Another New Toy!

glass carving Vancouver Washington by Ron BranchI’m now using “photo resist” which allows for extremely detailed and precise work. It is especially handy for tiny lettering on plaques, awards and signage.

I had to buy a few new things and some specialized materials, but I think the results are worth the investment.

(Click on the image for a larger view)

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Office Upgrade

summa cutter for sandblast stencil

summa cutter for sandblast stencil Two years ago when I started creating my home workspace I made a special nook in the office with the hope that someday I might be able to fill it with a very special tool, one that I have wanted for many years. It’s hard to believe it actually happened, the Summa has arrived! The importance of owning our own plotter became obvious over these first few months of working at home. As a glass etching studio perhaps we could have sustained ourselves without one, but as far as diversity of products and competitive pricing, the horizon is now significantly wider.

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A Thing of Beauty

sanblast gun

sandblast gunThis is my fifth Paache of this type over the last eight or so years, so they last me a little over a year – not bad considering what I put them through. Its possible that the way I use it causes extra wear and tear – I’ll look into that with this one. It’s the best gun I’ve found so far. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. I’ll be breaking it in with a new freehand portrait technique, hopefully in the next few days. I’m still trying to decide whose face to do – I’m open to suggestions. I do know I would like it to be someone well-known, someone recognizable.

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