The process of etching first starts with a to-scale drawing of the project.  The glass is masked off with a rubber resist (stencil) material, an enlarged version of the original design is transferred onto the resist, and all details are cut by Exacto knife or stencil burner.  The parts of the resist material that are removed are frosted/sandblasted.  The resist that stays on the glass protects it from being sandblasted.  We can etch designs in a ‘Positive’ technique where the design is etched, or a ‘Negative’ technique where the design is clear. In both methods we can apply ‘Stage-shading’, in which the resist is removed in stages from the foreground to the background, creating a very dimensional appearance to the design.

Sometimes it is appropriate to have stencils for certain designs created by computer, namely logos or text for signage or awards.  Other instances might include having several pieces of art glass produced that need to be all the same.  One might ask, why not have a computer cut out all of the stencils?  Our answer is ‘flourish’!  A hand cut stencil has the unique one of a kind quality that computer plotters just can’t follow.  Just as a painter has a style of stroke with his brush, so has the etcher with the line of a knife.

Specializing in creatively designed, original art glass, Visions in Glass strives to produce the highest quality etched, beveled, and stained glass for residential, commercial and ecclesiastic applications.

Custom glass designs can range from simple, classic and functional to uniquely dramatic.  Whatever your architectural taste, our goal is to approach each project with a desire to achieve an uncommonly beautiful result, and often it’s one that sets your home, business or church apart from the rest!

An amazing variety of glass types are available with unique textured surfaces, colors and degrees of opacity, to use as deemed appropriate for each project. Beveled glass usually is a product made of 1/4” clear glass with the entire periphery edge ground at an angle then polished. This edge acts as a prism, capturing sunlight and refracting it into a spectrum of colors. Beveled glass is available in traditional shapes such as diamonds, straight line rectangles and squares, etc. as well as beautiful multi-piece clusters. Dramatic visual effects can be created combining the use of colored/textured art glass, beveled glass, and etched glass.

Design possibilities exist that are beyond what is often thought! The medium is inherently beautiful by the very nature of the materials. Styles can include abstract, classic, art nouveau, geometric, and the list goes on.

For a complete overview of the techniques and fabrication of stained glass windows, lead came and copper foil glasswork, please follow the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stained_glass#Creating_stained_glass_windows

The technique requires us to sandblast on annealed or ‘plate’ glass (including laminated glass), vs. tempered glass. Glass is typically 3/8” or 1/2” thick to carve safely into the surface. Though somewhat risky, the annealed glass that’s been carved can be tempered for applications where safety glass is required. Carving glass is a time consuming affair, and requires a good amount of proficiency with the sandblasting equipment. Working with much higher air pressures, the process is more labor intensive than surface etching as the glass surface is literally sculpted away.

Stained, leaded and beveled glass

• Painting and firing of glass
• Decorative soldering for copper foil constructed panels
• Use of multiple thicknesses of lead and/or use of solid copper caming or zinc Plating of different pieces of glass together for a dimensional effect (especially as relating to Tiffany style construction of windows)
• Inclusion of agates, crystals, shells, hand blown rondels, prisms, etc.
• Custom beveling for unusual shapes
• Gold, brass, or nickel plating

Etched and carved glass

• Custom glue chipping of areas to enhance the design artistically or functionally
• Hand chipping of thick glass edges
• Custom shapes and edge polishing
• LED edge lighting
• Stage shading multiple degrees of an image
• Airbrushing of enamel and acrylic paints onto glass surfaces
• Laminating of jewels or other pieces of glass to an etched/carved surface