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some advice on masks for sandblasting fine art glassware?
Hi All,
I’m after some advice on masks for sandblasting fine art glassware.I’ve been asked to produce some screen printed one off masks for hand blown glassware. My customer showed me a sample of the mask, she got this from her current print supplier, who keeps on letting her down with the print quality and leadtimes.
The mask looks like tracing paper but has gloss on one side and adhesive on the other. She sticks this to the glass, the print stays intact and the lettering gets sandblasted away. Her print supplier won’t tell her where to get this tracing type material.
My question is has anybody heard of this technique and where do I buy the paper materials from.
Cheers John -
9 Replies
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Both Oracal and MacTac make a painting mask, and this sounds like what you are describing.
Perhaps the glass has been etched with chemicals using this mask.
Sandblasting mask, at least in my experience, is not paper but rubbery stuff, and thicker.
I used to hand-cut Contac paper (3 layers) for someone I knew who sandblasted glass.
He used Black Beauty sand but I dunno what pressure he sandblasted it at.
I’m really thinking that your glass has been etched not sandblasted.
Love….Jill -
can you not use regular vinyl?
in the past i worked allot with decorative glass. there was a paste called etchall, you simply cut spray mask vinyl in your plotter. stick it to the glass. then apply the paste in small amounts & thin. leave it for a short time then remove the film and rinse. the etchall paste bites into the surface leaving the same blasted effect on the glassware or window.
the company i bought my lead from did their own window work. im sure they just use a low tack vinyl. a bit like mask, if not mask…
i could be wrong of course… but its maybe worth a go? -
jill i think it is sand blasted, but very fine sand and not anywhere near the pressure of say a blasted sign. these are small boxes where you stick your hands through into gloves and the gun is more like an airbrush for intricate work. you watch what you are doing through a glass panel on the front of the box.
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Hi everybody – new to this forum so I hope I make sense!
I do a bit of sandblasting onto trophies and because I do the layouts i cut my masks from cast vinyl – it cuts a bit better – however you risk blowing the centres of letters away if you try to cut text smaller than 8mm high, clean the glass first with meths or an alcohol based cleaner. There is a company in Scotland, that I’ve used, called The Glass Scribe who can produce self adhesive masks which are really good, they can reproduce a photograph!
They will send samples if you contact them. Check out their website http://www.glassscribe.com
Good Luck -
Hi all,
Thanks for all your replys. I would use the plotter but the letters are tiny and my plotter won’t cut that small. It is definatly sandblasted using the method robert suggested as I’ve seen the sandblasting unit with the gloves attached. The contac paper sounds about right Jill but does it have an adhesive side. I’ll check out the website steve, thanks for the info.A BIG THANKS to robert / jill / steve for your speeeeeeeedy replies.
Cheers John
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Contac paper is mostly Redneck shelf liner/wallpaper.
Dunno if they sell it across the pond but there has to be something similar.
It does have a sticky side and it’s not paper bur a very thin plastic.
My friend who always used it would go to stores and buy out ugly patterns on clearance!
He used 3 layers of it for sandblasting, and we cut it with a pointy X-Acto.
You have to change the blades a lot!
Love….Jill
http://housewares.hardwarestore.com/37- … apers.aspx -
Cheers Jill,
Now I know what it is 😳 I’ll have a trip down to the local DIY and check it out. Thanks for the info and replying so quick. 😀
John -
http://www.crystalgalleries.co.uk/
Contact the above, you will be able to get everything you need
Maybe months too late,…… It may help somebody
A photo resist film that you run through your inkjet printer, uv develop, wash, apply and blast 😀Kev
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Hi Kev,
Now this could be what i’m looking for.
Cheers for the reply, i’ll give it a try.John
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