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Introduction
Hi welcome to my page, my name is Jane and I've been hand glass engraving for nearly ten years. When I first started I had no idea which machine or tools I needed and there was definitely a lot of trial and error along the way.
Over the years I have tried a few different tools and machines, and learned a lot through experience. I have created this guide to share my glass engraving journey and the tools and equipment I personally use now and the things I've learned along the way. To help you get started on your own glass engraving journey.
How I got started
It all started when I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend who kept and bred Arabian horses. I was scrolling through my phone looking for horse-themed gift inspiration when I came across a video of someone engraving glass.
I was instantly hooked.
After watching far too many glass engraving videos, I suddenly remembered that I’d bought my dad a multi-tool for Father’s Day. I thought it was a great gift at the time, but he’d never actually used it!
So I went up to my mum and dad’s house, told my dad all about the videos I’d been watching and asked if I could borrow his multi-tool. He brought it through for me, and I took an ordinary glass from their cupboard to practise on. Thankfully, they didn’t mind!
I can still remember how nervous I was before I touched the tool to the glass. I kept thinking, “What if this shatters in my hand?”
Thankfully, it didn’t.
Instead, I engraved a very bad-looking flower onto it. 😂 It certainly wasn’t a masterpiece, but I absolutely loved doing it.
My mum and dad have both since passed away, and my sister now lives in our family home. Amazingly, that little glass with my terrible first flower is still there all these years later.
So what started with a borrowed multi-tool and a glass from my mum and dad’s cupboard became the beginning of my glass engraving journey.
The Machine I Started With
The first machine I used was a standard rotary multi-tool. It worked, but I quickly found that holding the whole machine while engraving was incredibly heavy in my hand. When you’re trying to engrave small details onto glass and keep your hand steady, it definitely wasn’t ideal.
I then discovered that you could attach a flexible shaft to the machine. This gave me a much smaller and lighter handpiece to hold while I was engraving, rather than having to hold the weight of the whole machine.
I also bought a table stand which allowed me to hang the main machine above my work area, with the flexible shaft coming down to the handpiece. This made engraving much more comfortable and was a huge improvement on the way I had started.
At the time, this setup worked for me and it was what I learned to engrave with. As I gained more experience though, I eventually discovered another type of machine that suited me much better.
If I was starting my glass engraving journey again today, I would skip this setup and go straight to the machine I use now.
The Machine I Use Now
This is where I discovered the micromotor, and it completely changed glass engraving for me.
A micromotor is a compact machine with a small, lightweight handpiece that you hold almost like a pen. Compared with the large rotary tool I started with, it felt so much lighter and easier to control.
The difference between using this and my original setup was honestly like night and day. I could work on smaller details much more comfortably and I felt like I had far better control over what I was doing.
The machine I use has variable speed control up to 35,000 RPM, so I can easily turn the speed up or down depending on what I’m working on. It also has a foot pedal, which gives you another way to control the machine while keeping your hands free to concentrate on the glass.
The handpiece takes 2.35mm burrs, which are the size I use for my glass engraving, and changing between different burrs is quick and easy.
From the moment I started using a micromotor, my engraving improved. I wasn't fighting with a heavy tool anymore and could concentrate much more on the details of the design.
I still use this style of machine today and, knowing what I know now, if I was starting my glass engraving journey again, this is the type of machine I would go straight for.
If you would like to purchase the micromotor I use, you can find it HERE.
Affiliate link: If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Diamond Burrs I Use
Once you have your machine, the next thing you’re going to need is diamond burrs. These are the little bits that fit into the handpiece and actually do the engraving on the glass.
The burrs I use have a 2.35mm shank, so they fit directly into the micromotor I mentioned above. This pack comes with 30 different diamond burrs in a variety of shapes and sizes, and at around £9 for the whole set, I think they’re great value for money.
When I first started engraving, I didn’t realise just how much difference the shape and size of the burr could make. Different burrs are useful for different parts of your design, and you'll soon find that you naturally reach for certain ones depending on what you're engraving.
For example, I find the small ball-shaped burrs brilliant for outlines and general engraving. The thin, pointed burrs are great for finer details and getting into smaller areas, while the larger, thicker oval-shaped burrs are really useful for filling in bigger areas where you don’t want to spend forever going backwards and forwards with a tiny burr.
There are plenty of other shapes in the set too, so part of learning glass engraving is simply experimenting with them and discovering which ones you prefer for different effects.
These are the exact diamond burrs I use with my micromotor, and with 30 in the pack, you have a really good selection to experiment with when you’re getting started.
If you would like to purchase the diamond burrs I use, you can find them HERE.
Affiliate link: If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Tracing Paper I Use
Next up is tracing paper, and this is another area where I like to keep things really simple. No tape, no glue and nothing fancy needed.
I use 35gsm tracing paper because it’s extremely thin and transparent, which makes it really easy to see the design while I’m engraving. It’s also very flexible, and that makes a big difference when you’re trying to get your traced design to sit neatly against the curved inside surface of a glass.
