Engraving | Glass engraving

I have been working on different glass engraving with an Epilog 75 Watt EX with various power and speed settings including Dots Per Inch Settings.

I can only get decent engraved project with 100% Power 80% Speed and 1200 DPI to get a very good looking image using basic Corel Draw text. We tried using 400 DPI and 600 DPI however it was very scratched looking and lack of quality.

The 1200 DPI looks great; however, it takes 4 times longer to produce excellent results. We have tried using the soap and paper as recommended by Epilog and it does not produce very good results as compared to engraving direct on the glass.

We are new at doing glass and are not sure what we should do to produce quality results with a reasonable time. The 1200 DPI Logo and Text was taking over 17 minutes and we quoted about $ 8.00 each. Yikes.

Any suggestions?

Although it is possible to get good results when laser engraving on glass, a popular extra step (or steps) is to mask the glass with vinyl, engrave through the vinyl, then sand blast the glass through the vinyl for the final “frosted” look. Although it does take extra time and effort to do this, you do not need to engrave at such a high resolution, reducing your engraving time.

BTW, if you do not have a sandblasting cabinet, check out Harbor Freight, either their retail outlets, or the online store www.harborfreight.com. I just purchase a nice cabinet on sale for $89.95, and a 50 pound bucket of blasting media for another 20 or so bucks. I had a compressor already, but they have those cheap as well.

Hi, I read about your sandblaster for from Harbor Freight. What a deal considering a regular sand blasting cabinet is 3,000 bucks.

I’d like to know how it’s working for you? Any bad points about it? Seems too good to be true.

Man, I am totally jazzed about this cabinet. The only thing I would add is an interior light. I haven’t done it yet, and have used it many times with no difficulties. Can’t beat it for the price. It’s dimensions are: 18″ deep x 28″ tall x 26″ wide. It is Harbor Freight Item # 42202. It has a pot size of 30 gallons. I use this also for my automotive hobby (engine rebuilding, full restoration). I could not exist without this, my parts cleaner and welder.

I would like to add sand blasting to my lasering. Besides a cabinet and the bead stuff, what else do I need to be able to blast?

The other two basics would include a decent compressor (the bigger the better), and some “masking” material to apply to the glass, etc. to be “lasered through”.

The way I sand blast a toasting glass for a wedding is to apply vinyl tape to the glass, then laser engrave through the vinyl tape using the same settings I use to just laser engrave directly onto the glass. I have used two different types of vinyl tape. The first is simply a wide roll of black electrical that I purchased from Walmart. The other is sign vinyl (I have family in the vinyl sign business, so I asked for their scraps). The electrical tape was a little easier to apply to non-cylindrical glasses where I had to stretch the tape to have no creases in it. The disadvantage is that it is only an inch and a half wide. It is diffeicult to put multiple strips if you need a wider engraver area. There are special masking vinyls for this, yet I haven’t researched too much about it.

After engraving through the masking, I further tape off the glass with just regular masking tape to prevent accidentally blasting unwanted areas. The blasting process is very short, and careful. It takes very little to get a nice frosted look. Then peel the masking off, wipe down carefully with alcohol to remove any tape residue, and then finally a good washing in warm soap and water. Before the glass has been washed, be careful to watch for small shards from the blasting/lasering, as they will make their way into your fingers (in other words do not run your fingers over the glass until you washed it thoroughly).

For the compressor, be careful not to “under-buy”. I have a small compressor that I bought years ago for about 400 bucks. It does the job just fine for sandblasting a glass through a laser mask, as I typically do not hold steady pressure on the glass for very long at all. Where a small compressor shows it weakness is where you need to blast for long periods of time at “full” blasting pressure. Sandblasting requires about 80 - 100 PSI (one of the specs of an air compressor). The other spec is CFM. At an output pressure of 80 - 100 PSI, a small air tank will deplete quickly, requiring the motor to kick back on to “refill”. Today, 200 - 400 bucks buys more than twice the compressor I have at Lowes or Home Depot. The ones I have seen that I would go back to get usually stand upright about 5 - 6 feet tall. There are versions in both 110 volt and 220 volt. Be sure to watch for that depending on what power you have available in your shop. You can usually read the CFM requirements on the sand blasters. The one I am using only specified the PSI (100). Here’s the link at Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42202

The above is the one I got on sale for $89.99. HF almost always has sales going on, even if not advertised on their website. Call or go to their retail store for price verification.

Here’s even a smaller one that would work also: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45411

The blast media I use is 70 grit aluminum oxide. It is very aggressive and requires very little “blasting” to etch glass. It is gentle to the masking however. Others may want to chime in if they are using something different.

Let me know if you have any further questions. I’d be happy to answer them for you.

WOW, thanks for the great information! :) I have an air compressor (hubbys) I will ask him what it rates at. Will look into the other stuff. I have lasered glass for someone else to blast before, but thought maybe I could do it myself. Just wasn’t sure what all I needed. Does the spray unit usually come with the enclosure?

You’re welcome. And yes, the spray unit does come with the cabinet.

Thanks for the info. This is pretty incredible for the price. This would pay for itself in no time.

My other question is how do you recycle the sand if the cabinet sit on a table top since I’ve see other commercial units allow the sand to funnel through the bottom of the cabinet. How do you recycle the sand for these cabinets?

This cabinet has a screened upper floor over an internal funneled bottom. It recycles the sand the same way as the floor models. The picture I posted labeled “Inside!” shows the screened floor. It works great.

I am VERY interested in expanding into sandblasting. The small unit is currently on sale at my local Harbor Freight for $69, and I’m going to run over there and get one.

A couple of questions though:

1. The blasting nozzle that comes with the unit seems a little large for smaller detail work. Do you use it or did you get a smaller one?

2. The blasting media available thru HF is “glass beads,” which I don’t think is appropriate for engraving work. What type and where do you get your blasting media from?

3. The final thing needed is the masking material. Both Photobrasive and Rayzist offer various types of masking material. I am, initially, leaning towards the waterless masking material, but would like your (and others) comments about this. I plan on working a mobile operation, going from show to show, so water might not always be available (unless I “bottle” it with me).

1.) Yes, I do use the stock blasting nozzle, as supplied with the unit. I’ve blasted small letters and logos on glasses with no problem due to its size. I have to admit that I have never used a smaller tipped nozzle, so cannot comment on whether or not this is beneficial for the type of work we are using this for.

2.) I was able to purchase a 50 pound tub of 70 grit aluminum oxide from HF. At the time (about a month ago), this was the only thing they had at the retail store here in Baton Rouge, LA. I looked for this on their website, but did not see it. There may be limitations to being able to ship this, and may only stock this in retail stores. The brand and number on the tub is Central Pnuematic item #02743.

3.) As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I have been using vinyl tape (electrical tape to be exact). I found a 1.5 inch wide roll at Wal-Mart. It has served my needs. I have also used regular sign vinyl, for items “taller” than the 1.5 inch coverage of the tape. I have been happy with the results of each, but would easily recommend getting some masking that was made for sandblasting just for comparison. If the “real” stuff workks better, I am for it. If it is just more expensive, and offers no other benefits, I’ll stick with what I am using. Anyone have any experience with both the vinyl tapes I have mentioned, and the masking material from Rayzist, etc.?


