I have a little experience with sand etch.
Here's some notes:
1. Sandetch is small, light, compact: just a propellant can, a special nozzle and abrasive metal particles of some grit size. The aerosol forces the abrasive through the nozzle at high speeds.
2. You can buy the kit at etchworld. The cost is a rip-off. But you can refill it with aluminum or carbide particles bought in bulk. I believe you need at least 220 grit or higher. And you can get aerosol cans at staples or places like that.
3. The can makes a sound like spray-paint. It’s not very quiet.
4. It leaves abrasive particles at the scene. Lots of them. They are also probably go in your lungs. Im guessing that’s bad. wear a dust mask or bandana or something. Probably should wear gloves too.
5. Having done no experimentation with grit size, I have to say sandetch is slow as shit on glass. You have to keep the nozzle close to the glass. Like 1/2-inch or less. And you have to move pretty slowly. It could take a few minutes to catch a single line tag.
6. The can gets cold when you use it for a while and it freezes up. So you should bring two cans. One in hand, one ready to go. When the first can gets too cold to hold, grab the second one. Alternate while letting one heat back up. It’s hard to use solo. Good to have someone to refill the abrasive for you. It takes multiple refills to do anything big.
7. You can do stencils. They take even longer if you want a nice consistent fill. I make the sandetch stencils out of file folders with double-sided tape on one side. Cut through the folder and tape, peel it and stick it to whatever you are etching.
8. You can etch more than glass. Sandetch works on plastic and other materials. It’s logical that it would mark any solid surface as hard as glass or softer. But I have only tried it on glass and plastics like acrylic and lexan.
Check out the of some field-testing going on in Brooklyn.
Knowme’s idea about color etching is so sick. I don’t know if it would work but its DEF worth trying!
Sand Etch Links
http://www.sandetch.com/
---- etchworld.com is down as of June 28 but these are the links ----
--- etch kit
http://www.etchworld.com/item--Starter-Sand-Etch-Kit--70-9001
--- bulk abrasive
http://www.etchworld.com/cat--Sandblasting+Abrasive--Sandblasting+Abrasive
--- staples air can
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=145193&cmArea=SEARCH
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