DIY Ground Glass

[Andrew O'Neill]

Will need to make one once I have the 14x17 back completed. Can anyone point me to a website or how to get started? Thank you.

[Ian Grant]

Try looking on APUG

Ian

[Cruzingoose]

You can try a 1/32" glass from your local hardware store and sodium hydroxide. Just brush it on, wait a few minutes and rinse off. It leaves a fine grain very smooth surface.

[Wade D]

Ian has a great tutorial on making a ground glass here on APUG. I've made one for my 4x5 using his technique. Not hard to do at all.

[carnago]

You can try a 1/32" glass from your local hardware store and sodium hydroxide. Just brush it on, wait a few minutes and rinse off. It leaves a fine grain very smooth surface.

Interesting.
What concentration NaOH:H2O? Or simply bare grains?

[anon12345]

You can try a 1/32" glass from your local hardware store and sodium hydroxide. Just brush it on, wait a few minutes and rinse off. It leaves a fine grain very smooth surface.

Do you know how it compares to Armour Etch, as far as an evenly smooth surface?

http://www.armourproducts.com/ecom-c...mour_Etch.html

[richard ide]

I seriously doubt that sodium hydroxide will etch glass. And I am not lye-ing to you. ;<)

[Jim Chinn]

I experimented with armour etch on some 4x5 glass. I could never get an even surface brushing it on but I did get a fairly usable glass by floating it, although I did get some around the edges on the clean side. I don't think it would be feasible with a glass that big.

[anon12345]

I experimented with armour etch on some 4x5 glass. I could never get an even surface brushing it on but I did get a fairly usable glass by floating it, although I did get some around the edges on the clean side. I don't think it would be feasible with a glass that big.

I have used it to make some 8x10's. And yes brushing is tricky if you want an even finish. I seal and tape the back side as to keep it from being etched. I found that diluting the paste to a thin consistency works fairly well. The results are as bright as any commercial gg I have seen. It's not perfect by-far, but you can make a functional gg in just a few minutes.

[Joe VanCleave]

I've had good results using 600 grit emory on a random orbit sander, on 2mm Lucite sheet plastic, available from big box hardware stores in US. It's not glass, but it's also inexpensive and easy. And the results are pretty good.

I've also done the same with the 8.5"x11" plastic fresnel sheet magnifiers, available from Staple's office supply. The reverse side is flat, and takes the emory sanding pretty good. Then orient the sanded side toward the lens, and you have a GG with built-in fresnel.

~Joe