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Etching Dichroic Glass to Prevent Chipping when
Grinding
This is part two of a
multi-part tip on preventing dichroic glass from chipping.
Click here to go to part one.
Another option for preventing dichroic glass from chipping
sidesteps the problem altogether by etching the dichro to create an
edge around the dichroic coating.
For this approach, cut and grind a piece so that it's slightly
larger than your desired finished design. Then use acid etch
to create a clean margin around the edge of the design. (Acid
Etch is available at many craft stores; you can also sandblast if
you have the right equipment available.)
Etching cream generally removes dichro cleanly and evenly.
You can mask off the area you don't want to remove with ordinary
tape, or even a Sharpie marker. The etching cream won't etch
through the marker lines.
Once the etching is done, clean any Sharpie lines with rubbing
alcohol. Depending on the underlying color of the dichro, the
etched edges either melt into the glass when fused or create an
attractive border around the dichroic element.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
This tip taken from posters on
the Warm Glass bulletin board.
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