Design transfer -- paper stamp

[DJole]

I have a new project, a wallet with a Buddhist design scheme. So I want to put a lotus blossom and an 8 spoked Dharma wheel onto the leather. 

The design looks...well, okay, when I trace it onto the tracing film. However, I really want a lot more precision in the straight lines and curves. Kind of like...well, a stamp!
So, I came up with this idea to make a light stamp:
1) print the design onto paper, at correct size.
2) cut out design, glue onto light cardboard (like a cereal box carton, or something similar). Let dry.
3) using micro-tip scissors, carefully cut the design out.
4) Spray design with art fixative (waterproofing, basically.) Let dry.
5) Case leather, to same dampening for tooling. 
6) Carefully place design onto leather.
7) Use mallet to tap design, stamping it onto the leather. 
And here are the results!

I show the stamp itself, and down below it is the image it created. 

Now I can start tooling, knowing the design is clean and sharp, meaning one less thing I can mess up!

And I can reuse the stamp, if I want to. Another bonus!

[Sheilajeanne]

Cool idea!  And you can always use the impression as a guide, and tool it to deepen it and make it stand out better.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who uses cereal box cardboard in my leatherwork...except I make templates out of it!

[fredk]

@DJole, very most clever. I never thought of that

5 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Glad to know I'm not the only one who uses cereal box cardboard in my leatherwork...except I make templates out of it!

oh, I use it for patterns too but also for stiffeners in the likes of the bases of dice- trays, (aka valet trays)

[sbrownn]

This is a perfect example of something that could be drawn in CAD in 10 minutes and printed on a 3D printer in half an hour.  

[Sheilajeanne]

Fred, one of these days, I'm going to get around to making that portfolio I've been wanting to do, and the Cheerios cereal box cardboard will be the stiffener for the covers!  

[tsunkasapa]

If you have a dog, the "Alpo Variety Snaps" boxes are half again thicker that cereal boxes. But they are glued like they need to withstand a bomb. They make great patterns.

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, sbrownn said:

This is a perfect example of something that could be drawn in CAD in 10 minutes ... 

 ... and cut on a laser in about 30 seconds.

[sbrownn]

52 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said:

 ... and cut on a laser in about 30 seconds.

Yes, of course but you have to run the laser each time.  Once the pattern is 3D printed it can be used over and over.

My $200 laser wouldn't cut that pattern in 30 seconds but once I printed it on my $200 3D printer I could press it into the cased leather in about 5 seconds.  If time is the consideration and you are just transferring a pattern it's hard to beat a die you can press...if someone has a better suggestion I'm all ears.

One time I tried to print a pattern that would actually cut the leather like a swivel knife.  I could press a pattern deep enough to tool it but it wasn't the same quality as a knife cut pattern.  I could get the edge thin enough but I couldn't get it strong enough to withstand the pressure it took to make a cut over a large perimeter.

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, sbrownn said:

Once the pattern is 3D printed it can be used over and over.

I guess what I meant to say was that one could cut the die out of acrylic or plexiglass in about 30 seconds on a 100 watt laser, then use the die over and over.

But I can certainly see the advantages of the 3D printed die. A great option if you have access to one.

Edited July 9, 2021 by LatigoAmigo

[tsunkasapa]

 Assuming one has those pieces of tech bullsnot.