The need to etch glassware

Ok, so yesterday evening I was sitting on my porch swing in the yard watching a car pass by every now and then, all the while enjoying one of my favorite beverages.

The glass I was using has a sand dollar “etching” on it.

I mean this thing is real real smooth, but you can tell it’s not some screen printing thing or something along those lines. You can barely feel the pattern, but enough to know it’s there.

How as this done?

5 pts for anyone that can guess the beverage I was indulging in. :slight_smile:

Probably hydrofluoric acid or abrasive etching through a mask: quick, easy, and well-suited for mass production.

No fussy laser rotary chucks required …

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Hi.

^This.
If I had to make a guess between chemical and abrasive, judging by the rough(ish) edges I’d pick abrasive.
Could just as easily be chemical as well though, the choice usually comes down to which sales person has the better sales pitch ;).
At least if environmental regulations don’t restrict the use of the chemicals required :wink: .

Dr Pepper with rum (or vice versa :wink: )?

Regards,
Sam

Thanks for the info. I would love to be able to etch wine glasses and the such in this fashion. I’m still trying to figure out how to “mark” shot glasses for one of my customers in Florida gift shop. They don’t want etching, but more of dark marking. I’m going to try the TI and DNA thing to see if I can get there.

So using the equipment that I have Fiber and CO2, I pretty much can’t get that look shown in the pic… right?

Sam Close, but no Cigar!

I think most colored prints on glass are pad printed with a glaze and fired. Might be able to “fire” a glaze with laser… Not sure if it requires any prep to tooth the glass prior to glazing, tho.

You could laser-cut a vinyl-ish mask, stick it on the glass, apply etchant / dye / glaze / whatever through the mask, then peel the mask.

Plenty of per-unit hand work with toxic chemical issues.

LOL @ Ed… na, I don’t want to spend 8 hours doing 8 shot glasses…

Thanks though :wink:

Kinda not why we got lasers in the first place …

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