trying to locate a manufacturer of custom embossing plates

[RyanCope]

I'm trying to locate a manufacturer of custom embossing plates for use in a hydraulic press. Mostly I need someone who could reproduce a logo, brand, etc. Usually jobs that will only be done one time. So the plates are not made of high grade steel, but rather built to be used 10 or less times. I've heard they are made of magnesium, but don't personally know. I've also heard them reffered to as foil plates. Any one know what I'm talking about?

Ryan

[Calleather]

Ryan,

Keep us updated to what you find. I have been searching every where!. I have found people that engrave dies but they are built to last and expensive. I also found a giuy that does Electro Thermnoforming, but a 9x9 piece with as many patterns you can fit in that space costs $3500.00!

[bruce johnson]

Ryan,

I have some press plates that are cast metal, some in Delrin. I think Delrin will work for what you are needing. The guys with the laser engravers can do them with Delrin. A couple are Richard Fletcher (www.leathertool.com) or Jeff Mosby (www.greyghostgraphics.com). Call me on this. There is another guy who just got a laser engraver, but I don't know if he is up and taking orders yet, and so don't want to steal his thunder until he says so (and he gets my other stuff done). There is also another material that some places have tried, a tannish colored hard plastic that is light activated and makes a 3D plate. Supposed to be good for about a hundred pressings at least. A few years ago, as many as you could fit on an 8-1/2x11 sheet for about $100. The Delrin will outlast it. I'll see if I can find their contact info. They were in Reno.

[Calleather]

Bruce,

The problem I am having with laser engravers is that I use a basketweave pattern and it's 3 dimensional and the laser seems to only do 2. Do you have any input or suggestionb?

[bruce johnson]

The cutting plates I have are more for use within a pattern or outlines, not doing a whole pattern if I understand what you are asking. I have outline plates, some people call them cheater stamps or plates, that will press just the outline of a flower or leaf. Gore used to make them, I think the stamp place in Las Vegas may still do them, probably others. Basically they make a reproducible outline, every flower or leaf is the same cookie cutter pattern. The line stands up enough that you can lightly press them, and they make "reverse" tapoff. The lines in the leather are depressed instead of raised like with a regular tapoff. If you press or tap them with enough force, they will cut the line, replacing swivel knifing for that element. I have most of these in metal, and a custom flower or two I had done in delrin. The delrin is cheaper than metal. He makes a master from the delrin on the laser, then uses that to make the pour for the metal plates. I think Jeff does the reverse tapoffs (lower lines), but not cutting plates.

The pressplates I have are three dimensional. I have all of the standard rodeo events, plus cutting and the "kneeling cowboy at the cross". These are dimensional, and make a 3d impression in the leather. Some people refer to these as embossing plates. I have them in delrin and some metal too. Richard Fletcher does these custom also. I don't know if Jeff is doing the dimensional plates.

I know that the bigger saddle companies using clickers and then heavy presses and embossing plates for the whole design like on a fender or jockey. These are pricy. Richard Fletcher has/had some plates for checkbooks and maybe wallets. I tend to remember them as being outline patterns though and not full embossing plates. A while back he would do custom embossing plates, but you needed to have a bunch of the same orders to make it pencil out as the user. At one time I was looking at an order for 150 dayplanners with all the same cover. I think he quoted me about $700 for the plate. That would have been great and worth it in time savings, but the order fell through for other reasons. I have seen some of the embossed basket stamp patterns. They never get the impressions round enough, and it never looks right to me. One of the guys who used to work for a big saddlery told me that they can press florals or oaks and add some cuts to make them look pretty real, but they can train a chimp to basket and it looks better than pressed baskets.

[Calleather]

I had a stamp made by Paul DeCrevel in Napa. He had to laser cut then go in and do hand work. It's pricey. Like I said earlier, I found an article on leather embossing using Electro Thermoforming. Basically you stamp your pattern in the leather then they spray thin coats of nickle untill it builds up strong enough for a mold again pricey. I just got an order for 4,000 pouches and it may be worth it....can't hand stamp that many!

[RyanCope]

Try googling magnesium embossing dies. No prices listed, but this is what I was thinking of.

Ryan

[bruce johnson]

Ryan and Calleather,

The electroforming deal sounds kind of neat. They don't give that processing away. but like you say for 4000 pieces, that dilutes it out quite a bit. I found the info and sample on the stuff from Reno. It is a hard plastic material. The design is pretty crisp, probably lasered, and like I said the price was good. I think it was priced for one or several designs on the sheet. This company exhibited at the last LCSJ show they had in Reno. It was Nevada Rubber Stamp Company. This stuff is a dark amber to greenish looking color and hard. They stuck it on a wood block and used a hand arbor press to press it into the leather when they demo'd it at the show.

