Using Alphabet Stamps

[Eccho]

Hi folks. One of the things that gives me the most problem, is putting words on leather goods with stamps. I don't mind carving letters or names, as long as the area is large enough to make that practical, but sometimes I have to get out the dreaded stamps. I just do not seem to be able to make a nice even name. I leave the last letter stamp in place after hitting it with the mallet and line up the next letter abutting the first, but for some reason they often come out askew. One is a little higher or lower, or a little crooked. I also scribe a very light bottom line as a guide. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am using 3/8" and 5/16" stamps for the most part.

[ReneeCanady]

I don' t even know if I can actually explain this but I will try lol. The guide line is an amazing thing. I always stamp the first letter and pretty much leave it where it is with the stamp head in it so I can use the side of the first letter head as a guide to make sure the next is straight vertically. Now, when lining it up horizontally, use your guide line that you drew to begin with not the previous stamp. It will be slightly off if you use the stamp because the first stamp is now an impression and has basically pushed the leather out/down deforming that spot. I notice that I have to move the stamp slightly up from the previous...SLIGHTLY. This isn't always the exact case either. Mainly use the first stamp as a guide to keep the next straight vertically and use you guide line for the bottom of the stamp for horizontal guide line. Sorry I am so bad at explaining lol.

[Tree Reaper]

I always use a wooden fence to place the stamps against, leave the last stamp in the impression, butt the next stamp against it and keep going.

I put the leather under the fence so it can't move.

[Eccho]

Thanks ReneeCanady, now I am embarrassed, I never even thought about the fact that after the initial mallet blow the stamp head is now in a different position relative to the guide line. Thanks Tree Reaper, I like the idea, I am just not sure I understand. Are we talking placing say a piece of 1x1 in a clamped position over the area to be stamped and then butting the stamp heads up against that, while keeping them tight against the previous letter head? Thank you for the ideas, I will work on my approach to the situation.

[veedub3]

I pretty much do the same thing Tree reaper does but I use a wooden ruler and tape it to the bench. I lay the leather on the bench, place the ruler across the leather in the spot I need it then tape the ends to the bench so that it won't move. I then make sure each stamp is butted up against the ruler to ensure they are all level. The only thing I don't do is leave the first stamp in place when I move to the second. The spacing is slightly too big for my taste that way, so I gauge the spacing by eye,

but using the ruler keeps the letters inline. You can use pretty much anything, I have even used cardboard before.

Karina

[ReneeCanady]

I too use my ruler when I am doing lightly colored items and don't want the guide line to show. I usually put my little anvil on the ruler so it doesn't move lol.

[BDAZ]

I was having the same issues not only with Alphabets but other 3D stamps. I sprung +-$40 for the Harbor Freight 1 ton arbor press and have never looked back. Not only is it much easier to line up the stamps, but the impression is nice and even..no dark or light corners. No more discarded work due to miss-aligned stamps.

Cya!

Bob

[veedub3]

Bdaz, you are obviously more skilled than I am because I too have that arbor press form harbor Freight, and if I have to put a name on an item, unless I line them up with something, the letters will still go askew. The ram is not large enough to do say a five letter last name at once, and if I do one letter at a time, if not for a ruler or guide, things would get wacky quick. I agree you get a much better impressions, but simply using the arbor press does not automatically fix the problems the poster is having. I have still managed to stamp a letter slightly higher than the next when just eyeballing it with the press. Maybe with more practice perhaps, but until then, a guide is a must for me whether doing it with the press or by hand.

Karina

Edited February 5, 2014 by veedub3

[Tree Reaper]

This is one set up that I use and it works well.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Tree Reaper

[Dwight]

I'll add a second vote for the arbor press, fence, one letter at a time, . . . etc.

BUT, . . . if for some reason I have to use a mallet, . . . mine is not very large, . . . not really heavy, . . . and I do a lot of "tap, tap, tap" in stead of "WHACK". Several lighter blows always does a much better job for me than whaling the thing.

And I don't have any problem with the mallet, . . . when I'm "carpentering", . . . 16 coated sinkers go in flush on the 3rd hammer stroke, . . . with my 28 oz Estwing.

But I digress, . . . Tree Reaper's setup is really good, . . . make one similar for the arbor press, . . . VOILA.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Eccho]

Thank you to all that contributed to this post, great ideas and I will definitely be trying some of them till I find the one that works best for me. "Tree Reaper " I am assuming you made that unit yourself, very nice!

[BDAZ]

I simply use a thin fence made from a strip of hard wood and affixed to my slab with two spring clamps. I also use some of that woven rubber shelving under the slab to keep it from shifting on the press. I don't think one could generate enough pressure to do more than one letter at a time.

