making my own Stamps

[Pelallito]

The steel rod you get at Lowes or HD will be mild steel. I don't think that they sell stainless steel, if they do it would be marked as such. You won't have to normalize the mild steel, because it has not and can't be hardened the way the spring steel was. You can cut that with a hacksaw and it is fairly soft. You need more carbon in the mix to make it a hardenable steel. Mild steels can be case hardened, but that is another thing altogether. If you cut any steel with a torch or a plasma cutter, you will find that the burned edge will be very hard. The heat of the cutting makes carbon travel to the cut. Welders normally grind that edge away before trying to machine that area. It will rust or oxidize when it gets wet.

Hope that is explanation is clear.

Fred

Would that technique work for other forms of steel easier gotten than by cutting springs out of a junk yard car with a plasma cutter? for example, a piece of steel rod from Home Depot or Lowes?

[WESTBOUND]

Thanks Pelallito,

That is what I needed to know. I guess I will stick with the Stainless steel bolts for making my custom tools. Going to a junk yard and cutting out suspension springs is more than I want to deal with right now, although that is good to know for future reference.

[SimonJester753]

I did not read the whole thread, so please excuse me if this has been answered already.

I noticed that the image on the stamps is cut or filed into the metal. Has anyone tried applying an acid-resistant ground and etching the design with acid?

I've got a graphic arts background and I've done some etching, (many years ago).

[Clay]

I have been playing around trying to teach myself hopw to use some of the tools and equipment that I got from Billy. I have made a few stamps and while they are no where near tha quality of Billy's or Barry's or Bob"s ( maybe your name needs to start with a B to be a good tool maker?)They did come out good and are usefull.

A couple of meander stamps and a bevler

[gtwister09]

Clay,

Vivian said that you were the proud owner of Billy's tool making gear. Good luck with your new tools. Clay B. said in his blog that he appreciated your tools for his project.

Regards,

Ben

[Clay]

made a set of matching low angle bevelers in seven sizes. They are cut at a 15 degree angle and are checkered with a #4 file.

ClayM.

[BearMan]

Hi Clay,

Great job on the new tools!! Ed

[WESTBOUND]

made a set of matching low angle bevelers in seven sizes. They are cut at a 15 degree angle and are checkered with a #4 file.

ClayM.

Clay, Outstanding!

Did you do them on a lathe? What material did you use?

[Clay]

Clay, Outstanding!

Did you do them on a lathe? What material did you use?

Sorry not to have answered sooner, The bevelers are turned on a lathe, then rough shaped on the grinder and then hand filed and hand checkered. Then they are polished and the knurling is done. They are made from stainless steel bolts.

Thanks for looking,

ClayM.

[BAD HIDE]

Didn't make it, but I just did this is a modification of a spare craftool C454 to do fish scales. Didn't know where else to put this, but it doesn't deserve it's own thread. Left is unmodified, right is the same stamp, with the ends ground off to a concave profile coming to a point in the middle.

This is how it looks on 4 oz leather, left is made by rocking the tool a bit to get both sides to press into the thin scrap leather, the right being just the point used to hint at scales. If I had thicker leather, I bet the whole thing would press in just fine. It's a little unwieldy because it's off balance, the face thats left is only on the top side of the shaft, so it's gonna take some getting used to, but I can't wait to try this one out.