Get The Right Resist For The Job

One of the most important decisions to be made in glass etching is which resist to use for a specific job. What you are looking for is the least expensive resist that is adequate for the job at hand. Controlling costs is essential for making a profit, but you can go overboard.

In your zeal to keep costs low, if you use a resist that is too thin, you run the risk of ruining the project if the resist blasts off before you're done. This means you will have to start over after you put in all of the time necessary to transfer the design to the resist and cut it out for blasting. The wasted time will cost you much more than better resist would have in the first place!

If you always go for overkill and use only the heaviest resists available, you will not only be wasting money but it will be much harder to get the special effects you want. Since the heavier resists are thicker, it is difficult cutting and blasting fine detail. It is also more difficult to achieve subtle changes in depth while carving in small areas or subtle changes in gray scale when shading.

Consequently, it is best for the quality of your etching as well as the quantity on your bottom line to use the proper resist for the job. Know which resists are available and how to use each one of them to the best advantage.

Vinyl Resists
The adhesive on these resists is specially formulated for sandblasting glass. They hold even under very high pressure blasting and yet are easy to remove from large areas without tearing or leaving a residue on the glass. Easy to use, they come with a paper liner and are low in cost.

6 mil vinyl (white)
A great all-around resist used for shading, surface etching and light carving. It is our most popular product.

With a white resist the pattern is transferred directly onto the resist and then cut out. It will accept pencil, pen or carbon paper. It is easy to cut and yet durable enough so that you can carve more than half way through a 1/4" plate. This product is outstanding in performance and yet very inexpensive.

8 mil vinyl (clear)
Used for shading, surface etching, light carving, also very helpful in correcting mistakes. With a clear resist, the pattern is placed under the glass (with the resist mounted to it) so that the pattern shows through as you cut it out.

11 mil closed cell foam (green)
Used for surface etching to medium carving. It is very easy to cut and yet extremely tough for its thickness. Used primarily for light carving when the pattern is very detailed. This material will stretch easily so that it can be used on compound curves surfaces such as glassware and trophies.

Rubber Resists
This type of resist has extremely high resistance to failure from excess blasting. For carving projects, rubber style resists are the most popular choice. they can be removed easily and cleanly and come with a paper liner.

18 mil rubber (tan)
Used for light to heavy carving. This is the most popular rubber resist. The paper liner is easily removed. Has great blast resistance and will withstand the force of heavy carving. It is less expensive than the heavy Buttercut and when pulled off it does not leave a residue.

Conforms and holds securely to curved and irregular surfaces. For very heavy carving use a double layer. If you prefer to stock only one rubber resist, this is unquestionably the most useful and economical choice. It will work for most any carving job.

30 & 45 mil rubber (tan)
These thicker rubber style resists are available for heavy and very heavy carving.

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