Jagged edge

[Roderick Treece]

I'm sorry I know it's not art or signs but I had a client ask me if I could do a mirror with an edge like this. I tried it with a scallop tool and it didn't work . How about water jet cutting and then some hand grinder / polishing on the edge?

Roderick

[Patrick Mackle]

Rod,
Why go through the cost of a wjet cutter, plus you will have to get in there and taper and smooth the edge to match the one in your photo.
They way I do this is easy because the mirror would only be 3/16" or 1-4" thick, is to cut a double cut line 1/4" in width of the jagged pattern you desire and weed that part off of the otherwise masked area of the mirror. Then I apply some resist or tape on the backside over the pattern where the sandblasting will eventually blast completely through.
Adding the resist to the back does two things. It prevents shards of glass from breaking away and corrupting your abrasive as well as leaving a nasty edge. Also it holds the sheet together while you concentrate on doing a nice even edge Blasting. Sometimes I will cut and peel the exact design on both sides and blast halfway through from both sides, the end result of which is to have a matching taper with a centered "razor back" finish on the 1/4" glass edge.
Pat

[Roderick Treece]

Pat,
That sounds good but how would you get what I see is a small bevel to the front edge as if were scalloped. I thought maybe to came back with a grinder/polisher.

[Patrick Mackle]

Rod,
Have you seen this mirror in person, or are you going by what your eyes are telling you from a photo?
If you cut the resist with scallop curves within the pattern, the "V" cut shape of the blasting will provide that look.
Always keep in mind that pieces like this if they are mass produced are done as cheaply as possible
and usually by a chosen laborer with art ability. This mirror may have been made overseas.
Pat

[Roderick Treece]

Pat,
No I haven't seen anymore than you . Your right though, Just blasting at a slight angle would give that look and maybe spraying a clear shellac on before pulling the mask would be enough.
This one may have been made over seas, I don't know though.

這一次可能已經取得了海洋，我不知道了。

羅德里克

[Patrick Mackle]

Rod, I would spray a light coat of Frog Juice on the edge to let the transmitted light pronounce the hi-lights in the cresents.
Some times if it needs reflected light as well to make it pop, I add a small amount of Cresent Metal Powder into the Frog Juice. Then it glows with
trans and reflected light. This is also a great trick to make etched letters in glass donor walls stand out in various light
conditions especially when mounted against a light colored wall.
Pat

[Tony Segale]

how'd they get it thatta way? just lucky, I guess.

[Larry White]

Rod-
You wouldn't need to hold your blasting tip at an angle. If you just blast perpendicular to the piece, it will produce that "beveled" edge. Similar, if you try to blast a hole in glass, the edges of the hole will be conical, not perpendicular to the surface. This Palms piece was cut out that way and you can see the beveled edge left by the blasting. I've also Frog Juiced the edges to achieve a more translucent edge.



-Aho!

[Roderick Treece]

Thanks Guys,
I'll have to let you guy's do them because I don't have the pressure needed to cut through an entire piece like that. It would take forever to do it in my booth.

Roderick

[Patrick Mackle]

Thanks Guys,
I'll have to let you guy's do them because I don't have the pressure needed to cut through an entire piece like that. It would take forever to do it in my booth.

Roderick

Rod,
You don't need a lot of CFM to do this, just a smaller (3/32" diameter or so) nozzle with a little more than medium pressure and around #100 grit Al. Oxide or silicon carbide.
Plus it's fun.
Pat