How do I properly use embossing plates?

[PleasureFace]

Good Morning

This is my first post on here,very excited to have joined this forum! I have been crafting for a few months now and have been really having a killer time with it, I work for a distributor of medieval weapons and armor and was turned onto the hobby by a co-worker of mine. I have been making bracelets, bags, lighter cases, and a whole bunch of stuff and feel there is definitely potential for this kind of skill where I am currently working.

Onto the actual subject matter... I would really like to get into using these embossing plates I found on this website https://www.shop.bunkhousetools.com/Embossing-Plates_c4.htm?page=15 but am not 100% on what kind of press I should use and any tools or accessories I would need to do very deep and detailed impressions with these discs. I would appreciate it sooo much if somebody could shed a little bit of light onto this for me as I have no experience with presses. 

[JLSleather]

From the people selling those ..

http://bunkhousetools.com/Guides.php

 

[PleasureFace]

I apologize for the lack of clarification perhaps I should habe stated this to be clearer for some people. But I am not looking for a link to the guide on their website I have already seen that, I am more so looking for someone's personal experience with embossing discs. Thank you though. 

[fredk]

May be this helps. maybe not. I use the Tandy press - https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/craftool-pro-hand-press

It is about 1.25 T pressure. Whilst is good for single letters using the adaptors,  the ram bar has a small cross section/area. I have several embossing plates bigger than this.

I put a 3mm steel plate between the embossing plate and the ram bar which has the wider letter adaptor fitted. I press the embossing plate centrally first, then I move the leather around carefully doing the outer edges of the embossing plate; its usually - top left, bottom right, bottom left, top right, centre left, centre right. As long as the embossing plate doesn't move out of register on the leather this gives me a pretty good even impression.

My embossing plates are made of brass and of magnesium. I've recently purchased a couple of those from Bunkhouse, but not yet used them. Maybe in December. . . .

Bunkhouse recommends a plate of steel over the resin plate and they supply a piece of hard rubber to go under the leather whilst pressing.

Edited October 17, 2018 by fredk

[Sheilajeanne]

Fred, so what size are the largest plates you do, using this press?

[fredk]

The largest is about 3.25 by 3.6 inches - about 82 x 92mm

[billybopp]

I'd go with an arbor press for these embossing plates.  They are relatively inexpensive, with a 1 ton press from Harbor Freight currently priced at $59.99, and they frequently have discount coupons.  They're terribly handy for a lot of uses in leatherwork, and other things as well.  Remove the circular base plate, and lay a piece of flat steel across the "toes", or even a piece of sturdy plywood, leather atop that, place the plate and then back it with another piece of steel or hefty plywood and pull the handle.   If the plate is fairly large, you may need to move it around and squeeze it in separate places to get an even impression.

- Bill

[Sheilajeanne]

billybop, those Tandy presses are RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Only time I've ever bought something like that from Tandy was during there yearly "Seven Days of Christmas' sale, when it was being sold for a deep discount.

Wondering what the Canadian equivalent of Harbor Freight would be...

[battlemunky]

Harbor Freh' t?

:D

[Sheilajeanne]

battlemunky,

Seems that Princess Auto and even Canadian Tire sell them. Of course, they cost more than in the States, and the price goes up approximately $100 a ton!

Edited October 20, 2018 by Sheilajeanne

[Northmount]

Also available in Canada at BusyBee Tools - 1 ton https://www.busybeetools.com/products/arbor-press-1-ton-b091.html

3 ton - https://www.busybeetools.com/products/arbor-press-3-ton-b093.html

Tom

 

[Studio-N]

A simple 1 ton from Harbor freight is all you need.  You can get extra pressure if you add a press foot such as this: Press foot.

However, I have done a 10x10 plate with just the 1" square ram of the arbor press. Start in a corner. Press. Move the workpiece over 1" (the size of the ram). Press.

Rinse and repeat until the entire area is covered.  1 ton arbor press is $60 at harbor freight.  cheers!

[Mark842]

I realize it's a little more expensive but I use the Harbor freight 12 ton press. For me it has some major advantages using it for stamping...and we do use some of bunkhouse tools stamps. With a little bit of work and some math skills (if your cheap like me) you can install a pressure gauge on the bottle jack. Advantage of doing that should be obvious. The other advantage I like using the bottle jack over the arbor press. Is you can press the die into the leather and walk away and leave it there with the pressure on it for as long as you want. This allows for being able to use less pressure with better results. Less pressure makes the dies last infinitely longer. Before I installed the pressure gauge, by feel I'm guessing I was probably using 2K of pressure for a 4" diameter stamp on 6-7 ounce damp veg tan. The dies would last me about 6 months of everyday use of 30-40 impressions a day. With pressure gauge. 600 lbs @ 30 seconds using the same dies that lasted about 6 months and the dies are about 4 years old and still going strong.

 If you don't want to or can't install the pressure gauge yourself (it's a bit of a pain in the ass) you can buy a bottle jack with them installed but they are usually in the $400 range. I watched a youtube video and did mine in an hour for the cost of a $20 pressure gauge.

 Oh yeah...pick yourself up a piece of 1/2" thick steel plate scrap large enough to cover the dies you will be using to put in between the piston of the battle jack and the die otherwise you will just crack the die.

[JLSleather]

34 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

but I use the Harbor freight 12 ton press

The people who make them (and use them) recommend this as well.  Clearly shown right on the site where you buy those "plates"