embossing press attach stamp and tray

[Treesner]

Just got an embossing press but wondering how I can attach my stamps to it, there’s one hole but it’s much bigger than my stamp thread 

 

also do you guys have any good ways to make the process repeatable? It comes with some magnets but I think I’ve seem a track system that slides in and out. Seems a little better 

[Rockoboy]

When you say repeatable, I am guessing you mean along a line or being able to accurately place the stamp where you want it. All I can think of, is an edge guide of sort for the straight line, and carefully judging the distance between the last impression and the impression you are now making.

As for repeatable placement, such as in the same spot on identical items, I would make up a jig, so that you place each item in the exact same spot.

A jig might be as simple as a piece of masking tape applied to the press bottom plate, then draw a line on the tape to assist you in placing each item in the same position.

[Treesner]

On 2/10/2019 at 10:18 AM, Rockoboy said:

When you say repeatable, I am guessing you mean along a line or being able to accurately place the stamp where you want it. All I can think of, is an edge guide of sort for the straight line, and carefully judging the distance between the last impression and the impression you are now making.

As for repeatable placement, such as in the same spot on identical items, I would make up a jig, so that you place each item in the exact same spot.

A jig might be as simple as a piece of masking tape applied to the press bottom plate, then draw a line on the tape to assist you in placing each item in the same position.

thanks I'll try making a jig like that. was thinking maybe magnets too to side against but not sure if they would move.. 

 

how do I attach my stamp to it to heat it up though. the instructions say use high temp tape but that seems a little crazy if I'm heating git up to 320* and annoying when I change stamps 

[Treesner]

I think I need something like this but not for tiny type for big stamps but whats the name for this type of tool so I can find one

theres one hole in the top of my heated arbor but its a pretty big hole

 

[Rockoboy]

On ‎12‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 6:13 AM, Treesner said:

was thinking maybe magnets too to side against but not sure if they would move.. 

Some of the rare earth neodymium magnets hold pretty well.

The main things to remember with these strong magnets, be very careful if you have a pacemaker, and place them carefully by not allowing them to clank together or to a metal surface because they will crack In half very easily 

[RockyAussie]

@Treesner if you are not fairly mechanically minded I am going to be honest and tell you you got the wrong press I think!! Here in the sellers video you can see one with a slide in one which would be a lot quicker and easier than bolting your stamps in individually.

 

That said... I don't know what stamps you are wanting to use and whether they are all the same size etc. I have a lot of different embossing machines and a lot of different types of stamps etc and although any one of them could do most of what the others do, none of them have all of the best features in the one machine. If I had the machine you have there I would start by using that bolt hole to attach a slide grabber that I could then remove the stamp holding block from easily. The machine with the best grabber is this one in the first picture and the reason I like it best is that the spring piece at the front allows me to slide the stamp block in without having to loosen or tighten any screws. (Screws often get over tightened and get stripped all to often.)Notice that on this one the bottom piece is able to slide in and out if required and can be taken off as well as shown in the next picture. Also note that this bottom plate I have put in 2 screws to enable me to put in whatever cardboard jig to hold the product piece in place that I want. That is one way of getting stamps to be repeatedly in the right place and the next time as well.

 

This picture shows that the bottom plate can be removed and this enables me to use other systems for where I may need more depth for instance.

Here I have 3D printed  a block that allows me to do a wide variety of embossing s on our product box lids.

Another one of my favourite embossing methods I came up with is what I use for stamping my belt lengths. This method uses the heat tape to attach your stamp but I have put the sizes all onto same length steel boxing. With the holding block for it I have placed within it a 1/8" long magnet that holds the size boxes in tightly and with the aid of a pair of pliers I can rip them out hot between sizes and change to the next.

SO.....I would think about making a holder that that is easy to slide in and out and encase a magnet. When you get any new stamps attach them to a steel backing and you can just then click them in to place.Remember to allow room to lever the stamp out though. I think that should get you some ideas that could help.

 

 

 

 

[Scoutmom103]

RockyAussi  where do you recommend finding one of these ?

14 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

If I had the machine you have there I would start by using that bolt hole to attach a slide grabber that I could then remove the stamp holding block from easily

I am located in the United States in Central Indiana.

[RockyAussie]

52 minutes ago, Scoutmom103 said:

RockyAussi  where do you recommend finding one of these ?

I am located in the United States in Central Indiana.

