Letter Stamp Problem

[rfkoen]

I'm having trouble with some of my letter stamp sets. Instead of just compressing the leather, they are cutting through the grain and getting part of the leather stuck in the stamp. I end up with the grain surface cut completely out of some of the interior stamp sections. Is there something I can put on the stamp to prevent this that will not alter the leather? Is beeswax a possibility? Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Phatdaddy]

Post a pic if you can. I've definitely cut the leather by using too much force in the past, but I've never had leather "punch out" by stamping.

Is this happening on cased veg tan?

Pictures would be best.

Cheers,

Kevin

[WScott]

Ya that sounds weird

[Northmount]

I'm having trouble with some of my letter stamp sets. Instead of just compressing the leather, they are cutting through the grain and getting part of the leather stuck in the stamp. I end up with the grain surface cut completely out of some of the interior stamp sections. Is there something I can put on the stamp to prevent this that will not alter the leather? Is beeswax a possibility? Thanks for any help you can provide!

A combination of possibilities.

1. Too thin leather

2. Leather too wet

3. Too much force (too much pounding)

On thin leather you may not be able to get some of the detail to show before you have cut the main outline. Thicker leather will let you see any detail that may be inside the main outline of the letters.

Tom

[TomG]

I agree with northmount... and add All The Above.

I do a lot of stamping on 3/4 oz veg-tan. I find that I get MUCH better impressions by doing 2 things.

1) I stamp with my casing SLIGHTLY wetter than normal - don't let it get quite as dry as normal

2) I put a piece of scrap 8-10 oz under the piece I'm stamping.

try pressing down on the stamp and tapping it a bit lighter or use a light maul or mallet. You can make multiple hits on a stamp as long as you don't let the stamp bounce.