Glass etching cream is also widely known as acid cream and is one of the easiest ways to personalize your glass. It is fairly inexpensive, but a jar doesn’t go a long way since you have to coat your glass with a thick layer to etch it correctly. The cream has a diluted mixture of chemicals which eats or etches the surface of the glass very lightly. The mixture is comprised of the hazardous chemicals: Barium Sulfate, Sulfuric Acid, Sodium Bifluoride, and Ammonium Bifluoride.
Bottle of Armour Etch Acid Cream
For a step by step cream etching guide with pictures, check out the tutorial page. If you are searching for acid cream, you can order it through Amazon shown at the bottom of the acid process page. This is my favorite place to order it from. FYI:I have heard from a few people that it’s not sold in some states. This is most likely because the local government wanted to keep it away from people vandalizing glass. It has been a problem in some areas where kids or gang members would etch a store’s front glass with graffiti. It’s not like regular paint graffiti because we can usually rub that off or paint over it. The etching cream leaves a permanent mark in the glass and will have to be replaced.
It is used mostly for etching designs into glass cups and wine glasses, but can be used for many other things also. The bad thing about using the cream is it doesn’t produce a consistent etch on large surfaces such as a glass shower door. It is best to etch larger surfaces with a sandblaster which is another reason that sandblasting is a highly desirable process. There is also another brand called Bath Etch that will work better for larger areas.
The question that is asked frequently — what is the best brand & what etches the best?
There are many brands available with the most popular being Armour Etch & EtchAll. I created an experiment which I test the different creams to see what works the best. To access my free report of places to buy, please fill out your best email address below. That way you can see what the results look like.
Before you decide to purchase supplies or equipment, you need to decide what you want to do with it. Depending on your budget, you will also need to decide if you want very low cost equipment or more professional etching equipment.
If you want to start an etching business, then you should use a sandblaster because it will create sharper elegant etchings that your customers will enjoy and come back for more. If you’re not willing to place much money on this interesting niche, then you will want to stick with cream method. Professional etching equipment will allow you to produce the most artistic and elegant forms of art fairly easy with the sandblasting process. This professional equipment is also known as abrasive etching and sand carving. It can be expensive to start up, but the ongoing cost is fairly inexpensive. In my information manual, Glass Etching Secrets it shows you how to save thousands of dollars and get a lot of this sophisticated equipment for less than a few hundred dollars. In the tutorials section of the ebook, we will also discuss more about the acid cream.
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Eric, I just wanted to share a quick thought. I use a dremel a lot for glass projects and have found that after completion of that etching, I add a light coat of “Rub and Buff” over the etched glass., Let sit a bit (not long) and then use a simple scotch scratch pad to go over the entire surface. The results are extraordinary! The etching stands out and is especially stunning if used on colored glass. Wow, you really have to try this. The scratch pad only takes off the excess, but stays withing the scratched design.