Do you have the same machine as this? I doubt it could be bought but some like myself could make it fairly easily and an engineering shop could do it for sure. Design wise it depends on the machine and what type of stamps you want to use as well. My favourite stamp holder is shown in these first 2 pictures and you can see that it uses a dovetail to fit into the spring grabber. This one allows me to use spacers and a couple of 1/4" bolts to tighten up onto the stamp or letter set whichever the case. Back of the holding block showing the dovetail-

ront of the holder shown holding a heat tape attached stamp-

Another embossing machine I use has a similar dovetail but it gets tighten up with a bolt and is actually a little more trouble to make.

If you are using a Kingsley letter set like in this pic below their machines have a wide variety of holders and they are also held in place but a couple of tension springs and a guide strip.

This is a single line holder that I use a lot for embossing initials onto the ring boxes I make a lot of.

If you want to give me some pictures of your machine and an idea of the variety and type of stamps you want to do I could Cad up a drawing perhaps that may help you better.

[Scoutmom103]

Reply Thank you.   I'll get some photo's after this wkend.    I'm not great at getting them uploaded and my IT geek, AKA husband is traveling for work.

[Scoutmom103]

Here are pics.

Thanks

I have the Alphabet set from WUTA in transit.  

 

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Scoutmom103
Forgot to add about Alphabet Ordered

[RockyAussie]

Looks like a fairly good robust machine. I need to know what distance the heating element is away from the edge. You did not show any picture from that angle. The elements normally go right through the block but due to the hole in the middle for attaching the stamp it does not in this case. Is there 2 short elements? Please show a picture from that end. I checked the WUTA site and they have several letter set types and it would be best to know what height the particular letter blocks are in the one you have ordered. I can still go ahead somewhat with a drawing but that height is important to know. Other than that, are you able to tap threads into metal alright and if so do you have a metric set or ....? Would you prefer steel or aluminium construction mostly? The other thing is if you would prefer to have drawings for an engineering shop to do the work?  One last thing ...is this for occasional work or every day quick change heavy duty work????

[Scoutmom103]

Sorry it took me a few days to get these to you.  I needed help to take the pictures with the tape measure.  I hope the pictures are able to answer the questions regarding the elements.   As far as I can tell from the original listing the Letter Size: LxH: 8mm x 6.5mm.      The letter carrier size :(LxWxGroove Width) 68mm X 18mm x 8mm, can fit 7-9 letters, all depends on the size.     They are still in transit.  It shows that it has now landed.  The delivery says March 14-March 25th so I don't have them to actually measure.    It is an upper and lower case set and numbers.  It is for periodic use.  I am just starting out.   I am not sure if steel or alum would be better.     I have brothers who may be able to help with tapping.  I am not sure which would be better as far as having you make it and ship or having drawings for a local shop.   I'm not sure what the piece would cost of you to produce and ship, verses having it done in Central Indiana.   I know shipping can be expensive from down under.   I so appreciate you doing this.       I love how the stamping looks on the ring boxes.  What size is the font on your Kingsley letters?   Are the letters lead?   I've wondered how these type of letters hold up well and how they might be used in a non Kingsley machine.    This is a whole new world for me.

 

[RockyAussie]

I probably should do a separate post on this subject of embossing at some stage as it is a whole big world of experience by itself. For some it is just getting down their own Logo and for some like myself it is getting down a large amount of different customers logo's and things like belt size stamping and the need for being able to quickly interchange the stamps on the run is important. In the case of your machine above as well as Treesner's machine the idea of bolting a stamp to the heating devise above is going to be very limiting and slow to allow any changes. If you are just doing the one logo and that is all it would be alright I suppose. All the machines I have, have a slide into place logo or letter set attaching method and the construction I am showing here is what I would like to have if I only had one and was starting from new. I will be back shortly as the dogs need a walk and they don't understand the word LATER it seems.

[RockyAussie]

OK they are happy now. Next thing I would say is if you are thinking of doing monogramming and such to think carefully about the letter sets and the amount of letters you get in a set. Very often words and names will use the same letter (note the word letter has 2 t's and 2 e's ). I do recommend going on line and looking for the old Kingsley letters as they are well finished and do hold up well with repetitive use. Typically they will have multiple letters of the most commonly used letters and often can be bought very inexpensively when you think about the cost for each letter. Normally they also come with varying width spacers to set between words as well. See picture

The Redwood font I use on the ring boxes has full stops, commas and a lot of other pieces as well which brings us to the letter set holders. Most of these letter sets are a lot taller than the WUTA letters you have ordered and the holder used with the Wuta set will not work with these sets unfortunately. Assuming you have ordered the Wuta letter set holder as in this picture below it should be possible to adapt it to fit into the same slide in holder I am getting to.

