Makers Mark & Hot Foil Machine in UK

[safeasfcuk]

Hi guys, I have reached the point in my leather craft journey where I feel the need to stamp my products with a maker’s mark. However, I am having a few issues on deciding the best course of action on how to do this.

Ideally I would love to be able to use a brass stamp to heat emboss my logo into leather and at the same time be able to use gold foil to stamp customer’s names etc. onto products.

In the USA I can see you have access to vintage hot foil machines that look like they will do both of the above with ease. However, in the UK I’m not aware of a reasonable priced machine that will do the same. 

Now I’m stuck do I buy a expensive Chinese machine say £300-400 or do I just order a brass stamp and heat it with heat gun and attach it to a arbour press? 

[Matt S]

Chinese hot foil presses can be got on eBay as little as £130 if you are willing to wait a month for shipping, and to run the risk on their... Creative electrical safety standards. Used ones come up even in the UK. Prices vary depending on size, condition and location (a lot refuse to ship, which reduces sale value). £500 will get you a decent size new press. Tooling is extra, and not easy to change quickly. I'm working on a DIY solution to emboss names without the faff of setting up a plate of moving type.

Ian Atkinson has a couple videos on hot stamping, using a magnesium die with wooden backer and an arbour press. This is, I think, the least expensive method that does not require specialist tools. Looks pretty quick. I used to do the same using a fly press I used to have access to. Works well and can ba fast when you get your process right. I'm working on an inexpensive solution that will allow me to emboss my logo using one of my existing small presses. Runs off 12v for safety and portability (car jump start battery). K type thermocouple controller for fast and accurate temperature setting. Just waiting for the die to arrive. I'll write it up for this forum when I've got it chooching.

[fredk]

You can get a brass stamp cut by a Malaysian or Chinese maker for as little as £14 [2 x 2 cm]. It comes with a screw in bar which will fit any ordinary soldering iron or pyrogravure. The ordering to delivery time of a stamp is about 10 days

[safeasfcuk]

10 hours ago, Matt S said:

Chinese hot foil presses can be got on eBay as little as £130 if you are willing to wait a month for shipping, and to run the risk on their... Creative electrical safety standards. Used ones come up even in the UK. Prices vary depending on size, condition and location (a lot refuse to ship, which reduces sale value). £500 will get you a decent size new press. Tooling is extra, and not easy to change quickly. I'm working on a DIY solution to emboss names without the faff of setting up a plate of moving type.

Ian Atkinson has a couple videos on hot stamping, using a magnesium die with wooden backer and an arbour press. This is, I think, the least expensive method that does not require specialist tools. Looks pretty quick. I used to do the same using a fly press I used to have access to. Works well and can ba fast when you get your process right. I'm working on an inexpensive solution that will allow me to emboss my logo using one of my existing small presses. Runs off 12v for safety and portability (car jump start battery). K type thermocouple controller for fast and accurate temperature setting. Just waiting for the die to arrive. I'll write it up for this forum when I've got it chooching.

Can't wait to see your write up! 

8 hours ago, fredk said:

You can get a brass stamp cut by a Malaysian or Chinese maker for as little as £14 [2 x 2 cm]. It comes with a screw in bar which will fit any ordinary soldering iron or pyrogravure. The ordering to delivery time of a stamp is about 10 days

And do these work ok? 

[SonderingSusan]

On 26/05/2017 at 2:35 PM, fredk said:

You can get a brass stamp cut by a Malaysian or Chinese maker for as little as £14 [2 x 2 cm]. It comes with a screw in bar which will fit any ordinary soldering iron or pyrogravure. The ordering to delivery time of a stamp is about 10 days

hey there @fredk, do you know any websites where you can get the brass stamps mentioned above?

 

many thanks .

 

ann

[fredk]

No websites; I get them thru ebay

[SonderingSusan]

hey there @safeasfcuk, did u end up getting a hot plate or a brass stamp in the end and how is the chosen method going for you.

 

thanks @fredk, i will have a look on eBay!

[Trox]

Im currently restoring a UK made John Marshall hotfoil press, changing wires and making a table with guides for leather etc. I' looking for a cheap supplier of heat conducting double sided tape.. for taping brass and magnesium stamps to machine head. Regarding the above post, I don' find it difficult to find suppliers of stamps, but I have trouble producing the required data files they want for the disign. I got some tips about software used to design, but I find this very difficult to do....I have a enough projects...I do not want to spend months learning to use crappy computer programs...tried them on Android ( the platform I use for now) and they are very difficult to use and draw on....Every stamp manufactory just want to cnc or or cast from computer vectors.....No wonder the Stamps are cheap. I would like to draw up on a piece of paper what I want and have a company to smoohing up/editing and make my finished stamp. I have aways used computers since the 1980, but the programs the stamp manufacturers recommnd  on android ist a pain in the ......Simplector Pro.. It goes like every other modern program, (the new trend) they want to slim program down but all they do in the process is removing possibilities......make it more difficult use......like crappy mobile websites.....I never though this long lasting hotfoil press project of mine would be stalled by a BL...computer program...  

[fredk]

I send the Chinese stamp makers the image as a jpeg. For a photo-etched plate of stamps from Le Prevo I sent them a sheet of photo paper printed with the designs printed on to it in high quality. I find for best quality making the print out on photo paper is the best