Etching of glass has been around for a long time. Robert takes a piece to be etched and covers it with a resilient vinyl mask. When carving, a thicker vinyl is used to protect the glass from higher pressure.
Patterns may be scanned, imported, or drawn into the computer and manipulated to fit any desired size of glass and then cut on a special plotter.
The piece is then taken into a blast cabinet where very fine pressurized particles of aluminum oxide are shot at it. The vinyl protects the glass and keeps it clear while the exposed glass surface is chipped away in tiny fragments.
The technique Robert uses is called stage blasting. It creates a three dimensional effect in the glass.
Purple vase
Footed bowl
Bar pitcher
Cordials