I don't know of anyone who has tried the magnesium embossing plates, but it looks like it is not handwork so might be priced OK and should work. With all the different people getting the laser engravers (Ryan, our neighbor has one), there are more sources for getting that done too. I know Richard and Jeff both laser maker's stamps out of delrin rod, and they seem to hold up really well, and are not all that spendy. The detail on some of my press plates is pretty impressive. Some of my delrin plates have quite a few pressings on them, and they are still good.

[Calleather]

here is a picture of a nickle electro mold. sorry it's kind of fuzzy, but you can get the idea of what it looks like. I can use a 20 ton hydraulic press to emboss, but a hand press works too.

[richclickerdies]

I have used this company,many times, For embossing plates an debossing plates,this embossing plates can be use on any clicker press I have a tippman 1500 clicker . an I have many plates (embossing) an debossing , They are in Owosso,Mi , phone # 1-800-444-5552 .

They do copper & magnesium plates an metal plates .They will make you one plate or as many as you want.Last time I got a 6"x6" backetweave plate it cost me $ 67.00,, now the bigger the plate is the more it will cost , this was in 08-07 of this year,

Office=1-800-444-5552 =Fax =989-723-5399= www.owossographic.com

I hope they can help you.

[robert]

I have use a number of magnesium plates for a number of projects - they are definitely economical. One example - - I had an order for a bunch of checkbooks for a wedding, and got a plate with the couple's names and the date (maybe 1.5" by 2" or so). I dont remember the exact price, but seems like it was $15 or so (probably 4 years ago). And... my maker stamps are magnesium plates! The downside is that they dont stamp really deep (since they're for embossing), but the upside is they are cheap... i bought a couple in two sizes a few years ago as a "short-term" solution, but they have worked well and i have never replaced them. The place i buy them ususally mounts the plates on a wooden block, but for the maker stamps i asked them to leave off the blocks, and I epoxied them to 1/4 steel plate. I set the plate down on my leather, then use a bolt (head down) as my "handle".... i actually epoxied the bolt on but it didnt stay, but now i just hold it firmly...which works. For the checkbooks or other plates that have the wooden block, i use a press to emboss them.

Since they dont stamp deep, you have to be careful or the edges of the mounting block will leave an impression on your leather, but other than that, they have worked well for me. I have bought mine here: http://www.capitolengraving.com/ .

robert

[Calleather]

Thanks, that's great info!

[David Genadek]

I have attached two photos. One is of a guest book I did using Magnesium dies, the small border dye I epoxied a bolt on to and just banged it in. The bigger portion I used a clicker.

The other picture is of a design a did for a saddle company. It was done with a fiberglass plate. There is a guy that does this for the saddle companies but you could easily do it at home. You just take a strip of leather and glue it around the edge of the piece to make a bucket then you spray it with a release agent and pour in some resin ( which you should be able to get at any boat supply). If you want you can throw in some fiberglass fibers for added streangth.

When I worked for Ellis Barnes I worked on the plates he made for his belts. They were all done by electroplating and this is really the way to go but it is exspensive and you have to do a lot work polishing decrative cuts ect. to really get them to look like hand carving .

David Genadek

[Calleather]

David,

Do you know who you used for electroplating? I am currently working with American Galvano in L.A. Also, how many uses can you get from the resin die? I have 4,000 glove pouches to basketweave!

[David Genadek]

I think it was Garr electroplating out east some where but the was 25 years ago so who knows if they are still there.

On the resin plates I have attached a picture of one that I have used for thousands of impressions you can see it has some cracks but it still give a good impression. You can just save the original and pour a new one when needed too. There is a lot going on in resins and boat supply places are usually up on what is what so if you explain the application they can generally give you a good idea of what to use.

David Genadek

[Calleather]

so did you stamp an original, then make a trough and pour it in there?

[David Genadek]

In this case I stamped the original and sent it to a guy to pour the plate. I have learned a lot about the epoxies for my tree company so now I would just do it myself. I have found the Epoxy guys to be really helpful and they love strange projects. I went to a place in Seattle and my mind was blown at some the artistic applications for epoxies. You may have to take a trip to San Franciso where there just has to be a boat supply place.

You can see in the picture how I just added layer around the border I used a bandsaw and a sander to clean the plate up. You might screw a few up learning but once you get it it will pay.

David Genadek