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Anyone ever acid etch glass?

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T

Train

Lifer
CLIFFS: Need to acid etch clear glass .. any advice?


So I have this old lamp post in my front yard, had a gas burning lamp inside of it. The lamp had not been functional in years, the gas line to it was probably cut/removed when the basement was waterproofed years before I bought the house.

Since my street does not have street lamps, I decided to light my lamp post.. and without raising my electric bill. I put 3 bright LED's inside the lamp... and powered them with 4 rechargeable AA's put under a solar panel in the bushes. Works very nice, creates just a nice amount of light in my otherwise dark front yard at night, with no added cost of running a light all night.

But of course the LED's dont look as good as a regular bulb or gas flame, so I want to put the glass chimney from the old gas lamp back in it.. but since its clear this wont really help, I'd like to "fog" this thing up to help disperse the light better and from reading online, the only way to do this right is to use acid on the glass.

Has anyone done something similar? Where do you even get the acid? What kind/strength of acid to get?


 
i was having the same dilemma when i wanted to make one of my cabinets not see thru. i ended up buying the spray on stuff, much cheaper and worked well. didnt take much time, and as long as it isnt getting hit and scratched it will last forever.
 
Hydrofluoric acid glass etching?

Don't they sell little bottles of gel in hobby stores for this kind of thing?

Or you could sand blast it or sand it.
 
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Hydrofluoric acid glass etching?

Don't they sell little bottles of gel in hobby stores for this kind of thing?
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I've used the gel. It's pretty easy to do, just wear gloves.

If you're feeling creative, it's fun to mask off designs with tape then etch around them.
 
HF baby..... If you conquered using HF, you can use any acid with no fear. Unfortunately the most powerful stuff I've worked with was only aqua regia. Sorry. Pouring 98% sulfuric down into a bath still scares me each time I do it.
 
HF burns are very nasty. It doesn't stop burning - it just keeps going. I think I'd explore other options before I resorted to using that.

Hydrofluoric acid is an extremely corrosive liquid and is a contact poison. It should be handled with extreme care, beyond that accorded to other mineral acids. Owing to its low dissociation constant, HF penetrates tissue more quickly than typical acids. Symptoms of exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be immediately evident. HF interferes with nerve function, meaning that burns may not initially be painful. Accidental exposures can go unnoticed, delaying treatment and increasing the extent and seriousness of the injury.

More seriously, once absorbed into blood through the skin, it reacts with blood calcium and may cause cardiac arrest. Burns with areas larger than 25 square inches (160 cm2) have the potential to cause serious systemic toxicity from interference with calcium blood and tissue levels. In the body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with the ubiquitous biologically important ions Ca2+ and Mg2+. In some cases, exposures can lead to hypocalcemia. Thus, hydrofluoric acid exposure is often treated with calcium gluconate, a source of Ca2+ that sequesters the fluoride ions. HF chemical burns can be treated with a water wash and 2.5% calcium gluconate gel or special rinsing solutions. However, because it is absorbed, medical treatment is necessary; rinsing off is not enough. In some cases, amputation may be required.
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Personally, I would avoid using it. To give you a rough estimate of my level of comfort working around dangers, later this afternoon, I have to finish the final connections for my counter circuits in the kitchen. That means I'll be working in the breaker panel, while it's live. (If I cut off power, I'd have to work in the dark.) Doing so doesn't worry me a bit. My fingers will be inches (or less) from exposed live voltages.
 
HF is very, very, very, very nasty. VERY NASTY. It's used a lot, but you better take good precautions. Thick gloves (isoprene or the like), goggles, preferably a mask. Serious ventilation.

HF isn't bad because it's an acid, it's bad because it's fluoride. In terms of acidity, it's no more acidic than vinegar. But fluoride sequesters calcium in your body, grabs it, and doesn't let go. So, it gets through your skin, and doesn't really burn you, which sucks, because it takes about half an hour to start hurting, and by then it's too late. It'll get into your system and start attacking the calcium in your bones, the calcium in your neurons, etc. Which leads to agonizing pain. If you are going to use it, I recommend finding some calcium glucuronate gel, and keeping that handy. If you spill some on your skin, rub that all over the area, as it has lots of calcium in it for the fluoride to react with. We're required to store a bottle near any HF in the lab.

Have fun!
 
umm ya. I think I'm gonna start with the sandpaper approach and see how that works out.

After that I will go for the spray on stuff.
 
Originally posted by: DLeRium
HF baby..... If you conquered using HF, you can use any acid with no fear. Unfortunately the most powerful stuff I've worked with was only aqua regia. Sorry. Pouring 98% sulfuric down into a bath still scares me each time I do it.
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Terrible advice. HF is very dangerous. If you can use a different acid, don't use HF.

Anyway, if you use acid, you need excellent ventilation, Personal Protective Equipment, and a spill response plan (just adding water may not be your best course of action). Also, think about how you are going to get rid of the waste product.
 
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Originally posted by: lxskllr
How about a replacement globe?
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Ban for eliminating getting to play with dangerous chemicals.
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Hey, hey hey!!! You didn't hear the rest of the plan. I'd suggest hooking up the original gas mantle. Flammable gas>dangerous chemicals ;^)
 
We etched glass in my art class in 5th grade.

We drew the art on a piece of adhesive shelp paper, stuck it on the glass, cut out the design with a single edge razor, brushed on the solution and when it was doen we rinsed it in the sink.


Oh, we also taped the edges of the glass so we wouldnt get cut.
 
Originally posted by: lxskllr
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Originally posted by: lxskllr
How about a replacement globe?
Click to expand...

Ban for eliminating getting to play with dangerous chemicals.
Click to expand...

Hey, hey hey!!! You didn't hear the rest of the plan. I'd suggest hooking up the original gas mantle. Flammable gas>dangerous chemicals ;^)
Click to expand...

Well, that's all right then but, if he wants to go hardcore, he should look into converting to coal dust gas.
 
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