About the Process:

Some companies, equipped with the latest technology can, and will, produce sandblasted patterns on glass en masse. While this method has its niche, gabriel blasted glass produces one-off, hand-made creations. If necessary, a reasonable copy of an existing work can be recreated, but the emphasis here is on catering to an idividual idea. A person's ideas are a singular and therefore, each proposal is unique. Gabriel blasted glass will endeavor to make your imaginings a glass-etched reality.

The process is much as the name implies; sand is blasted under pressure at an exposed glass surface to produce an etch. With various masking techniques and different air pressures, many finishes are possible. Also, post-blast treatment can alter the image further.

Hopefully the pictures on the site will help show some of the endless possibilities for obliterating a perfectly good piece of glass. The reasons for etching glass are as varied as the ideas fo designs on it. Whether it's to provide privacy or a focal point, consider glass etching!

Usually a piece starts with an idea for a pattern and then a method is developed to achieve that end. Some times a simple frosting with a pattern left clear will suffice, sometimes more is required. A flat surface etch is just that. No real depth is achieved in the blast. This allows for the work to be applied to thin and tempered panels. Multiple shades within that etch can allow for a very detailed outcome.

Deeper-relief carving requires a heavier plate to start and a different effect emtirely is acheived. Both methods require masking. On to the masking an image is drawn and cut out, although not entirely removed. This allows for removal in stages during blasting. The piece then enters the sandblasting booth where different grit sizes of aluminum oxide are used to cut into the surface. The process is time-consuming, but generally rewarding.

After the blasting is complete, the design sometimes calls for some colour or other treatment to be applied.

The possibilities in sandblasted glass are endless, and hopefully the images here can provide you with a little inspiration.

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