(Please be aware the links to products in this article are affiliate links and I may get a small commission if you purchase using these links. However, when I say I use it, I truly do!)
Many people think you need to be an artist to engrave by hand. Let me tell you, I'm not artist! I cannot free-hand draw, or engrave (unless it's the occasional snowman!). I had my Dremel for just over a decade and hardly ever used it, so I did an internet search about what you can use Dremels for.
That's when I discovered glass engraving. I remembered I had an old window in the garage rafters that was there when we moved in, so I figured that would be the perfect practice piece. I printed off the image I wanted to try (since I'm a drummer, I decided to try a drumset), and took it out to my garage. I was shocked with how well it turned out, and how easy it ended up being! Since then I have done hundreds of pieces, and rarely have I had to throw a piece away because of breakage or messing up (it has happened though!).
So while I'm happy to engrave things for people, I thought I'd give you all you need to know to do it yourself. It's great to add value to a plain piece of glass, to personalize a gift for a special occasion, or to sell your designs. Don't get me wrong, there are professionals out there who are amazing, but this is for the every day person who isn't making intricate pieces on crystal for hundreds of dollars (although after starting, maybe you will get there!).
I will tell you exactly what tools I use, how to get the design or fonts you want, tips on picking glass, and more! I hope it all adds some value to you! Happy engraving!
Dremel or Other Rotary Tool
Although I have heard people complain that their Dremels have burned out fairly quickly, I have never had any issues with that. Like I said, I had mine for over 10 years, granted, I hardly ever used it during that time! While I still have my original tool, I did decide to get another one. The reason is because what I got next is smaller and lighter. I went ahead and got a whole kit, although the main thing I wanted was the flex shaft. But, with the kit, I got some extra stuff that I could use for other projects. Here is my affiliate link to the kit I got: https://amzn.to/3qm1uoN
Chuck
When I got this kit, I decided to get a new chuck. The one that comes with it is fine, but there are a couple reasons I changed it. This is the one I got: https://amzn.to/3srp19P. This quick change shaft is just that; quick change. The chuck that comes with the Dremel uses a little wrench to tighten and loosen it. This quick change shaft doesn't need that. The second reason I went with this one is because some of the bits, which I'll talk about next, have smaller shanks than the original chuck can hold. If you don't get it though, it's ok. I'm sure the company would not recommend this, but I have been known to wrap the shanks of the small bits with tape a few times to make it big enough. I really don't like doing that though, for different reasons. It can get sticky, hard to get them in and out, and it's probably not safe. So go the quick change route if at all possible!
Bits
Next come the bits. I like these https://amzn.to/3so6XNM because they're round and different sizes. The green bits that usually come with Dremels can be used, but the round diamond bits seem to be smoother and you can be more detailed with the smaller, round ones. If you want to get into shading, I recommend white Arkansas stone burrs, like these: https://amzn.to/2XIg8KY. But be prepared, these are tiny. They won't last real long, but they are nice to have. If you get these, I would highly recommend getting the quick shaft listed above. And, to go along with the white Arkansas stone burrs, you'll also want to get these https://amzn.to/3soSalX or similar rubber burrs to polish where you used the Arkansas stone. They make a huge difference! Honestly, I don't usually use the Arkansas stone or rubber burrs, but there are times I want to add some detail and mix it up a little.
Multi-Vise
This is an extra that I don't tend to use, but it's nice to have just in case, and I use it for other things. It's made by Dremel and you can find it here: https://amzn.to/35HFDR3 You can't use it for all your pieces, but if you don't want to hold your glass piece and maybe use both hands on the Dremel, this would be very handy. The clamps have rubber covers, which are removable, so it won't scratch the glass and helps grip it. You can move it in a variety of positions also. Now, please be careful not to tighten the clamps too tightly because, well, you're working with glass! You don't want glass shattering and flying in your face and everywhere else! I have used it, but usually I prefer to hold the piece in my left hand while I engrave with my right.
Dust Blower
This I don't have, but I have seen it recommended by others. It's a dust blower that attaches to your Dremel and blows the dust (engraving causes a lot of dust!) away as you're engraving. Now the reason I don't use this is because normally I use water to lubricate the glass, which I'll talk about later. So instead of a blower, I use a rag to wipe away the wet dust. There are times, though, that I don't use the water, so the blower would be nice, instead of having to blow or wipe it off myself every few seconds. If you're interested in the blower, you can find it here: https://amzn.to/3nK81YR. I'd actually really love it when I engrave wood or metal.
