New Makers Stamp Is Hard To Stamp Cleanly

[Leatherbyelaine]

This is a newbie question, but I finally got my makers stamp and its a kind of stamp I've never used before. It's HUGE and I'm having a hard time getting a clean stamp that isn't "shaky". What is the best way to hammer this stamp?? I'm using a rubber mallot on granite with (obviously) tooling leather. Here's a pic of one stamp that came out right (after several mishaps !)

[stelmackr]

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-lb-neon-orange-dead-blow-hammer-41800.html

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Probably a heavier maul and make sure your leather is cased up good, just like for tooling. You want your maul heavy enough that one hit will do the job without putting a whole lot of effort into the blow. I don't know how heavy my heaviest one is, but I don't use it for tooling, just for my makers stamp and drive punches. Weaver's catalog shows their heaviest maul at 4-1/2 lbs.

[Leatherbyelaine]

Really? Ok. I wish Tandy would have mentioned this before buying the stamp.

Thank you Bob for the link!

[King's X]

Making sure to wet your leather and allowing it to soak is a great start. The orange or dead blow hammer works great. Also, when you hold the stamp handle.....make sure to apply downward pressure on the stamp.

[Studio-N]

The real problem is the evil empire got it backwards. The face is brass which is great. but the 5" delrin rod they attach to it is the problem. It absorbs

the majority of the energy of the blow. So yo have to hit it with something very heavy and very hard and probably multiple times. In my setups, the

stamp is delrin but is only 1" tall. I use the hefty handle to drive the stamp. As we all know, metal transfers energy very well.

The easiest solution may well be to simply NOT try to do it all in one blow. Looking at the picture, the center looks good and any fading is

in the outer edges. Hold on tight to the handle and After the initial strike, try rotating the handle like you would a joystick while tapping the

handle. This will slightly tilt the stamp which should allow it to bring out those edges. Hope that helps.

Now if you really get frustrated with it, break off the rod and make your own metal handle. Attached is my original handle (circa 1996). It

is a home depot special. a 6" pipe threaded on both ends and two brass cap with a flat top. I use to just double face tape my stamps to

it and use my regular mallet. worked quite well until I modified the stamps for the hefty handle.

Cheers!

[Leatherbyelaine]

Yes. Tandy should change their "custom makers stamp " manufacturer. Not only was this a problem, but because of the lack of communication it took THREE MONTHS to make.

Thank you for the idea! I purchased a 4lb mallot. If that doesn't work I'll try removing the pesky rod!

Edited June 26, 2015 by Leatherbyelaine

[Red Bear Haraldsson]

I actually have the bounce problem with my deadblow hammer. My stamp is all Delrin (I got mine from Grey Ghost Graphics). I'm guessing the hammer (only 16 ounce) is making the stamp jump.

I'm planning on getting an arbor press and a stamp meant to go in the press so I can just lean all my Chef Boyardee on it and not have to worry on bounce.

I want it for other things, too, of course. But, with the maker's mark and the fine detail in it, I cannot feel where it is sitting in the impression like you can with the big 3D stamps. (Mind you, I think I have hit my maker's mark maybe ten times so far...)

[Studio-N]

RB,

the surface is of course important when you stamp. if it is bouncy, that could be the problem. No need to get a new stamp if you

get a press, just cut the rod down to about 1" and you're good to go. I put an arrow and crosshatch in the back of mine for alignment but a

marker is all you need to place an alignment arrow. cheers!

[Red Bear Haraldsson]

I actually use my coffee table, and sit everything right on the corner over the leg, but then, there is the carpet and the pad underneath.... I have to imagine some of it is the carpet, pad and table because I do rivets on the kitchen floor. (Another reason I want the press)

The table itself is monstrously sturdy, wife found it at an apartment where the people were moving out and going to throw it away. I've had me and my brother both standing on it to put up a ceiling fan, and that's pushing 600 pounds between the two of us. Thus the Chef Boyardee reference earlier...

[Oldtoolsniper]

I'm with the arbor press crowd. I have three of them and they get used a lot. It's one of the tools harbor freight sells that works very well for leather working. I set my rivets and all my snaps with it, I use it to punch holes, I use it for stamping with the 1" stamps, I use it to make conchos, I use it to set my makers mark and the uses go on and on.. Get a press, chop off the rod and go to town with it.

[Art]

It is all a matter of how much energy can be transferred to the amount of design you are trying to transfer, and the depth of impression you want. Everything depends on the amount of rock solid surface you are stamping on, the weight of striking device, and the amount of energy applied. If you want to get technical, mother earth + how big your stamp + how big your hammer + how big you = depth of impression. I have a delrin stamp for boy scout neckerchief ties made by Jeff Mosby (Grey Ghost) that I can stamp on my 288 lb Hay-Budden anvil which sets on a 3 foot cube base of end cut hardwood that I wack with a 96oz Barry King Maul. It works on the anvil and also on an old GI desk (built like a brick outhouse) with a hundred lb surface plate on top. My makers mark gets like treatment although it is tool steel (Infinity Stamps Inc.). Irresistible force + immovable object = good impression. That being said, I have a three ton arbor press that does a pretty good job too. If you get your stamp maker to make you a press stamp (short full width stamp), you can use them in a hydraulic press easier if you have one and they also work in the arbor press. Don't get the press stamp if you plan on whacking it with a mallet or hammer, your fingers may end-up casualties.

Art

[texback]

If your leather is well cased you can also tap the maker stamp multiple times (think medium controlled blows) to make the impression rather than trying to hit it once hard. As long as you hold it firmly against the leather it will make a nice clean impression and you can tilt the handle a little in all directions to get the full stamp. I also use an arbor press but did this before I had one with good results.

[Leatherbyelaine]

Thanks texback. This was the system I used to get the result in my photo shown on the first post. It did work, but I'm a 5'3" petite thing w not enough muscle to hold it in place! And I want my makers stamp deeper than shown in the photo.

I'm looking into the arbor press. Sounds like I could use it for multiple things. Great replies- thank you so much everyone! So glad I discovered this forum.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Leatherbyelaine

[TinkerTailor]

If you have to hammer, get a drilling hammer from a hardware store, they have short handles and are 3-4 pounds. Only like 20 bucks. They are used for hammering rock chisels and drills. Go outside and find a concrete slab to put your marble on to do your makers marking. I probably could hammer my stamps right through the leather in one hit if i swung the 4 lb hard enough.

A press or a vise is the way to go however. I think that leaving it in there under pressure for 15 mins or so can help. Hang a dumbell on a rope from the handle of the press to keep pressure on.

[Leatherbyelaine]

Well I finally got a 1 ton arbor press! I'm super excited to use it with my makers stamp-- but now how do I get the 5" delrin rod OFF?? ANy suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm with the arbor press crowd. I have three of them and they get used a lot. It's one of the tools harbor freight sells that works very well for leather working. I set my rivets and all my snaps with it, I use it to punch holes, I use it for stamping with the 1" stamps, I use it to make conchos, I use it to set my makers mark and the uses go on and on.. Get a press, chop off the rod and go to town with it.

Well I finally got a 1 ton arbor press! I'm super excited to use it with my makers stamp-- but now how do I get the 5" delrin rod OFF?? ANy suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Edited July 31, 2015 by Leatherbyelaine

[dirtclod]

Guessing the rod is pressed in and not screwed togeather. Saws All or a hacksaw should work fine.

Edited July 31, 2015 by dirtclod