Glass Engraving

Engraving Statement

As a glass engraver, I can reproduce small to medium sized pieces of glass up to 18" x 24". By taking a paper template of the broken piece, a glass blank can be accurately reproduced. The glass can vary in thickness from one eighth of an inch to three eights of an inch.

Pricing

The price for a completed engraved piece depends upon the amount of time it takes. The current shop rate per hour plus handling and shipping are the main variables in figuring the final delivered cost. Some engraved pieces have a mirrored back. I have to send the engraved piece out of state to a silver specialist. This will also add to the final cost. If requesting a price quote, please contact us with a description of your engraving project.

Process

Engraving is a cold working process which employs the use of grinding wheels to abrade the glasses surface. Artwork is first transferred onto the glass with black ink. Holding the glass in both hands with the artwork facing the grinding wheel, light pressure is applied against the spinning wheel. As the wheel starts to grind away the glass, and by following the pattern on the glass, the three dimensional image will be cut into the surface of the glass.

The earliest engraving wheels were made of copper. A slurry of abrasive grit and oil was applied to the spinning wheel. It was this grit, not the wheel, which did the grinding. This early process was known as copper wheel engraving. The next generations of engraving wheels were made of stones. The earlier versions of the stones were quarried, where the present day stones are man made. By using grinding stones, the abrasive slurry can be eliminated. With the grinding stones, only water is needed to cool the glass while engraving. The newest technology is grinding wheels manufactured out of sintered bronze and diamond. The diamonds are suspended within the bronze matrix and as like the stones, only water is needed to cool the glass and the wheel.

My studio uses various synthetic or man made grinding stones and sintered diamond wheels. Synthetic grinding stones can be easily shaped, while the diamond wheels have to be balanced and shaped by the manufacturer.

To view some samples of engraved work, please refer to the residential and liturgical sections located within the portfolio.

Equipment