Etched Glass
Glass etching (corroding or eating away the surface of clear glass to render a whitened design on it) was originally done with acid, but acid only allowed for all-or-nothing stenciled effects. Abrasive blasting (loosely called sandblasting, though the best abrasives for etching glass are silicone carbide and aluminum oxide) enables shaded designs on the surface of glass and even controlled carving into it.
Art Glass, Inc. had a walk-in blasting booth with a 5-HP air compressor and large storage tank, plus two blasting nozzles, a large one for large area etching, stenciled etching and carving, and a smaller, triggered nozzle that functioned much like an airbrush for finely shaded work.
Etched glass displays best when lit from the front, with relative darkness behind it — just the opposite from stained glass. That's why many of the photos here were taken with frontal lighting and a black felt drop behind the glass.
Synagogues and Churches
Beth El Congregation, Art Glass' largest religious etched glass commission.
"The people at Beth El, especially Pam in the office who ran the place, were a joy to work with. Plus I learned lots about the practice and traditions of Judaism, especially from doing the windows for their classrooms."
— Ray Gregory
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Classroom windows and entry door
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Catholic Stations of the Cross
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Military Installations
Various emblems for the Navy
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
The kind of things we did for Naval Air Station Oceana
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Several dining halls and clubs, both officers and enlisted, for Army, Navy, and Marines
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Marine Corp Base Quantico
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
While most of the military work was etched glass, there was the occasional stained glass piece, here with wording (Armed Forces Staff College) etched into flashed glass:
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Restaurants and Other Businesses
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained
glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
Ray Gregory, stained glass, etched glass
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