Safety
And finally safety. While safety is usually the last thing I think about when doing projects, I've increasingly become more aware of the need as I've gotten older. I have started using eye and ear protection. You never know if a piece of glass is going to chip and fly towards your eyes, and the Dremel bit move fast! Also, the Dremel has a motor, and that motor hums. It might not seem like it's loud, but after you've had it running for a while and shut it off, you might notice your ears ringing. Here are a couple suggestions, but find what works for you: https://amzn.to/39wayAN https://amzn.to/3oMmKnr
Dremel or Other Rotary Tool
If you are using the kit that I have, which you can find here: https://amzn.to/3qm1uoN, then you'll realize that you need someplace to place your main Dremel, since your flex shaft is connected to it. What I've done is screwed a ceiling hook into the ceiling of my work room and attached a few zip ties to the Dremel, leaving them in large loops. (I know, I sound like a hillbilly) That gets the Dremel out of the way to where it won't fall off the table or anything. You can use string, rope, cord, whatever, just make sure it hangs down enough so that your flex shaft can reach your project.
Water
When I first started engraving I didn't know I was supposed to use water to lubricate. Sometimes the finished product turned out fine, but other times I had a more frustrating turnout. The frustrations came from chipping and cracking. I got the majority of the pieces done in most cases, and then realized that along the lines I had engraved had tiny chips, or in some cases long, thin cracks. It makes a huge difference in the look of the final product, and in some cases could affect the fragility of the glass.
What I rigged up was based off of something I saw from Leslie Pyke, and popular and extremely talented glass engraver. But, of course, mine is more hillbilly. I filled up a gallon jug with water. I put both ends of a small plastic tube, like this one https://amzn.to/2N86e3d down into the water (it will have to be cut to a good length). I placed the jug on a shelf that is about head level to me sitting down. I taped one end of the tube to the handle so that end of the tube will stay in the water. When I'm ready to wet my glass, I take the free end of the tube out of the water. When it gets lower than the jug, the water starts to flow out. When I raise that end level to or above the jug, the water stops. Then I put it back in the jug until I'm ready to rewet my glass.
Another way would be to have a bowl of water and use a rag to get the work area of your glass wet. Just dab it though, because you don't want to wipe the water off, or have too little water. Now, when you use water, it's going to seem like the engraving is not doing anything. It will be harder to see the lines and "coloring" in when it's wet, but it is there, and it will show up better once it's dry!
Bits
Now that you have your Dremel in place and your water ready, which bit do you use? If you read step one, you'll remember I mentioned using round diamond coated burr bits, like these: https://amzn.to/2XHHAbO. I like to get the bit that is closest in size to the lines of the image or words you're going to engrave. You can find the smallest line on your image and use that size bit, just making more strokes to widen the lines where needed, change your bits out for different sized lines, or press lighter for thin lines and a little harder for thick lines.
Design
Where to start? This topic will be discussed in more detail later in this article. For now, for practice, find a basic black and white image from the internet. Copy it if you're able to, and paste it to Word or Google docs. Doing this you can adjust the size to make it fit the piece you want to engrave. The best I can tell you is to give it your best estimate. The size on the screen will be close to actual size, depending on your settings, but not exact. This will take some practice, and you may need to redo it after you print it off.
Once you have it printed to the size you need, cut your image out. Taking the excess paper off will save you some aggravation, mostly if you're engraving something round, like a drinking glass or vase. Now, this is my least favorite part of engraving. Take a couple pieces of tape and tape your cutout image or word to the back of your glass. For now, you will just be engraving the front of the glass. We'll get into other options in another article. You need to make sure that it's centered and level. I tend to have to work at this for awhile, and the tape adds some frustration. If you're engraving on something round, make sure the whole image or word is right against the glass. If it's not, your perspective will get off and things won't line up right.
Perspective
How you look at your glass largely affects how your piece turns out. Keep the same perspective on the whole piece. Look at the point you're engraving at the same angle, with the same eye. Even when we have both eyes open, we have a dominant eye that affects our vision perspective. Personally, I tend to close one eye while I'm engraving. If you do this, make sure you're closing the same eye! Otherwise, it won't end up well. If you're engraving something round, have the point that you're engraving right in front, turning the glass as you engrave to make sure that you're always engraving the front-most point. If you're engraving something flat, make sure you're also looking at the point you're engraving at the same angle at all times.
Securing
As I mentioned in step one, you can use the mult-vise. This will keep your piece secure and at the same angle. It will also allow you to use two hands to steady the Dremel. However, what I do is, if the piece is small enough to hold in one hand, cross my legs, hold the glass in my left hand against my leg to steady it, and rest my right hand on my leg to steady that. This might not work for you, but find the most comfortable way for you while securing your piece and your hand to keep you as steady as possible. If it is a larger flat piece, just lay it on your work table, but make sure you figure out how you want to secure it.
