Armour Etch Glass Etching Cream - Create Stunning Designs on Glass Surfaces - Etching Cream for Glass by Armour Products - 22 oz Net Weight

I have a vinyl cutter and decided I wanted to try glass etching. This stuff works fabulously! My process was to cut my design in adhesive backed vinyl, weed out the parts of the design I wanted to etch, apply clear transfer tape to the front of the design, peel off the backing paper on the vinyl, apply it to the glass I wanted to etch, carefully peel off the transfer tape, apply a thick coat of the Armour Etch Cream using a foam pouncer, wait at least 5 minutes, wash the cream off with running water and then remove the vinyl. Here are some tips to get the best results: 1. Make sure the glass is very clean. I wipe it well with rubbing alcohol to ensure there are no oils that would prevent the etching cream from etching evenly. 2. Rub the vinyl hard to make sure every edge is completely adhered to the glass. If it isn't, the cream can bleed under the edges. 3. Apply the cream thickly and as evenly as possible. I pounce it on rather than brush it to avoid brush marks in the etch. Make sure it's so thick that you cannot see through it at all. 4. The directions say to leave it on for 5 minutes but longer is fine and makes a deeper, more frosted etch. 5. Work on a covered surface and wear gloves. If this cream gets on anything else, it will etch it, too. Remember, this is an acid that is strong enough to etch glass! Also, I suggest working in a well ventilated area. I do it on my front porch. You can etch all sorts of things. Some I have etched are glass tumblers, mugs and steins, glass dinner plates and platters, glass bakeware, mirrors, canisters, jars, bottles and window glass. Etching your name onto platters and bakeware ensures it gets returned to you. Etching names and monograms onto simple glass mugs or plates turns them into fabulous gifts. This is a fairly big bottle of etching cream and even applied thickly, it will etch a lot of glass.

It's a little pricey on Amazon, can get it cheaper at local craft stores when they offer coupons. It is a decent product, better than other brand's glass etching creams in the sense you get more for your money and it takes less time to work. Armor Etch is not reusable once it has dried so after the initial thick layer being applied and then wiped off and put back into the bottle it only takes a little bit to achieve the frosted, etched look. It works in just a couple of minutes. One drawback is that the more times it is opened and exposed to air it forms crystals and these crystals will make darker spots on your project so they cannot be left on the glass. It is possible to eliminate the crystals by placing the bottle in warm water before each use and then shaking vigorously for several minutes to mix the broken particles. Because of the shape of the bottle it is almost impossible to stir the cream. The photo is a wine glass that I etched the word Aquarius and dotted. It is difficult to get good photos of etched glass but hopefully you can see the design well enough.

This stuff is awesome! I used 651 vinyl to cut a stencil out. Then applied it to a glass beer mug, using transfer tape. I then removed the transfer tape & applied the Armour Etch Cream quite thickly using a sponge brush & dabbing it on, rather than brushing it on. I left the glass beer mug laying down for about 3-5 hours (photo attached). When I went back the armour etch cream had dried up. I simply washed it under running water, peeling the vinyl off as I did that. Then when all the cream & vinyl was off I dried the beer mug off. I posted the results as a photo too. It came out amazing & was so easy to do! I will be buying more in the future, but a little goes a long way so not for a while!

I could not get it to etch my suit of armour regardless of how much I used! Seriously though, this stuff works great for etching glass, some metals and removing certain coatings from some plastics. Please though, if you buy this stuff, I cannot stress enough that you need to be super careful with this. Make sure you wear protective gloves and eyewear! If you are using anything but the smallest amounts, it is best to use it outdoors or at the very least wear a respirator that is rated for use with Hydroflouric Acid (it has different requirements for respirators than other strong acids.) It is made from some VERY VERY nasty acids. All of which convert to Hydroflouric Acid via differing routes and that is some potentially very seriously disastrous stuff to work with! If you get this stuff on you, make sure you grab a phone to call your local poison control office to see if they recommend going to the emergency room! I am not kidding! Hydroflouric Acid can KILL you in not so large amounts via skin absorption alone. If you get some into your eyes, just call 911 immediately and then the poison control for further direction if not provided by 911.

I have used this product (with Armour Etch "over n' over" stencils as well as my own designs on cut-out contact paper) on wine glasses, vases, and candle jars and had wonderful results. The etching is not as deep as can be done with sand etching or by a professional, but to be able to do this at home for personalized gifts is so nice. I have tried varying the time that I leave it on to see if it will make the etch deeper, but 5 minutes vs 25 minutes does not seem to make much difference. I did have one project come out with some streaks/unetched areas and replaced the stencil (very carefully) for a second coat and it did make a huge difference, the etching was uniform and perfect with no streaks, plus was a little bolder. of note, there are warnings all over the bottle that the solution can burn you and even be fatal (!) if ingested/misused. I use gloves when I am working with it and a tongue depressor to apply it. Like other reviewers, I scrape off the excess after it has been on the item for the allotted time and put it back in the jar for re-use. Haven't had any problems and at this rate it is going to take a very long time for me to run out of cream.

This is the best for etching. Love the results.Easy to use, but please wear gloves otherwise you could burn yourself.

This was the first etching cream I used, I did try another brand but only as I was given it....I went straight back to armour! Always clean your glass for best results (I noticed a slight 'dotting effect when I rushed and hadn't). i have found on normal glassware that 5 minutes is an ideal time and a tip if a little clumsy like me, use masking tape around your stencil in case your drip or the cream runs a little during curing time. And don't forget you can use the etching cream again...I just take it off my stencil with a paint brush and put back in the bottle before I wash my glasses.

Worked very well.

Love this, I have created some wonderful projects with this on glass and mirror, such a massive bottle as well, a little goes a long way!

delighted this has arrived on time i can now get started on etchin some glasses many thanks

This stuff is great. if only the price would come down , our club could use it more often.