How To Glue Chip Glass

How to Glue Chip Glass
Glue chipping adds texture to glass. You can texture an entire sheet or
create a combination of textures by applying the glue to selected
areas.
Safety
When the glue chips, the chips comes off the glass at high pressure. They can fly several feet. They
contain very sharp, almost invisible fragments of glass. The process sounds like popcorn popping. The
smell of the glue can be very attractive to pets. It is very important to keep your glue-chipping
operation contained and away from children and pets.
How it works
Glue chipped glass is glass that has been etched and covered in warm, wet hide glue. As the glue cools,
it attaches to the rough glass. As it dries, it shrinks and rips thin shards off the surface in a fern-like
random pattern.
Etching increases the surface area and allows the glue to get a firm grip on the glass. You can etch the
glass by sandblasting or with a diamond scribe. Acid etching and commercially frosted glass are too
smooth for effective glue chipping. For sandblasting, use 90 to 220 grit sand, aluminum oxide or
silicon carbide. Use a diamond scribe and light pressure for diamond etching.
Usually the glue leaves some areas of the etched glass unchipped. On sandblasted glass, these
areas will be matte. Diamond scribe etching creates fine lines rather than a matte surface so the
final piece is more brilliant. Double chipping - applying a second layer of glue over the chipped area
- usually chips off any remaining matte areas. You do not re-etch the glass.
Speed
Glue chipping is NOT a fast process. It usually takes at least 24 hours. If the glue is too thick (more
than ⅛”) it can take weeks to chip. If the glue is too thin (less than 1/32”) it will not chip at all. Be
prepared to take the time to let the glue do its job.
Supplies you will need
o The glass to be chipped

o Masking material and a craft knife
o A sandblasting set-up or a diamond scribe
o Hide glue and water
o A heat source to warm the glue
o Warm, dry air to dry the glue (desiccant or a dehumidifier)
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Mirroring glue chipped glass
Mirroring enhances the texture of glass. Before you mirror newly chipped glass, cover it with a wet
cloth and let it sit overnight to soften any remaining spots of glue. Then scrub the glass well with a
fingernail brush to remove the softened glue before mirroring. Small dots of glue left on the glass will
be very visible after you mirror it.
Step 1 – Mask the glass
Clean the glass to remove any possible grease or oil.

Mask the areas you do not want to chip with adhesive vinyl. Our
adhesive vinyl works well for light sandblasting.
Step 2 – Option 1 – Sandblast the glass

Using 220 grit or less, lightly sandblast the areas you want to chip.
Remove all traces of shine from the glass.
Rinse the glass well to remove all of the dust.
Step 2 – Option 2 – Diamond etch the glass

Etch the glass with a diamond tipped scribe. Use a light pressure
and keep the lines very close together.
As with sandblasting, any areas that are not chipped off by the glue
will be visible in the finished piece.
Step 3 – Measure the Glue and water

Use 3 ounces of water (90 ml) and 1 ½ ounces (45 grams) of glue to
cover 1 square foot of glass.
Measuring glue by weight is much more accurate than measuring
by volume.
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Step 4 -Soak the glue
Allow the glue to soak for at least 1 hour before warming it to
ensure that all the glue granules are evenly wet.
It will become very sticky as it absorbs the water.
Step 5 – Warm the glue

Warm the glue to 140° F (60°C) for at least 15 minutes. Do not go
above 160° F (70°C) or it will destroy the glue. Keep the pot covered
to prevent evaporation.
Our thermostatically controlled glue pots hold the glue at the
correct temperature indefinitely.
Step 6 – pour hot glue onto the glass

Pour the hot glue into a squeeze bottle and apply it to the glass at a
depth of about 1/16” inch (1.6 mm). Any glue that flows over the
mask will be removed later.
If you are planning on chipping to the edge of the glass, create a
dam with masking tape to hold the glue in place first.
Step 7 – Save remaining glue to use later

Pour any leftover glue onto plastic or coated paper such as the shiny
side of the backing sheet from your adhesive vinyl.
It will dry in a thin layer and can be broken up and reused on another
chipping project.
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Step 8 – Allow the glue to gel
Set the glue-covered glass aside to cool and gel at room
temperature.
Proceed to Step 10 when the glue does not feel sticky and a cut
made with the craft knife does not “heal”. Do not allow the glue to
become too hard to cut. Cutting and removing the gelled glue
ensures clean lines on your final design.
Step 9 – Cut off the overflow glue

Cut around your design with a craft knife and peel off the excess
glue.
Use acetone to clean the knife blade if it gets sticky.
Peel off all excess glue and set it aside to dry completely before
storing it to be used for another project.
Step 10 – let the glue dry hard

Allow the trimmed, glue-covered glass to dry hard (cannot be cut)
at room temperature and humidity before you try to chip it.
Letting the glue dry allows it to fasten firmly to the glass and results
in a more complete chip later.
Step 11 – Chip the glass

When the glue is hard, place the glass in a warm, very dry
environment - about 90° F (32º C) at 10% to 20% humidity.
You can place it in a sealed plastic bag with a desiccant canister or
in front of a warm fan or a room dehumidifier.
The glue will chip at ambient room temperature and humidity – it
will just take longer. Glue chipping can take days even in controlled
conditions. Patience is required for best results.
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The Science of Hide Glue
The information on proteins was provided by Sarah Frances Field, PhD in medical
genetics at Cambridge University, England.
Hide glue consists of collagen proteins. Imagine that each protein molecule is a coiled spring covered
all along its length in suckers (scientific term: electrostatic bonds). The suckers want to be stuck to
something and if there is nothing else around they will stick to each other, turning the spring into a
tangled blob (scientific term: native state).
When the protein is heated (scientific term: melted) the suckers release (scientific term: protein is
denatured). When the protein is wet, the spring relaxes and becomes stringy. A warm, wet protein is
very relaxed and not bound to anything. As the protein cools, the suckers stick to whatever is
available. As the spring dries, it tightens and therefore shrinks – it returns to its native state.
Glue Stage Temperature Humidity The “springs” The “suckers”

1. Store Cool Dry Tight Closed
2. Soak Cool Wet Loose Closed
3. Melt Warm Wet Loose Open
5. Gel Cool Wet Loose Closed
6. Dry Warm Dry Tight Closed
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How to Glue Chip Glass

Supplies you will need

o The glass to be chipped

Step 1 – Mask the glass

Clean the glass to remove any possible grease or oil.

Step 2 – Option 1 – Sandblast the glass

Step 2 – Option 2 – Diamond etch the glass

Step 3 – Measure the Glue and water

Step 5 – Warm the glue

Step 6 – pour hot glue onto the glass

Step 7 – Save remaining glue to use later

Step 9 – Cut off the overflow glue

Step 10 – let the glue dry hard

Step 11 – Chip the glass

Glue Stage Temperature Humidity The “springs” The “suckers”

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