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acid etched glass

 

This technique is often confused with sandblasting, however, acid etching offers many more finishes and degrees of transparency and diffusion of light.

Many pub windows and mirrors in victorian times used a variety of these techniques in the same piece of glass. It can also take off the top coloured lay er of 'flashed' glass (see top, middle & bottom images) whch reveals the clear base glass. A mask is used to stop the acid acting on the glass and therefore remains untouched.

This is one of the lost arts and few people are able to offer this technique today. It is also more expensive as it is much more specialised and uses very dangerous chemicals which are potentially lethal. Hydrofloric Acid is the only acid which is corrosive to glass but unfortunately disolves human tissue as well so strict safety precautions need to be adhered to.