How to get a stamp to show nicely

[bkingery]

I've been trying to find a deadblow mallet that doesnt feel like it would poke a whole through it if I hit it hard and can't seem to find one. Any ideas????

[almac]

how about something like a 1 ton press like this?

http://www.princessauto.com/workshop/garage/fabrication-and-equipment/shop-press/3460011-1-ton-arbor-press

not too expensive, and im sure you can find something like it locally...

[bkingery]

how about something like a 1 ton press like this?

http://www.princessa...ton-arbor-press

not too expensive, and im sure you can find something like it locally...

I actually have thought about one of the presses but they all have such narrow throats so I think I will probably just use my shopsmith.

B

[Ellen]

Tandy's ram foot and tabletop drill press here.

[leatherworklee]

I have an old drill press minus the motor that I bought for $15.00 that works quite well. The most important things to consider are: Is your leather properly cased? Review casing procedures elsewhere on this site. And do you have a good solid surface under your leather? A good marble or granite block makes a big difference. Placing the tooling block on a really solid bench helps to eliminate a lot of bounce. I often use a "Hefty Handle" as well. I was having problems with bounce after moving my shop and found that making an extra leg for the table that I was using for a tooling bench really helped. I used a piece of 4X4 located directly under my marble block.I Hope this ramble helps.

[Davy]

For embossing tools marble is the best base to deaden the blow . I use 2" marble and never had a tool bounce yet . A good heavy rawhide mallet for tooling is the go and a lighter one for beveling works well for me . Also the leather needs to be just wet enough to help the tool leave a nice crisp print . If its too wet it wil be spongey and the edge of the print won't be sharp and clear , it will also displace too much leather causing distortion which is no good at all . If you get the wetness right you can emboss large areas without having to rubber cement your job to X-ray film or whatever else . Hit hard for stamps with a large surface area and lightly tap for those small triangle or mules foot stamps . On 3.5mm leather I hit hard but on 1mm to 1.5mm I go very carefully . If you wet your leather a bit too much wait till it dries out a bit , the more you do the easier it gets . Finally try using your stamps at different angles , not all stamps lend themselves to this but by experimenting you can get a whole new pattern base . 1 stamp can give you a few different impressions that are really noticeable after antique is applied . Good luck , there's nothing more satisfying than creating a pattern that looks great , is one of a kind and that you know nobody will ever duplicate it !!! Cheers , Dave .

[EmbossingDieCompany]

You might also want to consider a table top vice......I bought this one from Harbor Freight for $20.

My preference is to use a vice/press rather than a mallet......I believe you get a better/crisper/deeper/more accurate impression with a press verses the mallet.

[IrishD]

Very informative thread! After pounding my arm into oblivion a few months ago, I went out to my husband's work shed and looked around...and there I saw his drill press! By opening the jaws all the way, I found it was a perfect fit for the 3-D Stamps I have. The stampings came out clearer than hammering them in, but my impressions still weren't coming out as crisp as I wanted. Now, I know why! I had been using a 1" thick piece of wood under the leather! Now I know I should have been using either metal or marble! DUH! Thanks for all the great info!

[camano ridge]

I would reccomend the marble or similar material. If you get damp leather in contact with metal (steal iron etc.) you may end up with some black caused by iron oxide that you don't want.

[lwm803]

I did these today as a test of my newly modified arbor press. I used Tandy 3D stamps directly under the ram of the press (no handle on the stamp). The press has a 1/4" thick aluminum plate but I had a 1" thick aluminum bar on top of that under the leather. I reckon these came out pretty sharp, though I could have used a little less pressure on the smaller pterodactyl (my favorite stamp)..

Edited October 13, 2012 by lwm803

[St8LineGunsmith]

harbor freight has 1 ton arbor presses for $50.00

for a one shot stamp

here is how I use 3D stamps

case the leather and let the water soak in and the surface dry then use a ram foot

on the stamp handle and hit the stamp one good blow to set the impression

then make sure the stamp is firmly seated into the impression

and hit the stamp four more times by applying slight pressure to each

side of the stamp. check to make sure the stamp is properly seated

into the impression before every strike to keep from getting a double impression

it is essential to have a marble or granite slab to get a good deep tool impression.

I always get good results with this method.

[EmbossingDieCompany]

I've found that using a piece of 1/2" thick acrylic works really well as a backer.

I simply take the 1/2" acrylic, lay the leather on top, carefully place the embossing die exactly where I want it, then put that "sandwich" (acrylic-leather-die) into a tabletop vice, tighten, loosen, done. It takes about 10 seconds each and I get a clear, crisp, deep and perfectly placed impression every time.

And it works great for doing bracelets that I bought from Tandy.......I cut a 1/2" thick piece of acrylic that is about 8" x 2" for doing these bracelets. I'm attaching a picture of bracelets that I did, but I don't have an actual picture of the acrylic backer.

If you want to find a cheap piece of 1/2" thick acrylic, you can go to almost any craft store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.) and look in the picture frame section.......they usually have picture frames that are actually two pieces of 1/2" thick acrylic that are held together with a magnet (you're supposed to sandwich the picture between the two).....and they usually come in 5"x7" and 8" x 10" sizes.

[carr52]

I've been trying to find a deadblow mallet that doesnt feel like it would poke a whole through it if I hit it hard and can't seem to find one. Any ideas????

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=dead+blow+hammer

[Stan]

Howdy! I just finished a new (for me) work bench. I saw one on You-Tube and copied it. It is a piece of fir log about 12" in diameter and 27" long. I took off the bark and then sanded the entire log. I used some stain and then varnish. It sets in front of me when I am on a chair. It is heavy and solid, but easily moved around. I can use a 1/2" piece of steel on top to set rivets, a piece of marble to set 3D stamps, a piece of thick rubber to use a punch, etc. The main advantage is, it is inexpensive to make. Did I say,"It is very solid!"? A good piece of hardwood would be better than fir, but where I live there are only pine and fir. You just gotta love this site and all the great people here. Stan