Re: Glass etching - cheaply?

The absolute cheapest way per piece is to sandblast using double layers of contact paper or sign vinyl and cut your own patterns with an Xacto knife. The most accurate is probably photo emulsion (like from Photobrasive) for making the mask and then sandblasting, You can use the sun to expose the film and wash it out with a garden hose with a pressure nozzle. Use aluminum oxide, 180 grit or finer. You can build your own sandblasting box. Small sandblasters can be had at Harbor Freight for less than $100. And a regular home compressor will power them for a short period, but long enough to do some glasses or small panels.