# Trouble etching glass **URL:** \ **Category:** X-Carve\ **Created:** [September 24, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538 "2017-09-24T14:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/1 "2017-09-24T14:07:46Z")
Good morning, first off I did search the forum but couldn’t really find the information I need. I have been using a spring loaded diamond drag bit to etch acrylic with excellent results. I recently tried etching glass with the same bits, with very mixed results. The etching starts out great but as the job proceeds the quality rapidly goes down hill. ![20170923_141406](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/2/c/2c57e0359e00262661a8814a5a66bc9f98c0f4b1.jpg) My questions are, has anyone used these type of bits for glass etching, and if so what are your settings? I have been using the following settings for acrylic and attempted to use them on the glass also. In vcarve .08 depth/pressure, 200 in feed rate, 0 spindle speed. Thank you in advance ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/2 "2017-09-24T14:35:55Z")
With results in the picture it tells me that the work surface is not level. The bottom end with “Married” is higher so there is more pressure on the bit…as it goes to the Top of the piece that end is lower so there is less pressure on the spring loaded bit. ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/3 "2017-09-24T15:56:12Z")
Ok but why did that not happen when I’m etching acrylic ![0921171544_resized](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/uploads/inventables/original/3X/1/9/1970efcecd1075f4d2d20d207aee7204a06faba7.jpg)and I had recently leveled the wasteboard by cutting it down ---
**Author:** ![MidnightMaker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/midnightmaker/32/85297_2.png) [@MidnightMaker](https://community.inventables.com/u/MidnightMaker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/4 "2017-09-24T16:28:25Z")
Is your spring fatiguing so there’s less pressure at the end of the job? ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/5 "2017-09-24T16:52:50Z")
Brand new spring loaded bit that day ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/6 "2017-09-24T16:55:07Z")
Does acrylic require less pressure to etch? If so it would not be noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightMaker](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/midnightmaker/32/85297_2.png) [@MidnightMaker](https://community.inventables.com/u/MidnightMaker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/7 "2017-09-24T17:05:01Z")
> [@ScottADalrymple](#): > > Brand new spring loaded bit that day Have you tried changing out to a new spring half way through a project and see if that helps fatigue mid-carve? ---
**Author:** ![LarryM](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/larrym/32/51450_2.png) [@LarryM](https://community.inventables.com/u/LarryM)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/8 "2017-09-24T17:10:29Z")
One other thing to keep in mind is that glass dulls abrasive types of cutting tools. I haven’t worked glass with the X-carve, but I have done extensive work with glass and other tools. Just check your bits and make sure they are still cutting nicely. May not be your problem, but just a note on working glass. ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/9 "2017-09-24T17:20:15Z")
One thing to keep in mind…thin glass tends to flex very easily. Your method of clamping may be causing this. I ended up making a wooden frame for clamping to etch glass. ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/10 "2017-09-24T17:31:14Z")
I wound assume acrylic definetly needs less pressure, because if it’s lack of hardness compared to glass ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/11 "2017-09-24T17:31:28Z")
Not yet ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/12 "2017-09-24T17:31:55Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/13 "2017-09-24T17:32:25Z")
Interesting, but the glass is actually 1/4" thick ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/14 "2017-09-24T17:33:07Z")
It will still flex… ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/15 "2017-09-24T17:44:53Z")
So has anyone actually etched glassed with a drag bit on their xcarve? ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/16 "2017-09-24T17:48:43Z")
yes ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/17 "2017-09-24T19:24:38Z")
What settings did you use? ---
**Author:** ![AdamWagner](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/adamwagner/32/42282_2.png) [@AdamWagner](https://community.inventables.com/u/AdamWagner)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/18 "2017-09-24T19:26:56Z")
I had the same problem turns out my waste board was off. You don’t see it on acrylic because it’s soft and super easy to scratch . Glass is much harder so from the looks of it you are losing pressure some where try to zero your z height off the top left corner. Then bring it down to bottom left and do x and y. And see what happens ---
**Author:** ![ErikJenkins](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/erikjenkins/32/84368_2.png) [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/19 "2017-09-24T19:32:19Z")
My settings would do you no good, my X-Carve is no longer comparable to a stock machine in both rigidity, speed or controller. I have made a few changes. Throw a scrap piece down and tweak settings. Judging from your picture your settings are pretty good…I truly believe your issues are related to an uneven surface…either the wasteboard or the glass. ---
**Author:** ![ScottADalrymple](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex009/user_avatar/community.inventables.com/scottadalrymple/32/87071_2.png) [@ScottADalrymple](https://community.inventables.com/u/ScottADalrymple)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538/20 "2017-09-24T19:38:20Z")
thank you, i will give it another try tomorrow [Next page](https://community.inventables.com/t/trouble-etching-glass/42538.md?page=2)