Resin Printer for making embossing plates and stamps

[BDAZ]

5 hours ago, RBELLO said:

Bob,

Thank you for this information, it has convinced me that I need to go the Resin path and not the filament for my 3D Printing leather stamp needs.

I have a few suggestions if you don't mind on the laser engraving which I have been doing for a couple of years now.

I see that there is some over smoky burn edges during the engraving.

A simple solution is to place a piece of low tack masking tape over the area that you will engrave on, so when the engraving is done you lift away the tape and you will have crisp engraving edges.

Some people also like to wet the leather, actually more like damping it before engraving it. I haven't gone that route because the tape works for me but just an FYI.

And if your laser engraver has the ability to do so you can add an air assist that will blow unto the area being engraved and that will also prevent the smokey over burn.

Hope this makes sense, thanks again for your info on the resin printer, I can't wait to get one.

Roger

 

 

Thanks for the tips. That was my 3rd print and subsequently discovered I have to crank the power down to 30% to prevent that. In fact, the client wants a very light print which is even faster and cleaner. The build area on this unit  is only 3" x 3" and I have a small USB fan that does the job. I did play with the masking tape mask on wood to allow painting but that has given me the idea of using the laser JUST to cut the mask for stamped letters that I often paint, and this could cut the time to a fraction! Just have to get the depth correct and of course, only the outlines of the stamps. Thanks for that! 

 

The burn below is around 2"

[Chakotay]

Video on just this subject:

https://youtu.be/0e45BfmwJqE

Edited November 6, 2021 by Chakotay

[BDAZ]

Nice video! I have been making leather stamps for around 9 months with great success. I have a very similar methodology and the same printer, Elegoo Mars 2, which I recommend wholeheartedly. The Monochrome version is much faster than the original and has a significantly longer MTBF on the LCD. I only do commercial work and most of it is wholesale so typically time is money and I am generally making doezens or hundreds of products at a time. If someone wants a custom stamp I charge for it. In addition I often have to get hundreds of impressions out of a stamp and I can't afford the luxury of breaking a stamp and ruining $30 or more worth of leather in addition to lost fabrication time.

A few comments on the video:

1. I have been using the same methodology as the video however, I use Photoshop and /or Illustrator but 95% of the time it's Photoshop. I then use the online converter https://www.online-convert.com/ to convert a jpg or .tif to an SVG which I dump into Tinkercad. If the file produced is too large, simply import it at 50% or 25%. The I use a thicker base, usually 1/2 inch to prevent any possible cracking of the stamp. It also tends to produce a more even impression. Any flexing or movement during pressing can crack fine details on the stamp. Time is money.

2. I have found the cheap 1 ton arbor presses useless even for Tandy Stamps. Some of my plates are 4 inches or better. I want to be able to use 1 impression per item and I use a 3/4" steel plate which completely covers the stamp and the Harbor Freight 12 ton press. The 6 ton also is OK for smaller plates. Be careful when applying pressure so you don't shatter the plate. I use a 1" thick piece of steel as the pressure plate under the work.

3. There are two options for resins, water washable and standard (requires washing in alcohol) In the video he is using water washable in an alcohol washing station? Waste of time and money IMHO. Time is money. I use water washable for typical plates as a stamping plate is very easy to wash out. I use a 5 gallon pail in my sink and the sprayer to quickly clean away excess resin. I spray with ammonia free window cleaner and then rinse again in the sink. Standard resin is easily washed with a spray bottle of 100% IPA over the 5 gallon pail in the sink to remove excess resin and then I spray with the window cleaner over the bucket, rinse off with water over the bucket  and then cure. There is a lot of obsolete videos about the dangerous odors of standard resins. DO wear gloves but the days of respirators and extraction fans are long past. 

I use the Elegoo water washable resins for most plates but fine detail I will use the Elegoo ABS ABS like resins for fine detail. If I have any doubt, I will go for the standard resins. A mistake can cost more than the price of a bottle of resin! Another tip is to always use transparent or translucent resins. You can always see through the stamp for perfect placement. Another tip is to heat shrink wrap the stamp in plastic wrap. It makes for a clean release. 

5. I then cure in a curing station made from a 2.5 gallon bucket sprayed inside with chrome paint with a uv lamp mounted in the lid. I typically cure all plates while immersed in water and revolving on a turntable:

https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-360°Rotating-Solidify-Photosensitive-Enclosure/dp/B083ZFH24H/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1TUATGSUHBXPR&keywords=3D+printing+uv+resin+curing+lamp&qid=1636216548&sprefix=3d+printing+uv+resin+curing+lamp%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-7

Usually 15 minutes is what I use and I have the lamp on a timer.

6. Years ago I tried to make stamps with a filament printer. I gave up! The filament printers can't produce smooth surfaces and crush easily. It may be possible to paint the surface with resin and cure it but why bother?! Time is money! I have tested 5 different brands of resin printers and for this application, the Elegoo Mars is both the best bang for the buck and foolproof. In addition make sure to purchase the magnetic plate! I cringed when the guy was prying the stamp off the build plate and scratching up the surface permanently. Those scratches will also appear on the back of the plate or other prints where you want a perfectly smooth surface. You simply pull the magnetic plate off the build plate, flex it and the print just pops off. I use the scraper that came with my printer for removing paint as it was designed.

Bob

 

[BDAZ]

Just had a request for a 1" Celtic belt w/o lining. I realized I didn't have anything narrow enough to leave room for stitching so I made a few .6" x5" plates. From downloading the graphic to curing the plates took 15 minutes. In addition I laser engraved my Maker's Mark on the back because the stamp wouldn't fit, and it is significantly more legible! The antiquing wasn't great but the customer was thrilled.

Last week I had a commission to carve and tool a complex design on the front of a S22 Ultra phone case. I pulled the hand drawn off the net, retraced it in photoshop to produce a sharp digital pattern and scaled it up to the side of the case from the original belt dimensions. Then I laser engraved it at the absolute minimum settings which produces a fine light brown pattern on the leather.

Got to love the technology!

Bob

Edited June 12, 2022 by BDAZ

[fredk]

That looks absolutely superb so it does

A thought; you could print the design with a raised border line top and bottom, then when its pressed into the leather it makes the stitching groove/line at the same time

[BDAZ]

I did try adding a line for the groove but it is extremely fragile and difficult to align perfectly. The actual groover make for a good alignment tool for the plate and adds a bit of wiggle room. If the groove is not aligned, it's noticeable, the knots..not so much.

Just got back from 9 days in London. Need a decent pint and a full English. Been a while. We flew over the North coming in as the flight was direct San Francisco to Heathrow. Way home was via Houston and we did the usual route over the Republic. I have a bisexual banjo that converts from an Irish Tenor to an Appalachian Clawhammer. (My avatar is a photoshop recreation of the pearl engraving on a 1909 banjo). Over 40 Irish sessions a month in greater London and 10 or 12 bluegrass and Appalachian. I made it to 7!

Remind me where in the North are you?

Bob