Cya!

Bob

[Tree Reaper]

Yes, I made that one and I have a smaller one for the arbor press.

I had the same problem using the stamps and this is what I've settled on for not only lining them up but also using the straight edge for a reference as well.

What I do is lay the letters out and get a measurement, subtract that from the over all distance between the borders, divide that by two and that's my starting point so I then put a pencil mark on the fence and place all the stamps along the fence starting at that mark and the distance at the other end should be the same as the starting mark on the fence.

[JDTagish]

Dunno if this is relvant, but my alphabet stamps from Tandy always seem to have some bits left on the sides that I have to file down to make the letters flush. I know they're not the best sets, but you may want to check your stamps to see if the edges are perfect, and if not file them a bit. I have this same problem, and the jig looks awesome. I've had more frustration trying to get letters aligned with guidelines and everything, and always wind up with things askew as well. I'll have to look at trying to build something like that jig.

[JLSleather]

Alphabet stamps 'suck'. Cheap, and they look it. Search on here for posts by Electrathon about type and typesetting. His text looks as good as any I've seen.

[ReneeCanady]

Alphabet stamps 'suck'. Cheap, and they look it. Search on here for posts by Electrathon about type and typesetting. His text looks as good as any I've seen.

I couldn't find the posts you were referring to by Electrathon, but I am sure they were good. He usually has really good advice.

I do beg to differ with you on the ABC stamps. I think if they are done nicely and you can't see the square shape of the tool bordering the letter, they seem to look okay. I know that a nicely tooled letter usually looks better. I have a very bad mental block with tooling letters for some reason. I can carve and tool things the exact same size but when it comes to it being a letter, I freeze lol. For instance I had to do this entire image on a 5" x 5" piece of leather and I believe there was no way in hell I was going to get the letters to look nice, even, and legible without the ABC stamps.

[Murray]

I'm with JD. I had to file down the leftover casting bits on the edges of all my stamps so that they would sit flush with each other an that made a world of difference in the finished project. I am also with Treereeper, you have to use a fence (if using the hammer method), with out a fence its a free for all.

[electrathon]

I actually learned to do it from stelmackr, here is a link to his site.

http://aaleatherbigbookcovers.com/download/Typography%20in%20Leather%20Article.pdf

With a little set up time you can print perfectly. Your printing will be as good as newspaper/boopk quality.

[ReneeCanady]

Wow, that's pretty interesting Electrathon!

[BDAZ]

I make a product which has a vertical name centered in a 2" strip and it's a bear getting it centered, spaced and vertical. The worst is the %^&(*$ "I". It's narrower then all the other letters and a bear to keep vertical. I find the middle point, then use a fence on the arbor press with an aluminum triangle and a centering rule to make sure the first letter is both centered and square to the edge.

Once the first letter, (the middle one or close) is done, I keep the stamp in the impression and build the name from center out. This generally works well EXCEPT for the "I".

I usually come close but I have yet to get the "I" perfect.

Cya!

Bob

[ReneeCanady]

LOL Bob, I agree. I pretty much do the same by finding the center and starting there. The "i" is a pita. Especially for my last as I showed previously. Indianapolis was my last messed up word. 3 of those suckers in there. Thankfully I was able to use the "1" from my number set as a place holder.

[BDAZ]

"Thankfully I was able to use the "1" from my number set as a place holder"

OK! That got me thinking. Of course it's not a problem with horizontal names or words BUT it's the vertical ones... Maybe I'll try using any letter as a spacer and then leaving the I for last and centering it between the other two letters or do it manually with a mallet.. I use the ram foot which pretty much covers the I but I may cut down a standard handle to an inch or so for the &^%$# I.

Hopefully I'll never have a commission with skiing or Hawaii on it! Maybe I'll charge extra to cover the remakes on names with I on them.

Cya!

Bob

Update: I used another letter as a marker, created the name without the I then pounded it in manually and Voila! Perfect! Time consuming.

Most of my work is with the Celtic alphabet, no longer in production so an extra letter wont help.

Edited February 13, 2014 by BDAZ

[JLSleather]

If you use those things, you might check with the Tandy store where you are. The one up this way keeps "extra" single letters - you can purchase like an extra "I" or a 7.

I don't like those stamps (though I do own some somewhere), but the Tandy girl is worth making a trip down that way occasionally...

[Tree Reaper]

I was able to use the "1" from my number set as a place holder.

When I use the fence it allows me to mark the edge of the letter on it with a pencil, the next letter gets placed against the pencil mark.

[papaw]

Electrathon that was some very interesting info. that Iknow will help me and others starting out.