I simply trace the picture or design I want to engrave onto the tracing paper, then cut around my traced design.
Here’s the little trick I use. I dip the tracing paper into some water with a tiny amount of washing-up liquid added, then place the wet tracing paper against the inside of the glass and smooth it into position. The design can then be seen through the glass from the outside, ready for me to engrave over.
So why does it stick without tape?
It’s basically down to surface tension and adhesion. The thin layer of water between the tracing paper and the smooth glass surface helps the two surfaces cling together. Because 35gsm tracing paper is so thin and flexible, it conforms closely to the shape of the glass rather than trying to spring away from it. A tiny amount of washing-up liquid reduces the water’s surface tension, helping it spread into a thin, even layer between the paper and glass.
That means no tape is needed, and once I’m finished engraving, I can simply remove the tracing paper.
I’ve used this method for years because it works for me and keeps everything incredibly simple. If you watch my glass engraving videos on TikTok, you’ll see me using this technique in many of them.
If you would like to purchase the 35gsm tracing paper I use, you can find it HERE.
Affiliate link: If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Washing-Up Liquid I Use
This one might seem a little random in a glass engraving guide, but Fairy washing-up liquid is something I use all the time.
It’s actually the brand I use for everything. I use it when I’m hand engraving glass, I use it when I’m laser engraving glass, and it’s even the washing-up liquid I use for my own dishes at home because, personally, I think it’s the best.
As I mentioned in the tracing paper section, I add a small amount of Fairy Liquid to water before dipping my tracing paper into it and applying the design to the inside of the glass.
But that’s not the only reason I keep soapy water beside me while I’m engraving.
I also wet the surface of the glass as I engrave, and I do this for a few reasons.
Firstly, I find that I get a smoother-looking finish when I engrave wet compared with engraving completely dry.
Secondly, keeping the burr wet helps with cooling and reduces the build-up of glass debris around the burr, which can help reduce wear and extend the useful life of my diamond burrs.
And thirdly, which is probably my favourite reason, the water helps catch and suppress the fine glass dust produced while engraving rather than allowing as much of it to become airborne. You’ll actually see the glass residue collecting in the water on the surface as you work.
It’s such a simple thing, but it’s been part of the way I engrave for years. I always have a little container of soapy water beside me when I’m working.
If you would like to purchase the Fairy washing-up liquid I use, you can find it HERE.
Affiliate link: If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Glass Dust protection
Although engraving wet helps capture a lot of the fine glass dust produced while you’re working, I still think respiratory protection is something that should be included in any beginner’s glass engraving setup.
After all, you don’t want fine glass dust getting into your lungs.
For this reason, I recommend using an FFP3 face mask while engraving. FFP3 masks are designed to provide a high level of protection against airborne particles, provided they fit your face properly and are worn correctly.
The masks I’ve linked below are FFP3 rated, five-layer masks and come individually wrapped, which is handy for keeping them clean until you need them.
Even when you’re engraving with water, I wouldn’t rely on wet engraving alone for protection. Wearing a suitable mask and working in a well-ventilated area are sensible precautions when you’re working with glass.
If you would like to purchase the FFP3 masks I recommend, you can find them HERE.
Affiliate link: If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Choosing the Right Glass
Before you start engraving, it’s worth thinking about the type of glass you’re going to practise on.
When you’re first starting out, I recommend avoiding really thin drinking glasses. Instead, choose something that feels a little thicker and chunkier in your hand. I found these much nicer to learn on and they gave me more confidence while I was getting used to holding the machine and applying the burr to the glass.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money either. When you’re practising, inexpensive glasses are absolutely fine. You’re learning how the burr feels against the surface, how much pressure to use and how to control your lines, so there’s no point worrying about ruining an expensive glass.
As your confidence and control improve, you can experiment with different types and thicknesses of glass.
And remember that first glass I told you about at the beginning of this guide? That was literally just an ordinary drinking glass I took out of my mum and dad’s cupboard.
Start simple, choose a reasonably sturdy glass and just practise. Your first one doesn’t have to be perfect. Mine certainly wasn’t! 😂
Final Thoughts
I hope sharing my own glass engraving journey and the tools I use has helped make getting started feel a little less daunting.
When I first picked up my dad’s multi-tool all those years ago and engraved that very questionable flower onto a glass from my mum and dad’s cupboard, I had absolutely no idea where it would eventually lead.
Over the years, I went on to build a business around my glass engraving, creating personalised pieces for customers and sending my engraved glasses all over the world. It still amazes me to think that something I discovered completely by accident while looking for a birthday present turned into a business.
Since then, my work has evolved and I now do a lot more engraving using laser machines, but I still go back to hand engraving from time to time. It will always be where my engraving journey began, and there’s something special about creating a design completely by hand.
Like anything, glass engraving takes practice. Your first attempt probably won’t be perfect, mine certainly wasn’t! But that’s all part of learning.
My biggest piece of advice is to keep it simple, practise and enjoy it. You really don’t need lots of expensive equipment to get started.
And who knows, that first wonky engraving might just be the beginning of your own glass engraving journey. ❤️