Etching Dichroic
Fusing Glass
Etching dichroic fusing glass can be easily done at home with etching cream or by the use of a small engraving tool to remove areas of the dichroic coating.
Dichroic glass is sold in a wide range of colors and patterns, rippled and dimpled dichroic are not really suited for etching, you need flat dichroic on a black base for the best results.
Ensure that the dichroic and other fusing glasses you are working with are the same COE.
Armour Etch Cream is a popular etching cream that works very well on dichroic fusing glass. It is applied over a stencil, masked off area or outlined drawing. A pattern can be formed on the glass by the use of stencils, masking tape, marking pens such as Sharpee or Stadetler.
Etching
You can use commercially bought stencils or make your own from masking tape by cutting designs in the tape and then sticking it to the dichroic, make sure the sticker or masking tape is securely fastened before applying the etching cream.
Rub around the edges of the stencil or tape with a small tool to ensure the edges are sealed down on the glass.
Clean the glass properly before applying cream.
If you use a pen to draw a design ensure that all the design area is covered with ink, as the cream will remove the coating from unprotected areas.
Wearing gloves, apply the cream over the glass and leave for a few minutes as per the makers' instructions.
The cream will dissolve the unprotected dichroic coating so that after you rinse the cream from the item and remove the stencil material you will have a pattern surrounded by dichoric glass where the coating has been removed.
Engraving
If you have a small engraving tool, dremel moto-tool or flex shaft you can draw designs in the dichroic coating rather than use etching cream.
Draw a design on a sheet of paper and use this as your reference for the engraving.
Use diamond coated ball shaped bits for the engraving. Different sizes may be needed to complete the design. Keep the bit and glass wet during engraving to minimize heat.
You can now fuse the glass as per normal in your glass fusing kiln.
Return From Etching Dichroic Glass To Art Glass Supplies
Return To Home Page
