La Belle Supreme - Glue Chipping
![Image](http://www.walljewelry.com/post/LaBelle.jpg)
So, as mentioned earlier, my next project was going to be the La Belle Supreme sign from the vector file download from this site. I decided to go big - the glass is 61" x 42". I decided to do a full glue chipped backgound, leaving the scroll work smooth. This will then be silvered. A couple of personal notes on glue chipping:
1) I just clean the glass with glass cleaner prior to the asphaltum varnish. I think that over cleaning the glass keeps the asphaltum from sticking as good.
2) Of all the different masking materials I've used, I like Venture Tape's 4 mil white Sandblast mask. It seems to stick good to the asphaltum and hasn't "blown" in the sand blasting process.It also peels easy after sandblasting. I prefer to weed the stencil prior to application rather than after it's stuck to the glass.
3) After flowing the glue on, I go back and cut the glue any where it has bridged, or radiused around a sharp corner. Actually, I go back and put a small cut at every corner thats 90 degrees or less. That includes on all the lettering. It's my belief that doing this little extra step ensures sharp points and corners.
4) While flowing on the glue, I found that I missed one dot in the design that didn't get weeded, or sandblasted. I took my electric micro engraver and etched in the dot and put the glue on. This technique could also be used if there were a few stubborn spots of asphaltum that didn't get blasted off.
After the glue chips off, I will be silvering the entire background. I'll post some notes on that in this thread, or if it gets buried, I'll start another one.
...the way I figure it, there's no time like the present for starting another glass sign...so,
...quit talkin' about it and do it...
always havin' fun... LW