Back Etched Mirrors & Custom Frames
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- In this video I cut up a mirror, cut some vinyl and etch the backside of the mirror with sandblasting. Also, create some custom frames that were the wrong size.
And .. how NOT to cut glass.
![How To Etch Glass & Sandblast Mirrors [Complete Guide]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_Jz3Q0XlmPs/mqdefault.jpg)
I love that you left your measurement mess up in the vid. I just did that a couple months ago!!! Major opps mut it happens! Glad I'm not the only one to make a frame for a pic etc only to have it fall through the opening. Hahahaha...... Great work man! Loved the vid!
Thanks for watching! I always try to leave the mistakes in the vids, if nothing else, it's a good reminder to pay attention to what I'm doing. Sometimes I get caught up in the sheer joy of it all and get ahead of myself- lol! Really appreciate the comment!
Hey I’m still trying to set up my plotter to my PC for cutting! I do not all by hand and have tools to make it easier so your definitely a huge step ahead of me! Also the small airbrush style sand blast etchers work great harbor fright actually has a super nice one for about 50 bucks that would allow you to do more details
Chopper BadCompany check out my latest project- kinda touches on the lighting topic and a different set up with multiple panes of glass- this is actually the project that is inspiring me to add the rear mounted LED optional lighting .
Parallax Etched Glass Walnut Shadow Box czcams.com/video/wh7yvGew5ZA/video.html
LOL, been there, done that. It's easier to make the frames again than to try and cut thin strips of glass. If they chip or break, your done. I enjoyed this video.
Saunders Crafts thank you for watching and for your comment . You're definitely right about remaking the frames!! I probably would have if It didn't mean going back to the store for more wood. I wanted to finish the project for the sake of the video- figured why not see if I can cut a small strip off the edge of the mirror easily .... Now I know lol. :)
Awesome video looks great
Ralph Amia thank you for watching and the comment!
Good work, looks great!
thank you for the comment. much appreciated.
I always leave the resist on mirrors so I don't get the lift problem. Use a little oil on the glass when you are cutting and not so much pressure on the cutter. You can get bending pliers from a leadlight supply store that help heaps when making smaller cuts. Nice result in the end
I'm glad I read the comments first, because I was going to say the same thing. On another note, it's not a good idea to use heat on glass, because it can cause it to crack and make waist your time and effort. I always put a backer board so the resist left behind doesn't show. Using Aluminum Oxide is also better than glass beads because it holds up longer (doesn't break apart as fast) and can also be found at Harbor Freight Tools in small quantities. I however, have found it cheaper at Tractor Supply, and you can get it in 50 pound buckets for about $50.00.
I read comments to see how many of you thought the same as me. I've never etched anything, looking into it for the first time. However when I saw dude pulling extra mirror film I thought to myself why he would take it off in the first place?
@CancunManny Hey there thanks for watching. This was originally just a test and to use up some mirror that would’ve otherwise been waste. My only concern was I didn’t want the colorful reflection on the wall should the sun hit it and cast the color. In hindsight i probably could’ve done it in black or another color, but again, this was more to make use of what I had and to use up pink vinyl seemed like a good idea ;)
good work, thanks.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the comment!!
You should put LED light strip behind it
Robin Taylor I actually have some ready to go- maybe for a new project coming up next ;)
Thanks for the comment!
glad i'm not the only one that screws up
jimmy may if we ain't screwing up ... we ain't learnin' ;)
Cheers! Thanks for watching!
kindly explain as you go along. looks very nice
Castillo Sammy Thank you for watching and commenting!, if you have any specific questions please ask.. I’m sorry there wasn’t more narration in this video, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Hey man I heard you saying you were doing it for fun and we’re also trying something new! I say right on! Most people wouldn’t even try and if they did wouldnt have come close to yours! LEDs would also look great just make sure your frame cut is wide enough for your lights and go all the way around! I also like etching the backs BS the front. Try a Dremel type tool for some serious detail work! I did an angel and was able to do the feathers on the wings and it came out bad ass! Good job dude!
Thank you so much for your comment and compliments! I’m working out a small frame type deally out of the same wood, that will mount to the back of the box that I can put the strip of color changing LEDs in and have it kinda slide on or not- optional. I think it’ll be cool. I love the idea of adding some handwork with a rotary tool! Thanks for suggesting that!! I will definitely give it a whirl one my next round! I want to go bigger and I think with some handwork I can get an additional layer of detail in there! Super cool. Cheers! Thanks again!
