Arbor Press

[Luke Hatley]

have any of you fine folks used or is using the Arbor Press from Harbor Frieght

to emboss 3-d stamps with? and were you satisified with it ?

[45holstermaker]

I use an Arbor Press for a lot of my stamping work. It works great for stamps that must stay vertical all the time. I use mine regularly for anything from setting snaps and rivets to punching holes. Looking at the press at Harbor Freight you would probably need a flat base under the pressing arm instead of the slotted one for leatherwork.

[Somawas]

How would I modify the Harbor Freight arbor pressto stamp? The press looks like it has a flat, square foot.

[Vikti]

I've heard of someone who took the foot to a machine shop and drilled a hole big enough and deep enough for a stamping handle to be inserted held in place with a set screw.

[DCKNIVES]

I milled a slot in the ram for my makers stamp and it is secured by two set screws.I use this for my knives and my leather.Dave

[Somawas]

Some great ideas here. I was at Harbor Freight yesterday. Had to take a rain check. But he 1/2 ton arbor was on sale for $32.99. Great deal. They gave me rain check and a 20% discount coupon.

[LNLeather]

have any of you fine folks used or is using the Arbor Press from Harbor Frieght

to emboss 3-d stamps with? and were you satisified with it ?

Hi Luke

I have tried and wasn't too thrilled with the results...

The best impressions I ever got were after holding the handle down and hitting it with a rubber mallet about 25 - 30 times.

<------Pretend that is an Arbor Press under the hammer

I have a clicker now, and that solved my problems...... If didn't have a clicker, I think I would look into getting a small shop press that run's on air pressure.

How about you? Do you have any tricks to make it work for small 3-D stamps?

Edited August 22, 2010 by LNLeather

[Luke Hatley]

Hi Luke

I have tried and wasn't too thrilled with the results...

The best impressions I ever got were after holding the handle down and hitting it with a rubber mallet about 25 - 30 times.

<------Pretend that is an Arbor Press under the hammer

I have a clicker now, and that solved my problems...... If didn't have a clicker, I think I would look into getting a small shop press that run's on air pressure.

How about you? Do you have any tricks to make it work for small 3-D stamps?

I did buy the 1/2 ton press and i am not pleased wirh the results with printing the 3-d

stamps.

It seems like i am getting 1-1 pressure , mabey i should bought the 1-Ton press.

imight need a longer arm to pull down.

What i wanted to use it for was embossing plates that i have had for a while.

so not print the 3-d stamps,nor the embossing plates like i thought it should

[wvcraftsman]

I did buy the 1/2 ton press and i am not pleased wirh the results with printing the 3-d

stamps.

It seems like i am getting 1-1 pressure , mabey i should bought the 1-Ton press.

imight need a longer arm to pull down.

What i wanted to use it for was embossing plates that i have had for a while.

so not print the 3-d stamps,nor the embossing plates like i thought it should

How about a press from Tandy?!?!?! lol

[LNLeather]

I did buy the 1/2 ton press and i am not pleased wirh the results with printing the 3-d

stamps.

It seems like i am getting 1-1 pressure , mabey i should bought the 1-Ton press.

imight need a longer arm to pull down.

What i wanted to use it for was embossing plates that i have had for a while.

so not print the 3-d stamps,nor the embossing plates like i thought it should

Hi Luke

Just from my (limited) experience, using the Arbor press (and any emboss plate that is bigger than the 3-D stamps) will surely not make your leather look like you expect it to. You will not get a good impression.

I have a 700 Clicker, and using an emboss plate on cased leather - I hold the press in the down position and count from 15 to 30 before I let it up. It would be nearly impossible to get that kind of pressure from an Arbor press.

I learned how to use the emboss plates when I bought them... The emboss plates that are sold by Duckcreektraders on ebay (Bunkhouse Leather), and are larger than about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, come with instructions that say something like this.......

"This sample was made using a 12 ton hydraulic shop press. This plate measures about 2 1/4" x 3 1/8". It is not a hammer stamp and should be pressed in using a hydraulic press, clicker press, or a shop press like we do and the pressure plate should cover the entire top of the plate ."

I think you might want something larger than an Arbor Press - if your emboss plates are larger than the 3-D stamps.

My Arbor Press sits unused on the bench....... so far a waste of my money....

Best of luck

Edited August 22, 2010 by LNLeather