Engraving
Ok! Let's start engraving. Now that you have your Dremel set up, the bit you want, the image taped into place, and your piece secured in place, it's time to engrave. I turn the Dremel on to about half power. You don't want it too fast, because that can lead to chipping as well. Get you glass wet (yes, my pants get wet doing this!) and pick a point you want to start. Just follow along the lines and turn the round piece as you go, or keep the flat piece right in front of you. Once the dust starts to get dry, wipe it off and get the glass wet again.
I engrave all the lines first, then I like to take the image off before coloring in the parts I want colored in. You don't want to press down too hard, because this might make your lines thicker than you want, and you tend to lose some control when you press too hard. For thinner lines you can change bits, or simply press lighter. For thicker lines you can use a bigger bit, press harder, or make more passes with the bit.
I recommend drying your piece off every once in awhile to check for empty spots. If you have a lot more than expected, don't get frustrated. Just keep connecting lines or coloring in as needed. There will be times that you just have to make some lines thicker where you maybe didn't connect lines right or you got shaky. If it doesn't turn out how you imagined the first time you check it, just keep touching it up until you like it. There have been times I thought I would just have to throw a piece away, but after taking time to thicken lines and touch up, the piece ended up turning out really great. I actually like doing images better than words, because you can touch images up more without the proportions getting out of whack. If you have two of the same letter, people will notice if they look differently.
You have to be kind of careful when picking your glass. I prefer thicker glass because it doesn't break as easily. I have engraved thin glass that cracked. I have found the thicker glass is less likely to do that. There was one piece I tried to do that was really thin. It was a globe for an oil lamp and I was doing a lighthouse. I was afraid to try it because I was sure it would break. It didn't take long before I actually engraved a hole in it! No cracks, no chips. A hole! Now, I haven't tried it, but I wonder if using the white Arkansas stone would have been ok. But those are so small that I would have gone through quite a few just to engrave one design.
This part can get a little tricky, depending on what you're wanting to do. For the very basic, just do what I talked about above. First, I want to mention that you're not legally allowed to sell trademarked words or images. From what I've read and understand, it is legal to use something trademarked if you're giving it as a gift or keeping it for yourself. I encourage you to check for yourself to make sure. There are some free images you can use, but to keep from giving misinformation, I'll let you check on those details too.
For round glass you'll have to engrave the outside of it. All you have to do for these is print off what you want at the size you want, tape it behind, and follow the instructions above. I won't go into details again since I went over getting the image to size and everything above. However, there are times where it can be more complicated.
When I have flat glass I like to engrave on the back of it. I just think it looks nicer. Plus, if doing things like baking dishes, you can engrave the bottom without the sides getting in the way. So if you're engraving the back, you want it to look the right way when you look at it through the glass. To do this, you'll need to flip the image or words.
If doing an image, first copy it and paste it in a Word document. Double click on the image, click on picture effects, 3-D Rotation, go to the bottom, which is 3-D Rotation options, then make the "X Rotation" 180 degrees. Now when you print it off, tape it to the front of your glass, engrave on the back, and you will see the final image the way it originally was (the way you want it).
If doing words, you can pick whatever font you want. First, insert a text box. Write the words, pick your font and the size you think you want. This will take practice and you may need to try a few times to get it just right. And remember, pick a font that you like and fits whatever you're doing, but also one that is easy enough to engrave. You don't want the letters too tight, because the bit you're using might be too wide for that. For example, doing a cursive "l" might not have the space in the middle, so it looks like a stick. Fancy isn't bad, but too fancy increases details, which may make it more difficult to do. While you can use a small bit to get all the little details, too small of a bit won't allow the letter to show up good enough.
So, now that you've got your words in the font and size you want, it's time to flip them. Double click on the edge of the text box or click on the edge once and go to format. Click on shape effects, and again 3-D Rotation, 3-D Rotation options at the bottom, then change the X rotation from 0 to 180 degrees. You can also click on shape fill and shape outline and set them both to none.
At this point your word(s) will look backwards on your computer. Print it off this way, then cut it out if you prefer, and tape it to the front of your glass. Engrave the back of the glass, then when you remove the paper and look at the front, it will look normal.
Mirrors
If you want to engrave a mirror, you have to engrave the front, but you can't put the image behind it. But no worries, you can still do the image or words that you want, how you want. For doing mirrors, I use carbon paper, like this: https://amzn.to/39BfjZT.
I cut the carbon paper to the size of the cutout image or words that I'm using. The dark side needs to be against the mirror. I tape the carbon paper to the back of the paper I'm using, then tape them to the mirror. I like using a pen, but a pencil should work. Trace the image/words you have printed and taped to the mirror. You need to make sure you press hard enough. If you do, it will transfer to the mirror. I kind of "color" the lines, going back and forth, to make sure it transfers. I've gotten completely done, only to take the paper off only to find it didn't transfer very well. Once this is done, you go by what you have to engrave.
