Embossing / hot stamping chrome tanned leather

[dclok1]

g'day mates (ok thats fake as im a kiwi). I need some technical assistance. I have been trying to heat emboss some leather but it either fades overnight or melt the leather.

Outcome needed: embossed logo on chrome tanned leather, similar to what you see on high end luxury bags

What i have tried and the outcome: Chrome leather with a chinese made handheld hot stamper. The logo is brass and connected to the hot stamper. I normally hold for about 5 seconds. I have tried relatively low heat ~80 degrees celcius, doesnt melt but also last over night only. ~200 degrees celcius will last but burns a funny colours and melts the surface of the leather.

Any suggestions? Different machine? Wrong technique?

 

Edited June 20, 2016 by dclok1
add picture

[nstarleather]

We emboss on Chrome tan ever day and I'll try to walk you though how we do it.

We are using Kwikprint machine that has a handle to press down but you will probably find the same results with your hand-held version.

 

For embossing we look at 3 factors:

1.Temperature- for most things 300 degrees Fahrenheit works, but some things like hotter or colder anything under 250 probably won't be permanent.  

2. Pressure you have to press hard enough to get it to take. Something that helps on hard leathers is to emboss on a "soft" surface like another piece of leather the give underneath lets the die sink in deeper.

 

3. Dwell (how long you press) especially with lower temps and soft leathers sometimes you have to hold down for a longer period to make the stamp take (sometimes a 5 or even 10 count).

 

Lastly there are some leathers that just don't emboss- some are too hard, others will burn no matter what you do (especially true with leather with a plasticy finish).

Hope that helps.

 

[dclok1]

35 minutes ago, dclok1 said:

g'day mates (ok thats fake as im a kiwi). I need some technical assistance. I have been trying to heat emboss some leather but it either fades overnight or melt the leather.

Outcome needed: embossed logo on chrome tanned leather, similar to what you see on high end luxury bags

What i have tried and the outcome: Chrome leather with a chinese made handheld hot stamper. The logo is brass and connected to the hot stamper. I normally hold for about 5 seconds. I have tried relatively low heat ~80 degrees celcius, doesnt melt but also last over night only. ~200 degrees celcius will last but burns a funny colours and melts the surface of the leather.

Any suggestions? Different machine? Wrong technique?

 

Thanks nstar. some useful thoughts. I have added a picture.

[nstarleather]

For one it looks like a pretty large area to press down (but that could just be the picture) that makes it hard to get a huge amount of depth with a hand held machine. 

I'm attaching some embossings we've done in the past.  We actually use a bar on the handle of our machines to do massive pressure.  That "suma" pouch would never have gotten enough pressure by hand. 

 

[RockyAussie]

None of the stamping shown by Mike above would be done by a hand held machine. Where in Aus are you mate? I have a few machines that I will try and send a pic or 2 by tomorrow. Can you show a pic of what you are presently using?. My favorite machine I can adjust the pressure down to what I want and it is easy to set up a vast different amount of  jigs for holding different pieces. Oh and welcome.

[nstarleather]

9 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

None of the stamping shown by Mike above would be done by a hand held machine. Where in Aus are you mate? I have a few machines that I will try and send a pic or 2 by tomorrow. Can you show a pic of what you are presently using?. My favorite machine I can adjust the pressure down to what I want and it is easy to set up a vast different amount of  jigs for holding different pieces. Oh and welcome.

True, you'd want much smaller for a hand press, just trying to show what can be done.

 

[dclok1]

Hi guys. the stamp is only about 3cm wide, i zoomed in the pictures. interesting idea retrofitting a bar to place extra pressure.

I'm in melbourne. I'm finding the grained leather pretty difficult to emboss. Love to see how your machine goes.

[dclok1]

buggga cant add more pictures. Not sure if this link thing worked. 

[nstarleather]

Here's mine.

[RockyAussie]

Love it Mike, I've been thinking about making one up out of a drill press and I see now it would be a good idea especially with the turn table being able to spin in the center. Well for now dclok1 I cant see your pics.Here are some of mine and another idea that may be useful.I do have an air driven one with automatic timer but its packed away in one of the shipping containers at the moment. I threw in the clicker press to show that pressure only on a good veg leather works quite OK for some applications.I just get a knife made about 3mm smaller and sand down the blade until I have about the thickness I want and glue it into some firm veg high enough to cradle the extension piece. With the large first shown I hope press I have put in on the bottom table a couple of thumb screws which I just undo to change to different cut out boards.The wheel at the top allows fine pressure adjustments and the design allows extreme pressure to be applied quite easily.The last pic with the size stamps is there to show how I quickly change size stamps for the belts. I put in a large magnet which stays in the block so I don't need to undo screws every change over. The stamps I get made up in a long row at the embossing plate maker's and I just cut them down to size and attach to the box tubes. Talk to Spiro or John at TEXON Australia in Melbourne I think they should know how to help you. H Leffler + son maybe as well. John will have my contact details if you want them. Regards Brian

first

[nstarleather]

Those are some neat machines.  I actually have 3 of the kwikprint ones the tables are on slides with screws to lock.  2 of my machines move on tracks for adjustment, the other has just one, but that's actually nice for centering. The trick is hitting the piece in the right place every time.  You can use guide lines on the table, but what I do is cut the shape out of thick posterboard (with your cutting die)- then line it up and tape the posterboard down.  Then you just drop the leather in the hole and you can really move when you have a lot to emboss....

[dclok1]

Hi Mike and Brian, thanks for all the pictures and comments. I will try some of your suggestions and let you know if i have any success. Seems stamping grained leather is a tough topic.

I will given Texon a buzz. I visited Leffler a couple times, the guys in the front office arent very helpful.

FYI there a place called Auscraft speciality print in Tullamarine that specialises in leather stamping. I might give them a go, happy to pay for a quality job.

[jmuir]

Mike:

Are you using magnesium dies? I am using mag dies and a t shirt press to try and get the same you as your pouches (very nice design!). The logo turns out ok depending on the leather but not as clean as yours.  I also wonder if I'm using the correct specs when sending the logo to the die maker. 

John Muir

[nstarleather]

They are Magnesium with an Aluminum (I think) Face.

[Sonydaze]

We hot emboss our logo into most everything we make as do some embossing to personalize items.  Most of what we use is various chrome tan leather.  I think getting consistent results from a handheld stamp would be a challenge, especially if you can't control the temperature of the stamp.  I agree with the previous posts... a clean impression comes from a combination of temperature, pressure and duration. We get our magnesium dies made 1/4" deep (by Sterling Marking Products https://www.sterling.ca/graphics.cfm). The deeper dies tend to give a cleaner imprint.

Also as a suggestion, emboss as soon as practical in the process of making something. If you get a bad imprint you will have less labour invested in the piece. It is also a good idea to do a few test impressions on scraps before doing the real thing.

1 minute ago, Sonydaze said:

We hot emboss our logo into most everything we make as well as doing some embossing to personalize items.  Most of what we use is various chrome tan leather.  I think getting consistent results from a handheld stamp would be a challenge, especially if you can't control the temperature of the stamp.  I agree with the previous posts... a clean impression comes from a combination of temperature, pressure and duration. We get our magnesium dies made 1/4" deep (by Sterling Marking Products https://www.sterling.ca/graphics.cfm). The deeper dies tend to give a cleaner imprint.

Also as a suggestion, emboss as soon as practical in the process of making something. If you get a bad imprint you will have less labour invested in the piece. It is also a good idea to do a few test impressions on scraps before doing the real thing.

 

Edited July 19, 2016 by Sonydaze