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for glass etchers...

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vance galliher
Posts: 321
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:38 pm
Location: springfield, or.
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for glass etchers...

Post by vance galliher »

...what do you tell your client about how to clean the etched side of the panel ? I do know that if you wet one area, you have to wet the whole panel
vance
dimensional and glass art signs
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pat mackle
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:35 pm

Re: for glass etchers...

Post by pat mackle »

cleaning depends on what the nature of the contaminates are. Is the glass in an office, or a diner, is it within reach of the public?
It can also be affected by any attempts by the customer trying to clean it with (God only knows what) soaps and solvents before they gave up and decided to call you (which they should have done first). They may even have damaged the frost by scrubbing it numerous times.
I found a very good way of spot cleaning bad spots. I first apply NAPTHA solvent to the area, then IMMEDIATELY take a brand new dampened cellulose sponge and it will pick up the dissolved oils which are floated off the glass. It is amazing to see how well this works. It somehow works like the wonder of printing with water and oil inks on a litho stone, but in reverse where the oils are transferred to the clean damp sponge. Here in California, the big challenge is to find NAPTHA because it has been banned from the general public. But I think professionals can still get it through paint supplies.
Dan Seese
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Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Re: for glass etchers...

Post by Dan Seese »

That's a touch one, Vance - especially once it's gotten dirty.

If the glass is going to be in an area where it may be touched or get dirty, I give them the option of paying additional for me to treat the surface before it goes out my door. The product I've used several times is called ClearShield (http://www.clearshieldonline.com/) The name Clear Shield is used for a number of different things, even another company which promotes their product for protecting glass, but this is the only one I've had experience with and I've been happy with the results.

In my experience, the treatment alters the appearance almost imperceptibly, and the protection it gives is worthwhile. There are a few steps involved but there are ample instructions and I've found the phone support to be friendly and very helpful.

If you go to the website, you'll see a lot of additional information related to sandblasted glass, after-care, cleaning, etc.

Of course, my information is proactive and preventative, whereas it sounds like you are looking for something in the field which needs to be cleaned. Hope this helps for future jobs.
Dan
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340 - 1400)

http://DanSeeseStudios.com
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pat mackle
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:35 pm

Re: for glass etchers...

Post by pat mackle »

Dan,thanks for the tip on Clear Shield. I called the company and was able to ask a battery of questions about their product. And it sounds like something I would try. Basically it is a waterborne resin that adheres in the sand blasted areas of the glass. The man said that any of the product that dries on the unetched original clear glass surface will wipe away. So basically the etched areas are guarded and the clear areas are not substantially guarded. The product has a long shelf life, and when applied of glass that will be in direct sun and weather, the life is around 3 years and should be reapplied past that time.
The product starts in 500ml containers. He recommended that it be sprayed onto the glass.
Dan Seese
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:29 pm
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Re: for glass etchers...

Post by Dan Seese »

Hi Pat.
Yes, I think they basically say it is recommended to spray it, but it can be wiped on.
I've used it several times and there are a few steps involved. I prefer to wash it as opposed to blowing the sandblast residue. I also use a precleaner they sell. Once it's dry I apply the Sandblast Protect with a lint-free pad going 2 one direction and then perpendicular to that direction. You need to keep it wet and not let it dry out as you are applying it.
Again, they have pretty good instructions on their website.
Good luck with it.
Dan
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340 - 1400)

http://DanSeeseStudios.com
http://www.DanSeeseStudios.com/blog/
http://www.facebook.com/DanSeeseStudios
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