Carving glass

[brian]

Has anyone got experience with bits,speeds and techniques for engraving glass.
I want to do some small details on some 6mil glass.

[rookie432]

Brian,
Engraving and sandblasting glass is how I got started in all of this. As a matter of fact one of the primary reasons I got the shopbot was to make stencils for my glass etching, hmmmm. I don't think I have done a piece of glass in about 3 years. Interesting how the bot can change things for you.
I don't see why the bot can't actually do the engraving.
Here's my reccomendation. Don't use your router to engrave. I used to hand engrave with a tool that is very similar to a dental drill. Air powered and about the size of a marker. You can buy something similar from woodcraft/rockler in the woodcarving tools area. Mount that to the bot z gantry. You will need the diamond coated mini mills for the tool. THey're not expensive like diamond tooling, About 20 bucks for a pack of 10 different tips.
O.K. the important stuff. Make sure the glass is FLAT and level on the shopbot bed. Zero the bit to the surface of the glass then set your cut depth to maybe .01 (you may need to play with this) I would probably keep my feed speeds low to start maybe .5ips. Until you get a feel for how fast you can get away with.
Engraving glass isn't like milling it, your basically just scratching the surface/chipping it.
Keep away from tempered glass as it will shatter once the coating has been compromised enough.

I just may have to try this myself sometime. Wouldn't mind adding glass carving back into my product line.

Hope this helps,

Bill

[matt_r]

Brian/Bill et al,
I was going to post on this topic a while ago, but got busy with other things. I had a contractor friend approach me asking if I could cut glass on my bot. He had just finished a high end home, and had paid over $12,000 for the 'engraved' glass work around the entry way. At the mention of this number, he immediately caught my interest. He said that the guy that did it had some 'patented technique'. My contractor buddy was pretty sure he wasn't sand blasting, but he could have been wrong. Anyway, take a look at the pictures below. I would love to figure out how to do this type of work. I'm wondering what type of glass to use. Anyway, would love to hear other ideas on the topic.

-matt

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[brian]

Bill,why do you not recommend using a router??
Does it have something to do with speed or glass particles?
Brian

[rookie432]

Actually mainly because the cutters are so small
.125 dia shanks that I wouldn't reccomend chucking it into my pc 3 1/4 hp. Also I remember my hand cutter working a 60k rpm. That is tough to get with a router. The air powered cutters work at higher rpm's wich I think is better for etchin glass I think.

I really dont know how those glass doors were done. They are fabulous. The designs look almost carved in then re-burnished. Really has a lead glass look to it.WOW
I'd have to think on how that was accomplished.

Bill

[joewino]

Looks as if the glass has been etched all over and then the scroll work carved with a glass burnishing wheel. Looks great...however it was done.

[ltgoff]

I have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff. If you guys want to learn more about how to engrave glass, I would say first have a look around my website which has some basic info: www.luciangoffglass.com (http://www.luciangoffglass.com)

From there, I'd be glad to answer any specific questions. The look of my work is usually a bit different that what was shown in the pics above, but you can get those effects with the same techniques.

[brian_harnett]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Lucian

Brian