Acid Etching Glass - Can this be done at home?

by Michael Holmes
(Preston, Lancashire, UK)

We have been asked to restore eight Victorian stained glass panels from a house in Southport, Lancashire UK. The majority of the work is simple stained glass stuff. One of the panels has had some work done in the past and currently has a piece of red flash glass inserted where there should have been an acid etched piece with painted detail. The acid etched piece is coloured red slowly becoming paler through to clear. The piece then had flowers painted on. We are finding difficulty in replicating this piece as nobody in the stained glass business uses hydrofluoric acid anymore because the dangers associated with the product.
We can get glass etching cream but I am told this takes a long time to work and can have dubious results.

Milly's reply:

Have you tried sandblasting glass? Although it gives a frosted effect, you would be able to achieve the colour variations in the red flash glass that you're looking for. If it isn't too big a piece, and a dark red, the opaqueness might not register too much. If you go down this route, make sure the abrading grit is a fine one to get a smooth finish.
You're right about glass etching cream - not so much dubious as ineffective for flash glass. It works best for simply clouding the surface, rather than etching off layers, as you need to with flash glass.
I have used hydrofluoric acid, yes, and the results are without question the best. I wouldn't recommend doing this at home, although in my foolish past I have... I think my neighbours thought I had plutonium, not simple stained glass in my garden!
Good luck with the commission, it's good to hear people are still wanting to restore Victorian stained glass windows.