Lesson Learned-Need A New Mallet, Maul, Hammer Or Arbor

[kayrunp]

Hello,

I am learning the craft. I got a maker's hand stamp and couldn't get it to really mark well. I was using one of the hammers with the plastic clear yellow head. I started trying to hit harder, not realizing I needed a heavy hammer for this job. Now that I type with one hand while my finger heals from being smashed, I have decided I need to look into a better tool. I was also having lots of problem with oblong punches. I really just do the maker stamps and punching and setting, no tooling right now. What will make my hands safer? I have read that people use presses or really heavy plastic mallets to mauls? I can't afford to buy every weight maul, as I am just starting off, I could probably afford one good one, but I wasn't sure if it would be the right tool for the maker's mark and the holes, Is there other affordable options?

Thanks for your help,

Karen

[Chief31794]

There is no need to hit any stamp that hard unless it is quite large (like 1-1/2" square). For the stamps the leather should be wet with a sponge and then as it starts to dry and return to natural color, hit the stamp. You might want to use a deadblow hammer, you can get them at Harbor Freight pretty resonable. Punching through the thickest leather should not have to be hit excessively hard unless your punch is dull. Hitting your hands and smashing them gives me a visualization of you swinging very hard, that should not be required. Arbor presses can be adapted to press large stamps as well, I have a press that I use for large custom stamps, they can be bought at Harbor Freight as well.

Chief

[electrathon]

Get a dead blow plastic mallet from harbor Freight, about $5 on sale and they work well, do not bounce.

As for your hand, when you are hitting stamps so hard make a fist around the stamp. When you miss, it is a lot less painfull to hit your srist than your fingers and your stamp is less likely to bounce.