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I found this vector file loitering around on my computer. I believe it was vectorized by Don Coplen. It was just calling to become a toned acid piece. The glass has been cut to shape with the sandblaster, then the toned acid process, followed by a copper solution deposition. It measures 19" x 24" and is done on 1/2" thick Starphire glass. I'll probably mount it to a board of the same shape.
I wonder if you could describe the colors the copper takes on over the toned acid sections. Are the different shades as pale as they look in the photo? It looks really pink whereas copper on clear glass in normally darker - and, I think, a little more purple. I would love to see this in person but words and photos will have to do for now.
Have you ever tried copper over gold? I'd love to know what you think of that color.
Very nice Larry! When cutting glass like this can you breifly explain the process? Do you try to cut through the whole pattern at once, or do you cut it out in sections. Robin
Robin Sharrard
Sharrard Graphics & Signs
Fallon,Nevada
The colors in the picture are fairly close to the real thing, however the photo doesn't capture the metallic quality of it. The dark areas in the design are clear glass which appear as copper mirror. There is also a mirror brightline around the whole thing.
An interesting thing about toned etching and subsequent gilding, is, light areas of toned etching appear dark when gilded and the darker areas of the toned etching appear light when gilded. So you have to plan it out in reverse...and backwards. I wanted this design to have dark lettering against a light background, so when I did the toned etching I had to make it with light tone (satin) lettering against a dark background. I create a color coded "road map" so I can keep track of each tone.
When cutting the glass to shape, I use the Anchor heavy rubber sandblast mask, cut to shape and applied on the front of the glass. This cut edge is followed around with the sandblasting until it is blasted all the way through. I probably went around it 30 times. It took about 25 minutes to cut it out. If you just stayed in one place until it blasted through, you'd probably crack the glass due to the heat generated. If I were to do this again, or projects like it in the future, I think it would look better on 3/8" thick glass. It is blasted from the front because the nature of the sandblasting leaves an angled edge and you want that angled surface to show from the front rather than it undercutting if you did it from the back.
Larry, I’ve recently been experimenting with cutting shapes in ¼†plate. I saw a shaped piece you were working on at a conclave a few years ago and thought how cool to cut glass like I had been doing with other substrates. As we all know when doing reverse glasswork, it’s really important to have a protective mask on the front side of the glass to prevent unwanted scratches. But when cutting glass to shape from the front, it’s equally important to protect the backside from unwanted etching! I have a question….. At the back of the concave cut I’m getting a slight jagged edge, which I lightly sand off, with fine wet emery cloth. When I do this, it breaks tiny little pieces of the frosted glass off and results in tiny clear specks. How do you avoid this and get a clean edge? Thanks
Hey Vance, perhaps you need to use a fine sand paper (I typically use 220), or perhaps try to use a "back and forth" motion as opposed to a vertical motion. If you leave your mask on, you could quickly reblast over any clear plinks. Another thought would be to use a finer grit when doing the initial blasting.
Hey, thanks Don. It was a fun project. I think I have another one of your files waiting in the wings too. I've been contemplating that one.
Looks like I might be inheriting a piece of glass (which is the wrong size) 104" x 60". Yikes!
Look at the size of that glass.. Now that would be a very large sign..it would!
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads