Etching with rotary tool

[Leigh]

Hi:

Has anyone here tried glass etching with the Dremel high speed rotary
tool (or the new Black and Decker Wizard, as I think it's pretty much
the same thing)? Which bit would you recomend for this? The Dremel
manual suggests a tungston carbide tip but it seems to me the diamond
coated tip would be better.

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leighp...@earthlink.net
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Hatred in the name of God is the ultimate obscenity!
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[Art Glass]

I've used both and I prefer the diamond tips. Very small dental type
tools work great.

Rebecca
Hollywood Art Glass
http://www.flash.net/~artglas7

[J B]

On a similar subject, how would one go about ENGRAVING..... would this
be possible with the Dremel. Which bits would be appropriate for this?
Would this need to be done with a lubricant, or under a little water? I
would like to try to do simple geometric shapes carved into the glass,
which I would then fill with some sort of paint or enamel (haven't
figured that part out either!)

I also have an Inland Engraving pen that I use to sign my work, but that
just seems to scratch the glass, rather than really carving it.

Joan

[GlassyJess]

I use a dremel to do everything you can think of with glass....including
cutting.....I use a diamond bit to work with and have found a source for
diamond cutting disks.... can cut a shape out of a bottle or out of a pane of
glass without breaking glass I had a stroke in april and the dremel is somewhat
heavy for me to use so my husband bought me the flex shaft that goes with
it....It is wonderful

[Anne M. Tumarkin, CMT]

I am curious as to your source for the diamond cutting disks, as I use a
dremel for many things, but not for glass.

Thanks, Anne

[Leigh]

On 17 Dec 1998 11:29:48 GMT, glass...@aol.com (GlassyJess) wrote:

>.I use a diamond bit to work with and have found a source for
>diamond cutting disks....

Thats somthing I would be interesed in. Would you object to sharing
you source?

[GlassyJess]

I found a guy at the local flea market who sells these bits (cutting discs) for
2.00 a piece I feel it is well worth it I make irridescent candle burners from
liquor bottles as well as other glass crafts - anyway I can cut about 12
bottles with each of these discs- and the glass is very thick - I am able to
cut shapes out of the bottles!
Am in heaven with it!!!!!!!!!

[Jim Staley]

Try Harbor Freight. I just bought some but haven't used them yet.>.I use a

[Bob Sparks]

I've been experimenting with glass etching and I would like to know if it is
best to use water or run the bits dry when etching? Also does anyone have
any hints that they are willing to share?

[Joseph S. Wisniewski]

Forgive me for responding at the beginning of a thread instead of the
end.

I learned glass engraving with a Dremel. I would heartily recommend a
flex shaft, and only use diamond tools. The most useful basic bit seems
to be the 1/8 inch diamond ball. I do a lot with a 1/16 inch ball, a 1/4
inch cylinder, a 1 inch round edged wheel, and a 1 inch V wheel. (sorry
folks, I usually post english and metric, but I'm feeling rather tired
today).

Here's my beginning engraving resource list.

Graham, Boyd "Engraving Glass, A Beginner's Guide". 1982. Dover
Publications, Inc. New York.

At $8 US, this book has the highest bang for the buck of anything I've
ever purchased. It's all geared towards flex shaft engraving, Dremel or
Fordham style. Includes the basic bits and the cuts they make, how to
build a drip table for water cooling, first lessons, and quite a bit on
polishing and displaying. It's still in print, and in stock at Amazon. I
don't know any other book which comes close.

Good sources of bits:

Crystalite
8400 Green Meadows Dr.
Westerville, OH 43081 USA
Voice: 614-548-4855
Toll free: 800-777-2894
Fax: (614) 548-5673
Email: custs...@crystalite.com
http://www.crystalite.com

Very smooth running burs, and their (rather pricey) mini-turbine wheel
is the most glass grinding destructive power that you can fit on a
dremel or a fordom.

Lapcraft
195 W Olentangy St
Powell, OH 43065-8720
Voice: (614)764-8993

I have a love/hate relationship with Lapcraft. Their 8 inch pull back
disks are the mainstay of my grinding operation. But I've had their
small stuff (1 inch bits) peel out alsmot immediatly upon use. Theit
return policy needs work. I love their two inch slitting saws

Armstrong Tool and Supply
31747 8 Mile Rd
Livonia, MI 48152-1360
Voice: (248)474-1600

Carries Eurotool, a very smooth running burr. Only a mile from my house,
carries a good variety, and is right next to Kathy's Cheesecakes. What
more do you want in a lapidary and jeweler's supply.

Leigh wrote:
>
> Hi:
>
> Has anyone here tried glass etching with the Dremel high speed rotary
> tool (or the new Black and Decker Wizard, as I think it's pretty much
> the same thing)? Which bit would you recomend for this? The Dremel
> manual suggests a tungston carbide tip but it seems to me the diamond
> coated tip would be better.
>

[Joseph S. Wisniewski]

(If there's a FAQ for this group, I give my permission to add this and
my other post on this subjec to it).

I always use water. I use one of two techniques. One is a "drip table"
which is just a big slab of flam sponge in a pan and an overhead water
source which goes "drip drip drip" on your piece. The other is the
slassic little chunk of wet sponge held against the bit. It doesn't take
much practice till you find a position which lets you hold an engraver
and a wet sponge in one hand, and the glass in the other.

Control of pressure and water controls finish. Lots of water, moderate
pressure, and high speed keeps flushes away the glass dust and keeps
diamond in contact with the glass for a fast, but rough, cut. Less
water, less pressure, and less speed lets glass "paste" coat the bit and
results in a natural polishing action.

Good safety glasses are a must. Glass dust is abrasive and must be
rinsed off your safety glasses, not wiped off, or you will soon ruin the
lenses.

Even wet, glass dust is toxic. Dry, it's really nasty. Not only is it
inert, sharp edged glop that the human body cannot easily purge from the
lungs, but fresh glass dust is full of broken, high energy bonds,
looking for any opportunity to recombine. It hits the lung tissue like
acid. Invest in a good respirator.

Get a flex shaft, and hang the dremmel from a ceiling hool or something.
You have much less to worry about in regards to water in the power
tools, and you have a small, cool flex shaft tool to hold, instead of a
big, hot, vibrating motor.

Here's my best "magic" hint. (As far as I know, I'm the first person to
set this into print). The Dremel collets (and the low end Fordom
collets) fit a bit loose and don't hold alignment well. If you wrap the
bottom (straight part) of the collet with teflon tape where it enters
the dremmel, until it fits snug, you will get a dremel that runs smooth
and true. If you're running a Fordom or other large flex shaft machine
and you are not using a $160 precision head you can get the same amazing
results on the low cost collet heads. Rewrap the collets after changing
collets 6 or 8 times or the tape gets "weird". If you leave the 1/8 or
3/32 collet in all the time, this isn't a problem.

Draw the tool perpendicular to the difection of rotation, and you get
nice cuts. This is hard to explain. Get the Graham book, it's worth it.

Avoid cheap diamond bits. A 20 piece assortment of "economy bits" that
run rough, peal out, or cut hot, slow, and rough is no bargain. Three
good bits from Crystalite or Eurotool at the price of 20 cheap ones is
the real deal. Start with a single, good 1/8 inch ball bit.

Avoid anything with a 1/16 shaft. You get better stability and working
distance from 3/32 or 1/8 inch.

Have fun.

[Terrence Harper]

Lead Glass is potentially toxic. Most soda-lime or borosilicate glasses are
not. The dust is classified as a nuisance dust in the Health & Safety
guidelines.

Eventually you may suffer a respiratory illness akin to pneumoconiosis or
silicosis if you inhale enough, but the absence of crystalline particles
means that the carcinogens are not present, like in silica.

When the particles are in the lungs, the body fluids are likely to attack
them, which is why lead glass dust is potentially toxic. There are not
likely to be broken bonds on the surface, as they will all have been
hydrated before they get inside you. The glass is more likely to behave as
alkaline than acid, as the sodium, potassium or calcium ions are leached
out.

The advice about the respirator is good. The rest is unfounded in my
opinion. Sorry Joe, but ask a glass industry environmental health specialist
if you want a second opinion. look at http://www.britglass.co.uk for an
authoritative source of information. I have just come off their Environment
& Energy Committee.

Terry Harper

Joseph S. Wisniewski wrote in message <367E817D...@earthlink.net>...

[Hounddog]

Hi I have a friend that I am setting up a WWW site for and one of the
main products that he is selling is rotary bits at great prices.
We are not ready to go yet but I thought I would put some of the
diamond bits for anyone interested.

We will be adding a lot more products and photos in the near future.
Stop by if you have the time at.

http://www.ameramall.com/

Thanks

On 20 Dec 1998 19:11:37 PST, "Bob Sparks" <bsp...@concentric.net>