About EtchTech
Custom etching, by hand, since 2006
A one-person workshop in Lakewood, Colorado, doing laser and sandblast work on glass, mirror, metal, wood and leather.
The Craftsman
One person, every step
EtchTech is a one-person operation, and that is the whole point. Dave Detary is the owner, the sales representative, the accountant, the computer technician, the installation specialist and the facilities manager. When you call, you talk to the person who will do the work.
Before the workshop there was a very different bench: Dave is a retired IBM mainframe Senior Programmer/Analyst. That background shows up in the work — vector files handled properly, tolerances respected, and a stubborn insistence on getting the proof right before anything touches the glass.
“I do each project as if I were doing it for myself. Attention to every detail is the key.”
Dave Detary, Owner
The Shop
The tools on the bench
Four different processes, chosen per job. Most pieces use more than one.
Epilog 50W CO2 Laser
Glass, wood, leather and plastic. Fine detail, repeatable, and fast enough for production runs.
Fiber Laser
Permanent marking on metal — tools, stainless, coated steel and powder-coated drinkware.
SandCarver Pressure Pot
Blast cabinet work for the deep, frosted, tactile finish that only sandblasting produces.
CNC Cutting Plotter Stencils
Old-school stencil cutting for oversized pieces and on-site architectural glass.
Why Two Processes
Laser first, then blast
A laser alone leaves very fine lines in the surface. Following the laser with sandblasting removes them and gives the smoothest, most elegant finish — which is why most glass work here gets both.
For oversized pieces and installed glass, the laser stays in the shop and the work happens on site with a proprietary dustless system: 180 grit silicon carbide media under air pressure, with immediate vacuum suction. No dust cloud, no removing the glass, no mess left in your building.
- Greater Denver, Colorado for on-location work
- Nationwide through in-shop services and shipping
- Free proofs, however many it takes
- All-inclusive pricing with no surprise add-ons
Have something worth engraving?
Free proofs, all-inclusive pricing, and one craftsman on every job.