ContactCement Report post Posted April 25, 2012 I'm getting started. For the price of more fragile granite slab (larger floral & religious stamps need a heavy hit) and a maul or mallet HF tools sells a 1 ton arbor press for $49.00 it seems to have enough ram travel for most 1/4" dia tools. Thick scrap 1" x 6" x 12" white plastic worked just ok however was very noisy on a bench or table. Thunder through the house walls lol. My 50 lb anvil works best with a brass hammer and is not portable. I may try to use a smooth weight plate when going to a park and picnic table in the summer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickybobby Report post Posted April 25, 2012 Hi and welcome to the forum, The weight behind the marble is what makes it quieter, the dead weight will not resonate through the house. One thing I have recommended to beginners (on a budget) is... Buy 2 12in x 12in square cement stepping stones (about $2.00ea) Buy 1 12in x 12in square marble tile (about $4.00) Buy 2 tubes of construction adhesive (about $6.00 Glue the tile to the stepping stone and the other stepping stone to the bottom of that (so the tile is on top) Clamp together and let dry a few days. The marble is softer than granite and if you were to punch through with a tool less damage would happen to the tool, not real important with less expensive tools but when you start buying high quality tools it could mean a lot. Make the investment in a 5 pound rawhide maul (or see if the bearman here on LW.net makes one that heavy) and use the tooling base you made for $14.00 or $15.00 and that heavy maul for your wide profile stamps. It will make all the difference. Also, Buy one of Tandys "Hefty Handle" for your letters and 3D stamps http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/8197-00.aspx They make a huge difference. Another tip for that Hefty Handle ~ Grind a flat top on it! For some reason they make this with a domed (round) top. Take it to a bench grinder and make a flat top on it! It will work much better!! For the safety of yourself and the life of your tools, do not use your anvil and/or your brass hammer! Hope these tips help, it is another way to achieve your goal of quieting your heavy tooling, the base will also work for your regular tooling as well. The largest investment will be the maul. Check the LW.net advertising at the top of the page, someone has rawhide mauls in stock! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ContactCement Report post Posted April 28, 2012 Are the leather stamps cheap soft non tempered metal ? I'm unsure of the base metal or metal hardness used under the plating on decorative stamps. I guess I'll use a 16 oz plastic faced mallet until I invest in the maul. The 1/4" small diameter will really tear up my homemade hard maple round mallet made for wood chisels with a larger striking area. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