Doing it this way, though, you won't be able to use water really. And wiping away the dust will wipe away the carbon markings. So, to help prevent chipping or cracking, make sure the RPM's of your Dremel are lower. 1/4 to 1/2 should be ok. If you're able to practice and experiment, that would be good. There's no guarantee that there won't be chipping or cracking, even when using water. Without water, you will still need to remove the dust, but it will be easy enough to blow it off every few seconds, or use the blower I talked about in the tools section. https://amzn.to/3644cb5
Sometimes coming up with ideas can be difficult. And you probably don't want to spend the money on the tools if you don't think it's going to be worth your money. I already had the Dremel and started practicing using the green and brown stone bits that came with it. Once I discovered how fun it was, I began buying the diamond bits and eventually the rest of the items I mentioned. So what all can you engrave? Here are just a handful of ideas to get you started.
In Memory
I've done "In Memory" projects on a couple different types of glass. Our family has always been very familiar with our local library. In both towns we've lived in, our family has always gotten quite acquainted with the library staff. A couple years ago, one of our favorite local librarians suddenly passed away after a surgery that wasn't supposed to be life threatening. As a gift to the library, and one librarian in particular who was very close to the deceased, I engraved a vase that read, "In memory of", her name, and her birth and death year. My wife added some ribbon to make it look prettier, and we bought flowers to put in it. The library decided to keep them at her normal spot, and changed out the flowers for fake ones after they died. We haven't been in the library since the pandemic hit, but they had the vase displayed there for months and months afterwards.
This next one is probably my most meaningful and emotional one I've ever done. There was another lady who had gotten my name from a mutual friend. Her teenage daughter had died in a car accident some years before, and she got a Christmas gift for each of her kids that would honor and remember her daughter that passed away. She had asked me for suggestions, and then decided on this: She asked for a votive holder with her daughter's name written in her daughter's handwriting. She took a picture of her daughter's name, complete with little hearts, and emailed it to me. I copied and pasted it to a Word document and got it to the size I needed. This way I was able to engrave her daughter's name in her own handwriting onto a votive holder, so they could put a tea light (even a battery operated one) inside as a personal memorial. The mom had ordered one for each of her kids, but liked it so much she asked for one for herself, too.
Coaches Gift
This is another personalized idea. I've had several orders for a gift for their kids' ball or swim coaches. I engraved the team logo on a 16 oz drinking glass or, in some cases, a beer style mug. The parent in charge collected the signature of all the kids, and sometimes the kids' jersey number. I then used their signatures to put their "autographs" all over the rest of the mugs. You can find an example of this in my gallery.
Anniversary Gift
Don't know what to get for that special anniversary? How about some flowers? But on the vase engrave their names along with "Happy 25th Anniversary", and maybe even the date.
Wedding Gift or Christmas Gift
Do the newlyweds need some cookware? Instead of just a plain old glass baking dish, you can engrave their last name and maybe "Est. 9-5-21", or something similar. Or for Christmas, you can engrave their last name and something that they like. If they're dog lovers, engrave a dog. If they're a farming family, engrave a tractor. You can also see examples of these on my gallery page.
Christmas Gift
Another unique Christmas gift is a personalized ornament. I've had people order one for all their grandchildren, with their name and date of birth. You can do this for a first birthday, first Christmas as a married couple with their name and date, you can put an image on of something that they're into. An instrument, an animal, a beach image, and the list goes on!
Another Christmas or birthday idea is to put one of their favorite images on a 16 oz glass or beer mug. Or, for the wine drinkers in your life, as a combined gift you could give a set of wine glasses with their names on, "His" and "Hers" on them, or whatever other creative idea you come up with. I saw one person who engraved what looked to be a hole with cracks going out from it.
Conclusion
What you can do is only limited to your imagination, and what you can find on Pinterest! I have found engraving to be a lot of fun. There are times that a certain project seems daunting (trying to fit a logo and 30-some names on one mug). I have sat at my table with the paper taped in just staring at it, dreading it. But, all I have to do is get started. Take your time. A lot of times I go over the whole image or words with my eyes before I even turn my Dremel on. And if you mess up, don't scrap it. You can always fix it later. Take a little bit at a time. Those times that the project seems daunting and I wonder if I can even do it seem to be the times I get done and look at the final outcome and just think, "Wow. I did that." It's a great feeling of accomplishment, and it's very humbling to think that someone is using or putting on display something that I created. You can have that feeling too!
