A local seller was on a mission to find someone to add sandcarved names on ten pre-etched 3L Cystal Patron bottles. Struggling to find a vendor who would etch the names on the vessels due to the $1200 value (not including the liquor), as well as in a rush to get them done by Christmas. He called a customer of ours who, in turn, referred him to us.
It is not in the interest of Rayzist Photomask to sandcarve items, in-house. We normally outsource those requests to our customers. However, I felt it was a dyer situation, and with the consent of our customer, we took on the project. We had the client sign a release of liability form. Doing this released Rayzist Photomask in the case of any damage. The customer had no issue with doing so, and brought the bottles in.
I understand the intimidation that arises with a high dollar item. I decided to personally sandcarve this project. There were concerns of “what if I drop the bottle, or chip an edge, it’s an expensive bottle”. However, I could not let that intimidate me. Even with the form, our goal was and is to deliver a product with excellence and without damage, every time no matter what we do. The masking and covering process was very easy and quick. I didn’t change our process or film just because the item was expensive. I stuck with the same photoresist film and proven methods that work. We processed the names on SR3000™ 3Mil Self-Stick material after it was confirmed they were spelled correctly with the client.
Protecting the Bottle
Protecting the bottle was key. From the top of the bottle to the surrounding pre-existing etching. It was important to cover the seal and cork to ensure no abrasive would enter the area. This also saved time on cleaning the bottle. I placed a plastic bag over the top and applied the SR3000™ Self-Stick stencil and taped it off as normal. I could have also used plastic wrap for the top, but I only had plastic bags on hand at the time.
Doing so will save time and money. Resulting in a clean outcome with excellence and customer satisfaction.
Protecting the Bottle
The blasting was simple. The bottles had a pre-existing surface etched label. In order to match the names to that existing text we used Aluminum Oxide 150grit at 35PSI with a 1/16” size nozzle was used to etch the names. The smaller size nozzle provided a narrow blast stream which allowed me to target the limited etching area. Only a few blasting passes were needed for a surface etch. The process was very quick to achieve the required depth and made the perfect match to what was already existing.
Protecting the Bottle
Cleaning was effortless. Once the blasting was completed, the bags and stencils were carefully removed. The bottles were rinsed, then dried with a clean soft cloth to finish. The client was extremely pleased with the sandcarving. He was able to present the special gifts in time to #PATRONWORTHY clients that were #ETCHEDWORTHY.
Material Used
- SR3000 3Mil Self-Stick Film
- Inkjet film
- 2034VXA Sandcarving System
- Aluminum Oxide 150grit
- 1/16” Nozzle
- Wire Wheel Brush
- Plastic Squeegee
- Tape
- Plastic Bags or Plastic Wrap