making my own Stamps

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

This is an interesting thread, as I am a tool maker for a screwmachine shop. To just

touch on a couple of things here.

I have seen several old tools made from plain steel. The staining you mention may be

from the type of tanning done on the leather you have IE: Veg vs Chrome.

Stainless vs mild vs carbon steel. All steel has some carbon in it. Cast iron has

more than steel. To make steel the carbon is removed from the iron, then added

back in at a certain percentage to get the correct alloy. Steel is graded by the

major alloying element IE; 10xx, 4xxx, 8xxx, etc. The last 2 digits tell you the

carbon content in points.

1000 series steels are plain carbon steels.

What you find a a box store is usually 1018 which is considered a low carbon steel.

You generally need around 25 points of carbon to get any hardening effect. Files,

some springs, etc are made with 1095 which is considered a high carbon steel. With

different heat treating you can have a piece of 1095 be as brittle as a file, or

flexible as a spring-cool how that works-huh?

Chrome-moly steels like 4140 have 40 points of carbon, but the major elements being

chrome, and molybdenum make them very tough. These are used for things like shafts

for equipment.

Stainless steels (stain less than regular carbon steel) have high chrome, and nickel

contents. To be called a steel they do have some iron content.

The 300 series are the most common; 303,304. 303 is a freer machining alloy than 304.

Stainless steels are tough, not really hard. Mainly used when corrosion

resistance/sterility is needed.

316 is used for high corrosion applications like tomato processing, cookware, etc.

400 series stainless steels are magnetic, and will stain faster than 300 series. 440C is used in

knife blades.

As for hardening. You can case harden bolts, nails etc at home by using a product

like Kasenite. Case hardening applies a shallow layer of extra carbon into the mild

steel allowing it to be surface hardened, This case will be from .003"-.010" deep depending

on how it is applied.

high carbon steels can be just heated past magnetic (when a steel reaches the

transformation stage it loses it's magnetic properties) then quenched in water, or

oil. Oil is a slower quench, and will cause less heat related cracking than water

will.

Only 400 series of stainless can be heat treated. 300 series can be work hardened.

Stainless can be passivated in a citric, or nitric acid bath to remove the surface

iron content left by machining, and improves it's corrosion resistance. Probably

not needed for leather stamps.

Now for the second half here. One of the byproducts of the company I work for are

bar ends. They run around 7" long, and are what is left over form the 12' bars we

start with. We run a lot of stainless steel parts, so we have lots of stainless

steel bar ends. The stainless is in diameters from .0625" (1/16)up to around .500"

(1/2") sometimes larger. I have bought bar ends in the past for resale to other

craftsmen. I can sell you more material for what you folks are paying for bolts,.

The USPS flat rate boxes work good for this. I am located in Southern Nevada. We

also machine copper, brass, some aluminum, and copper beryllium alloys. The Copper

beryllium alloys take special care when performing operations like grinding, and

sanding as it is a inhalation hazard. Chronic exposure can lead to berylliosis. On

the other hand it can be heat treated , and all manner of tools are made from it.

If there is some interest I can put some bundles together, and get current scrap

pricing.

[Mick]

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.

an idea for procurement of springs...think about talking to your mechanic or tire/suspension shop. They'll change lots of struts which have a coil spring on it...

[Capnclive]

I have sat here all afternoon reading this thread. Very interesting and very creative thinking. I want to add my 2 cents. I am a mediocre leather guy and a zero metal guy. I have a friend who makes knives and is a ninja with metal. He actually has achieved the highest level of knife making there is in the knife making guild. His name is Ed Halligan. He made a little forge that would do real well for some of this heating and cooling of metal. He called it his Bean-o-matic Propane Forge. It is made from a bean can, and he used it sometimes to heat small amounts of steel to fold for making Damascus blades for his small knives. Here is the web site for making the thing.

http://www.anvilfire...ges/Beancan.htm

Let us know how it works.

[Sanch]

has anyone tried using cold rolled steel, then then heat trating it (as you would do for a chisle) making the steel cherry red hot then quenching it in say a 90 weight gear oil then re heating it til blue then re quenching in the gear oil. mayby after this process treating it to a cold gun bluing process to keep from rusting or staining the leather?

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Cold rolled steel is normally 1018 (18 points of carbon), and you need 25 on up to get any hardness. 40 will start to give a decent hardness-more though than hard, and something like 1095 will achieve a glass hard state. The question is why harden it at all? Soft steel is harder then wet leather. To harden a low carbon steel you can case harden it. This process adds enough carbon in a thin layer to accept a heat treating. There are case hardening products out that can be done at home. Now just because it is called tool steel doesn't mean it is very expensive. W-1, and O-1 tool steels are very inexpensive, and there are tons of scrap yard tool steel items (coil springs, hay rake teeth, etc) that can be used to make tools. Again, soft steel vs wet leather, and hit with a wood, or rawhide mallet--why worry about heat treating? I have seen old tools that were made from large nails that have held up just fine.

I can buy bar ends from work in copper, brass, stainless, aluminum, steel, and beryllium copper. Sizes range from .0625"-.875" typically, but occasionally 1.00" Some materials we run are only in certain sizes, but some are from one end to the other. Just depends what is being made in the shop that month. Any of these would be easy to shape with files, or a Dremel type tool. The Beryllium alloys though can be an inhalation hazard though when sanding, or polishing. It is when a fine dust is made that gets airborne that they become a problem. A process like filing is not hazardous to your health. Neat stuff,and it will heat treat.

