Q: Can tempered glass be etched or carved? Many people tell me that it can not.
A: Tempered glass can be etched but carving it can be a different story. If you carve tempered glass too deep, it can shatter. I lightly etch tempered car glass all the time with no problems. You can see an example of a Dodge Ram logo etched in my rear window. I also made a video on it here.
Some people tell me that they have been carving it fairly deep, but even if you carve it without shattering, it is more vulnerable to shatter in the future. Also, I don’t recommend carving a large area on a large sheet because that can weaken it quite a bit. As a sheet gets larger, there are more forces placed on it such as wind and the weight itself. Use some of the tips I showed you in the bonus section of the etching manual (glassetchingsecrets.com/info.html) for the cautious techniques.
The best way is to carve the glass in its annealed state before its temper treated. So carve a regular piece and then have it tempered if a building code requires it.
On the other hand, it’s not a problem at all to etch tempered glass with the chemical cream. Hope that helps.
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I would like to learn more on carving glass
Thanks for the comment Gary. I am currently working on a membership site to go in more detail about sandcarving at glassetchingsecrets.com/member
If a glass needs to be carved and tempered , you can do all of your carving and hole drilling first and then have it tempered. I did this recently for a customer that had this suggested by his glass supplier.We even did a colour fill after it was tempered.
Right, I hear a lot of people doing this. Do you specialize in tempering the glass or did you take it somewhere?
Just curious about what equipment use you for doing this.
I apologize but I do not know English and use the google translator.
I would like to ask you a question.
regarding the chemical cream.
on a car after the fact and act stso cream, how can I remove the cream not cause any damage the rest of the car?
I’ve only seen small objects are then washed under the tap, but the machine is not possible.
you have a few videos? also to other people?
prampomax@gmail.com
Well I have a huge piece of class and inwantnto carve into it. Not too crazy deep but I need depth. The glass piece is 12’x4’x3/4″. Its huge, use to b a conference room table. I want to carve it, ormshouldni look into the acid or cream. Dont want to lose this big opportunity
Salt solution.Poor salt in warm water. Dissolve as much as poilsbse. Maybe ad the tiniest drop of detergent. Dip, rub, dip and let dry.PolishYour picture is now whiter’. Will wash off with warm water.
Do you recommend an specific brand of transfer paper and/or vinyl?
I see many brands at the craft store and I am confused as to which one to buy.
First of all, front and rear automotive glass is two pieces with a safety film laminated in the middle. Only the side windows of a stock application are tempered, it is safe to say since the bug “brand and safety info” on each window is etched you can do it also.
I once had to fully surface etch 4 quarter inch thick pieces of glass for a make-up display in New York, the largest was 3 by 6 feet. I got three finished on the rush job at 2 in the morning, I told the friend who I was doing the favor for that I would finish in the morning. He thought it looked so easy he would finish it himself. He got the blaster so hot it plugged the tip with moisture and abrasive, so he pulled off the nozzle, turned it on and blew up the last piece of glass. Talk about Job Security for me! 😉