Gayle~
There is a process that you can create a resist from a photo sensitive material that is applied to the mug so that your friend can sandcarve it (the artistic way of saying sandblasting). With a siphon system you do need to have a little higher psi because the pressure is having to create the siphon to pull the abrasive into the air stream.

What kind of graphic is your friend wanting to put on it? If it is a simple one another way is to have the resist cut on a plotter.

I do use my laser to make the resists for most of my jobs and that process will not work to make the resists in this case.

You or your friend can email me at russ at warrlightengraving dot com and I will see what we can do to help you out.

They teach classes on this stuff! (I just took one). Anyway, have her contact Rayzist! They make a wonderful product, including the film to make the mask and the resist for the blast. But unless she has the time and interest to invest in learning the process, and wants to spend the money on the materials, she's much better off to sub it out to someone who actually does this. Yes she can blast glasses with her equipment, but she needs all the parts including the film, an exposure unit, and the resist.

www.rayzist.com
they are wonderful and can set her up if she wants to spend the time and money.

Thanks. Right now, I think all she is looking for is some place to get some masks so she can give this a try. Her design isn't simple form the standpoint of simple lines -- it is 3 or 4 lines of text (short lines -- one word on each of 3 and a date on the last line) plus a double heart design. Because of the letters, it isn't simple (at least I don't think it is). Anyway, I know there is material out there that holds everything together until you start "carving" and then the thin film that is over the open spaces is blasted away and leaves the opening to etch inside of.

We just want to find someone who will give us a price on making about 40 of these small masks (about 1.5 x 2") and info on how to order if she wants them and how long it will take to get them. She has about a month to get the work done.

I don't think my friend is ready to go that far -- she just wants to get some masks made so she can try this. I didn't realize how hard that was going to be.

Thanks for the info.

Gayle,

You could contact Photobrasive and they would likely create the resists for you. They would send them to you on silicone release paper so that you could peel them off and apply.

I would order some extra, as there is a learning curve to getting them applied squarely and without damage.

Hi Gayle,
This is another idea. Up until recently I often sandblasted glass. I used cheap sign vinyl. I cut it with my plotter and make my own stencil. Picked out the parts that would be blasted, applied, taped off, blasted and threw in the sink. The mask and tape would just peel off. Very cheap way to do this. Unless she is looking for very detailed images. I used to do beer steins, James line 1 Best man line 2, date line 3. Time consuming but cheap.

They say you can use contact paper too. I am not good enough with a xacto blade for that.

Good Luck.