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laser vs sandblast for glasses

scootinbob

New Member
I want to buy a machine that will etch glass but also etches granit,wood,plastic, and cuts wood and plastic. If I bought a sandblasting machine just for the glasses dont I have to weed the protective material after my plotter cuts it out? If so then the laser would be the way to go. Plus Im getting it some freaky designs that require me to go around the whole glass from top to bottom. So what would be easier for me to use?
 

CES020

New Member
A laser is not a very productive way to etch glasses, especially if you do them all the way around. You have to have a rotary attachment and it's a fairly slow process. Some people do it. Some people say it works great. However, you cannot begin to compare the quality between lasering glass and sandblasting it. The laser is actually creating tiny fractures in the glass to make the image. It basically heats and explodes the glass pulse by pulse.

You end up with a finished product that is shards of glass, tiny shards. They like to end up embedded in your skin.

For the sandblasting, there is a process that creates the template using UV light. You wash it out with water and you can have all the detail you want. Same pattern can be produced over and over and over. You apply the resist film, then blast it and remove the film. You'll never make money cutting them on the plotter for a quantity of glasses. It's just not the most economical way to do it.

Check out Rayzist's website. They have demos online and all the methods and products.

Just my opinion.
 

scootinbob

New Member
The problem that I'm trying to get away from is that when I apply the vynal from my plotter to the glass I have to basicall hand weed and strech the vinyl around the glass because of the contures of a winne glass. So your telling me I wouldnt have a problem at all with applying the material used in sand blasting to get it to wrap around the contures of the glass without ditorting the image?
 

GB2

Old Member
Spend some time at this site and I think you'll have all your answers:

http://photobrasive.com/

They make some nice equipment, I've tried it and it does a beautiful job. If I win the lottery, that's one of the first places I'd visit!
 

jiarby

New Member
sandblast the glasses//

it makes a better, smoother mark. Laser glass gets chippy around the edges especially with fine details and sometimes takes 15mins a flute!
 

CES020

New Member
So your telling me I wouldnt have a problem at all
with applying the material used in sand blasting to get it to wrap around the contures of the glass without ditorting the image?

No, I'm telling you that laser engraving is just about the least productive way to etch a glass. You'll never find a batch of glasses in gift shop, jewelry store, or anywhere in between that's been lasered in any quantity. That's not how they do quantities of them. They chemical etch or sandblast, not laser engraving.

It will work for small quantities, but the quality is still less than sandblasting.

GB2 gave you a good link. Call them and Rayzist and ask their opinions. They are the pro's at it.
 

scootinbob

New Member
Thank you very much for all the input I called Rayzits yesterday and they are sending out some samples and info on a sandblaster. Its goto be faster than weeding every glass and I just got a very large order of a couple thousand to do
 
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