Acid etching glass stencil for helicopter

by Fred Thompson

I do stained glass panels, and I've been asked to do a panel of a helicopter. I don't think I can cut & foil a good copter but perhaps acid etch one on an 8 or 10 in. oval and border it in bevels & stained glass. Any ideas or suggestions?

Milly's reply:
Sounds like a good idea to me. You could either get an image of a helicopter - or draw one yourself - and send an electronic copy to a company that will make up an acid etching glass stencil for you, or you could make your own stencil from sticky backed plastic, which you can cut either with a craft knife or melt using one of those tiny soldering irons. This gives a really free line, but mind you don't crack the glass.
With regard to the image itself, it will be very subtle, so it might be best to think about where it will hang - a darker background will show it off more.
Hope that helps.