For more metalworking info you can go to another site that I am on www.iforgeiron.com it is like LW, but with metal and fire.

[Sanch]

Cold rolled steel is normally 1018 (18 points of carbon), and you need 25 on up to get any hardness. 40 will start to give a decent hardness-more though than hard, and something like 1095 will achieve a glass hard state. The question is why harden it at all? Soft steel is harder then wet leather. To harden a low carbon steel you can case harden it. This process adds enough carbon in a thin layer to accept a heat treating. There are case hardening products out that can be done at home. Now just because it is called tool steel doesn't mean it is very expensive. W-1, and O-1 tool steels are very inexpensive, and there are tons of scrap yard tool steel items (coil springs, hay rake teeth, etc) that can be used to make tools. Again, soft steel vs wet leather, and hit with a wood, or rawhide mallet--why worry about heat treating? I have seen old tools that were made from large nails that have held up just fine.

I can buy bar ends from work in copper, brass, stainless, aluminum, steel, and beryllium copper. Sizes range from .0625"-.875" typically, but occasionally 1.00" Some materials we run are only in certain sizes, but some are from one end to the other. Just depends what is being made in the shop that month. Any of these would be easy to shape with files, or a Dremel type tool. The Beryllium alloys though can be an inhalation hazard though when sanding, or polishing. It is when a fine dust is made that gets airborne that they become a problem. A process like filing is not hazardous to your health. Neat stuff,and it will heat treat.

For more metalworking info you can go to another site that I am on www.iforgeiron.com it is like LW, but with metal and fire.

thanks, it was just a thought and thanks for the info on the other site.

[newfiebackflip]

Well I have an ace up my sleeve for these Argentine tools. My fiance is from there and her mother is going there next month. Maybe I can get her to see if she can find me some when she gets there lol If not I will have my little lady just translate the entire page for me to figure out how to get them.

Stamps and tools for leathercraft in Argentina, he is a maker. The website is not writed in english but you can look at the models.

http://www.herramientasdobleg.com.ar/produ..._mateadores.php

http://www.herramientasdobleg.com.ar/produ...do_rodillos.php

Be careful! They have a low price for Argentina and another very high price for foreign.

[stanly]

WESTBOUND, on 10 April 2010 - 09:23 PM, said:

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.

Stanly:

Here is a idea/ fact about wrecking yard springs - 95% of the Ford Escort wagon rear OEM springs are already broken in two (common defect).

IF you live near Spokane, WA I think I still have at least one FREE for you

newfiebackflip

Well I have an ace up my sleeve for these Argentine tools. My fiance is from there and her mother is going there next month. Maybe I can get her to see if she can find me some when she gets there lol If not I will have my little lady just translate the entire page for me to figure out how to get them.

Stanly:

"comprar" top button is "to buy in Spanish"

the left button below the embossed in metal button is Tools for leather and has more tools.

Think you could get your fiance to do a little shipping?

Fiance mother visiting - district of Floresta, City of Buenos Aires?

From Babel translation:

To return to embossed in metal

Mateadores

They produce a drawing when pressing them on soft tin, aluminum, alpaca and other metals.

50 models, in three sizes: mini, medium and great.

Art. 100 Art. 110

Art. 112 Art. 116 Art. 151 Art. 177 Art. 180 Art. 190Art. 194 Art. 199 Art. 200 Art. 201 Art. 202

Art. 169

Forms available

click to extend

The drawings are not to real size. In order to see them real size, it unloads the catalogue of tools to print. (pgs.s 6 to 9)

• 
  The drawings show the reason that produces the tool when pressing it on the material.
• The numbers that will see when extending correspond to the model of each tool. an order mentions this number when doing.

Edited February 17, 2011 by stanly

[bstomper]

Found this thread yesterday and got all excited as I have some stainless rod hidden away from another job. I must have hidden it away pretty good as I couldn't find it but I found some old car engine valves that I'm pretty sure are stainless, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Any one else tried them? Well I knocked one into a rough shape of a stamp I wanted with an angle grinder and went to work with my dremel. Man those things are hard!! I did enough to see that I could make it work but would need a better diamond tip or something for my dremel. I have a barb wire pattern roller and I want to put the pattern on a stamp. Had lot of trouble grinding the centres out. Any ideas or advice?

Like I said, didn't get this one finished and made enough mistakes on it not to finish it, but come a rainy day I've still got plenty of valves left.....

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

One thing to watch out for on some engine exhaust valves are that they are sodium cooled. You don't want to let the sodium out if they are. One truck engine that I know that has these are the 1960's GMC V6 engine series. My Dad had a 1966 GMC with the 305 V6, and it had the sodium cooled exhaust valves. Some of the older radial aircraft engines also had sodium cooled valves.

For the Dremel try carbide burrs.

For stamps I would suggest the type of stainless that I have 303. 303 SS is a free machining alloy that cuts really nice.

Brass, aluminum, or copper will also work, and is easier to carve. It wont rust either. A face could be attached to a steel handle to pound on, but a rawhide mallet shouldn't mushroom a brass, aluminum, or copper stamp too bad.

Edited March 18, 2011 by BIGGUNDOCTOR