This next pic shows some of the dovetail type of attachments that enable the holding block to attach to the heater blocks. Note that the large middle one has an extra tab piece secured by the handle which allows some fine adjustment of the block in and out.

Now although some machines use a screw in attachment to secure the dovetail piece in I way prefer the ease of the spring in type of attachment as I am pointing to in the below picture.

A better one without my finger in the way.

Note that the plate at the back is screwed in tight and does not need to move as well.

In the picture of your block that holds the heating element it appears to hold the element into the block with a grub screw as shown in this picture with a red line pointing to it.

If you try turning this anticlockwise (very carefully) it may allow the element to slide out. DO NOT tighten this hardly at all when you put it back as these elements are not normally attached this way. They, if any at all are sort of glued in with a special paste normally. This if successful will allow you to remove the block to make the adaptations more easily. I think the pictures above should work well enough to explain but here is a drawing that may help as well. 

AS you see I work in metric measurements sorry. The pieces I have put in a black hatch are the main pieces to make up this set up. On the top left there is 2 plates that show one screwed into place on the left and one that is held in place by a spring with a bolt in the middle and a pin locater on either side to keep that plate straight. Under that diagram the 2 pieces shown in hatch are simply a 2" x 4" by 1/8" and a 1 1/2" x 4" by 1/8" flat plate which could be mild steel or brass if you prefer. Mild steel should be in those sizes available from the scrap at almost any steel working place. In the case with adapting a slide onto the Wuta letter set holder it will only require the one 2" plate as it it only 18mm wide and therefore will not need further clearance. As the slot is 8mm you will have 5mm either side to screw down into the block and logically some 3mm or 1/8" unc cup head bolts will be needed to attach it. I would use 4 or perhaps 6 if you dont mid doing the thread tapping part of the job.

Rather than going to the trouble of making a letter set holder for holding logo's and letters to start with I would recommend buying one of this type from Howard's

I do not know what sort of dovetail or method is attached to the back but I would say it could be unscrewed and a plate attached to suit the above set up.

Here is a link to their web site - https://www.howardimprinting.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7_32&products_id=395&zenid=1b5a85a34d46650fa3876a403ec905f1

They also have some spacers sets for about $18.00 and I would get some of them to help locate the letters or logos either way. I get a lot of logo's done in magnesium and they get attached to these spacer bars to help with a quick change. Pic below.

That should give you a bit to chew on for now and I gotta go and do a bit of chewing now .. I will check back with a bit more later.

 

 

[RockyAussie]

On 2/21/2019 at 5:01 AM, Scoutmom103 said:

What size is the font on your Kingsley letters?   Are the letters lead?   I've wondered how these type of letters hold up well and how they might be used in a non Kingsley machine.

I forgot to answer this part. The Kingsley letters I use on the ring boxes is a Redwood font size 42 pt. The letters are white metal I think which I believe has some lead content but I have found to be very durable over many years of use.That particular font is very hard to find up for sale. A similar one I bought over from Howard Imprinting Machine Co. is called Mayfair and the link above of theirs will show that they make a large range of various letter sets. Unfortunately the lead content appears to be very high and the finish is a bit poor. The part where the letters touch seems fine but the edges all need to be rubbed down. I would still say better value than anything else except the second hand Kingsley sets. See pictures.

This is the Mayfair set.They do not come with a separation box like this just all together.

Note the unfinished edges

A little rubbing with a screwdriver tip seems to work

As I said the lead content is high you can use it like a pencil on paper. I probably should be wearing gloves.

That's all I have for now. Hope that all helps.

Brian

[Scoutmom103]

Thank you .  It does.  I had wondered about how the letterpress types would hold up.  You certainly do a great deal of embossing.  I really appreciate how you share your knowledge and skills, especially your ingenuity ones of solving issues with things.   Loved the thread on the zipper tool.

[RockyAussie]

12 hours ago, Scoutmom103 said:

Loved the thread on the zipper tool.

Thanks for the compliment. I hope to get a newer video and a little more info on the zipper tool up this week sometime. It shows how easily the links can be shortened and made to fit an application perfectly an it is done on a crocodile bag this time. Also I have been printing out heaps over the last couple of weeks and hope to get some over to the US sometime soon.

Kind regards Brain