - nothing like sandblasting outside on a beautiful day! I load many items in the cabinet so that I don't have to keep opening and closing the lid. For beads, I string them on a piece of a bent metal coat hanger that looks like a big safety pin - not too many because you want to keep some space to get in between the beads.