Nice work
BloodSweatnBass thank you !! I appreciate you commenting.
maybe use heat to remove that layer it would soften it
Hi nice work! what beeds /sandblaster material did you use for sandblasting back part of the mirror? since there was a protective layer on in. kindly advise.
Thanks!
victor johanes it's just standard bead blasting media available at Harbor Freight or HD (glass bead media) and a cheap cabinet. Thanks for watching!
Oil on mirror first then score mirror
Lotta patience with sandblasting.
Sooo...yeah...about CO2 lasers then :P
Go back to that guy who taught you to cut glass, then beat him up!
Yeah that was pretty rough. No pun intended. But to be fair it was very old antique glass so it was a bit tougher than the regular window pane glass I’ve cut before. Thanks for watching!
It looks like you fixed the lady one what did you use to fix the mirror film from your pull off.
I'm a bit curious what cutter/plotter you use. I currently use a basic graphtec model, but it is terrible at cutting fine details :( Yours did an amazing job with the second design!!!
Hey there, thanks for watching and taking time to comment! I use a Roland GX-300 and Oracal vinyl for glass mirror and electro-etches as well. Not sure how the graphtec works with the cutter attachment, but If the depth isn’t set correctly it can cause some issues with the finer details. Maybe see if there’s a way to “calibrate” the needle and double check that it’s sufficiently sharp. A set of new blades is pretty inexpensive for my machine so I don’t hesitate to swap them out if I see signs of inconsistency or where the corners won’t exactly match up and you get that little snag when you weed it. Good luck.
nice
Don’t put so much pressure on the glass cutter .
Jason Smith thanks for watching and the comment! I’ve since come to realize that - lol !
why do you take off the vinyl? Its hidden behind the non sandblasted part and no risk of it pulling off the mirror if its left in place.
Just my obervation Ive been playing around with mirror art and want to know why? Benefits? Thanks great video!
RoboBonez you are correct... I wouldn’t normally but since it was that bright pink color I didn’t want any color casted If I decided to backlight.. totally not necessary if I used a more subtle color.
Thanks for watching!
Ohh ok i get it- Ive been there with the peeling and its just the worst! lol Great job tho! and I get the color reflect too so many decisions/ options lol
hmms - Would a couple of seconds in the heat press work as well as that torch for warming up the mask to make it easier to remove? Asking because the torch is not one of my art tools yet.
teri doty Maybe boil some water and pour that over it after it cools down just a little bit
I have a heat gun also . . .
@@teridoty4285 all of the above would work- just go easy, and if the glass is cold, warm it up really slowly first..
what kind of ctool is that glass cutter thing called?
Why do you blast the back of the glass? Since you do this, do you mirror the image?
I was blasting the reverse side to remove the reflective portion so the mirror would show the color of whatever was behind it in the now “frosted” areas . If you were etching text or something that had to be the right direction you would have to mirror the printed part, you are correct. Thanks for watching!
what is the white paper you use to stick the contact too
aussies back hi there!! thanks for watching ! The material is called application tape or transfer tape and is common for most vinyl applications.
Paint the back of the mirrors
I work at a glass shop. The way you are cutting that mirror makes me cringe. Making way too much extra work for yourself sanding all those bumps
Mac Hart lol yeah I hear that. This was what I consider my “learning process” .. I got it down now ;)
I could have just framed it and said heck with it .. but I do things the hard way sometimes so it sticks in my brain to NOT be a dumbass down the road. It’s like once you write something down you don’t forget it. ANNNND I have the footage so we can all cringe ;)
Thanks for stopping by!
Mac Hart also-- any tips? For cutting? if you’re doing something like this -where you’re cutting a thinner edge off, rather than a larger sheet in half?
which is much easier for some reason ( in my opinion ) that first cut was so good and I didn’t even get it on camera.
Unless your cutting off a strip thats about 2 inchs or less you can just pull the sheet off the table so that the line where you scribed the glass is just at the edge of the table, lift the glass and bring it down with a little force ( towel or some fabric between glass and table) and it will clean break all the way down the line. No need to tap it unless its really thick (more then 5mm) or cutting laminated glass. Put a drop of air tool oil on your cutter before hand, should only need about 5lbs of pressure
In stained glass we use running pliers for long straight cuts. Useful and cheap tool.