			Glass engraving I have been working on different glass engraving with an Epilog 75 Watt EX with various power and speed settings including Dots Per Inch Settings. I can only get decent engraved project with 100% Power 80% Speed and 1200 DPI to get a very good looking image using basic Corel Draw text. We tried using 400 DPI and 600 DPI however it was very scratched looking and lack of quality. The 1200 DPI looks great; however, it takes 4 times longer to produce excellent results. We have tried using the soap and paper as recommended by Epilog and it does not produce very good results as compared to engraving direct on the glass. We are new at doing glass and are not sure what we should do to produce quality results with a reasonable time. The 1200 DPI Logo and Text was taking over 17 minutes and we quoted about $ 8.00 each. Yikes. Any suggestions? Although it is possible to get good results when laser engraving on glass, a popular extra step (or steps) is to mask the glass with vinyl, engrave through the vinyl, then sand blast the glass through the vinyl for the final “frosted” look. Although it does take extra time and effort to do this, you do not need to engrave at such a high resolution, reducing your engraving time. BTW, if you do not have a sandblasting cabinet, check out Harbor Freight, either their retail outlets, or the online store www.harborfreight.com. I just purchase a nice cabinet on sale for $89.95, and a 50 pound bucket of blasting media for another 20 or so bucks. I had a compressor already, but they have those cheap as well. Hi, I read about your sandblaster for from Harbor Freight. What a deal considering a regular sand blasting cabinet is 3,000 bucks. I’d like to know how it’s working for you? Any bad points about it? Seems too good to be true. Man, I am totally jazzed about this cabinet. The only thing I would add is an interior light. I haven’t done it yet, and have used it many times with no difficulties. Can’t beat it for the price. It’s dimensions are: 18″ deep x 28″ tall x 26″ wide. It is Harbor Freight Item # 42202. It has a pot size of 30 gallons. I use this also for my automotive hobby (engine rebuilding, full restoration). I could not exist without this, my parts cleaner and welder. I would like to add sand blasting to my lasering. Besides a cabinet and the bead stuff, what else do I need to be able to blast? The other two basics would include a decent compressor (the bigger the better), and some “masking” material to apply to the glass, etc. to be “lasered through”. The way I sand blast a toasting glass for a wedding is to apply vinyl tape to the glass, then laser engrave through the vinyl tape using the same settings I use to just laser engrave directly onto the glass. I have used two different types of vinyl tape. The first is simply a wide roll of black electrical that I purchased from Walmart. The other is sign vinyl (I have family in the vinyl sign business, so I asked for their scraps). The electrical tape was a little easier to apply to non-cylindrical glasses where I had to stretch the tape to have no creases in it. The disadvantage is that it is only an inch and a half wide. It is diffeicult to put multiple strips if you need a wider engraver area. There are special masking vinyls for this, yet I haven’t researched too much about it. After engraving through the masking, I further tape off the glass with just regular masking tape to prevent accidentally blasting unwanted areas. The blasting process is very short, and careful. It takes very little to get a nice frosted look. Then peel the masking off, wipe down carefully with alcohol to remove any tape residue, and then finally a good washing in warm soap and water. Before the glass has been washed, be careful to watch for small shards from the blasting/lasering, as they will make their way into your fingers (in other words do not run your fingers over the glass until you washed it thoroughly). For the compressor, be careful not to “under-buy”. I have a small compressor that I bought years ago for about 400 bucks. It does the job just fine for sandblasting a glass through a laser mask, as I typically do not hold steady pressure on the glass for very long at all. Where a small compressor shows it weakness is where you need to blast for long periods of time at “full” blasting pressure. Sandblasting requires about 80 - 100 PSI (one of the specs of an air compressor). The other spec is CFM. At an output pressure of 80 - 100 PSI, a small air tank will deplete quickly, requiring the motor to kick back on to “refill”. Today, 200 - 400 bucks buys more than twice the compressor I have at Lowes or Home Depot. The ones I have seen that I would go back to get usually stand upright about 5 - 6 feet tall. There are versions in both 110 volt and 220 volt. Be sure to watch for that depending on what power you have available in your shop. You can usually read the CFM requirements on the sand blasters. The one I am using only specified the PSI (100). Here’s the link at Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42202 The above is the one I got on sale for $89.99. HF almost always has sales going on, even if not advertised on their website. Call or go to their retail store for price verification. Here’s even a smaller one that would work also: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45411 The blast media I use is 70 grit aluminum oxide. It is very aggressive and requires very little “blasting” to etch glass. It is gentle to the masking however. Others may want to chime in if they are using something different. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’d be happy to answer them for you. WOW, thanks for the great information! :) I have an air compressor (hubbys) I will ask him what it rates at. Will look into the other stuff. I have lasered glass for someone else to blast before, but thought maybe I could do it myself. Just wasn’t sure what all I needed. Does the spray unit usually come with the enclosure? You’re welcome. And yes, the spray unit does come with the cabinet. Thanks for the info. This is pretty incredible for the price. This would pay for itself in no time. My other question is how do you recycle the sand if the cabinet sit on a table top since I’ve see other commercial units allow the sand to funnel through the bottom of the cabinet. How do you recycle the sand for these cabinets? This cabinet has a screened upper floor over an internal funneled bottom. It recycles the sand the same way as the floor models. The picture I posted labeled “Inside!” shows the screened floor. It works great. I am VERY interested in expanding into sandblasting. The small unit is currently on sale at my local Harbor Freight for $69, and I’m going to run over there and get one. A couple of questions though: 1. The blasting nozzle that comes with the unit seems a little large for smaller detail work. Do you use it or did you get a smaller one? 2. The blasting media available thru HF is “glass beads,” which I don’t think is appropriate for engraving work. What type and where do you get your blasting media from? 3. The final thing needed is the masking material. Both Photobrasive and Rayzist offer various types of masking material. I am, initially, leaning towards the waterless masking material, but would like your (and others) comments about this. I plan on working a mobile operation, going from show to show, so water might not always be available (unless I “bottle” it with me). 1.) Yes, I do use the stock blasting nozzle, as supplied with the unit. I’ve blasted small letters and logos on glasses with no problem due to its size. I have to admit that I have never used a smaller tipped nozzle, so cannot comment on whether or not this is beneficial for the type of work we are using this for. 2.) I was able to purchase a 50 pound tub of 70 grit aluminum oxide from HF. At the time (about a month ago), this was the only thing they had at the retail store here in Baton Rouge, LA. I looked for this on their website, but did not see it. There may be limitations to being able to ship this, and may only stock this in retail stores. The brand and number on the tub is Central Pnuematic item #02743. 3.) As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I have been using vinyl tape (electrical tape to be exact). I found a 1.5 inch wide roll at Wal-Mart. It has served my needs. I have also used regular sign vinyl, for items “taller” than the 1.5 inch coverage of the tape. I have been happy with the results of each, but would easily recommend getting some masking that was made for sandblasting just for comparison. If the “real” stuff workks better, I am for it. If it is just more expensive, and offers no other benefits, I’ll stick with what I am using. Anyone have any experience with both the vinyl tapes I have mentioned, and the masking material from Rayzist, etc.? Possibly related: Laser on glass Glass, why specialty tape? Etching and engraving Blast Cabinet Specs Laser engraving glass, mirror, and pricing