meander and hourglass border stamps

[steveb]

Howdy all: I am looking for a clue on how to correctly use both the meander an hourglass border stamps.

What say ye - alignment, layout, relatiosnhips etc...

thanks in advance

steveb

Edited October 13, 2007 by steveb

[CitizenKate]

Steve,

As soon as I get down to my shop today, I'll be happy to set up a little photo demo for that... watch for it later today.

Kate

[CitizenKate]

Here is what I've learned *so far* on using a "meander" tool. Those of you who are better than me, feel free to build on what I've posted.

For this demo, I'm using a Craftool D447S, which looks like this:

To layout where I'm going to use the tool, I set the gap on my dividers to 15/32". This gap will vary, of course, depending upon which tool you use.

Then, using a straight edge, I use the divider to scribe a pair of parallel lines that are guides to show where to place the bottom edge of the tool.

Place the bottom edge of the tool along one of the lines you scribed with the divider, like this:

The tool is designed so the adjoining impressions should overlap slightly. The arrows in this photo show the center point of the area where the impressions need to overlap to provide a (nearly) seamless transition from one impression to the next. It's pretty easy to spot because it's where back edge reaches its narrowest point.

On the next impression, I get the best results by leaning the tool very slightly away from the previous impression, and placing the tool so the impressions overlap slightly.

Here are a couple of problems you might run into... In this photo, the overlap is about right, but I put a little too much pressure on the right side of the tool. This is why I lean it a little bit toward the direction I'm moving in, to avoid this:

In this photo, I made the impressions just a little to far apart, which created the appearance of that "ding" in the curve, plus it looks a little "fat". You want to overlap the impressions so the curves on the end match right up.

I just continue along one side until it's completely done. Moving over to the other side, I place the first impression with the edge along the other line, and center the tool as exactly as possible between two of the impressions on the facing side:

Here's the same placement, being viewed from the other side:

The main thing I watch when I'm moving along the other side, is placement of the edge of the tool along my guideline and the centering of the impression between the two impressions on the other side. If I did a good job of spacing the impressions on the other side, I don't have to worry much about the overlap of the impressions on side 2:

Here's what it looks like when I'm done. Generally, I try to end up with a "serpentine" curve, that is uniform in thickness throughout, and uniformity of the depth of the impressions.

Again, if anyone has anything to add to this, feel free to build on from here.

Kate

[Beaverslayer]

Great job Kate, thanks for showing us.

Ken

[Regis]

Neat work and good tutorial. What is the width & hight of your craftool? That will help establish the ratio from the 15/32 for the stamp that I have. I think I could use the same concept using the "I" type boarder tool to creat an interesting boarder (seen that somewhere???).

[MatthewD]

thank you Kate....

[CitizenKate]

Regis,

The stamp I used is 3/8"x3/8".

Kate

What is the width & hight of your craftool? That will help establish the ratio from the 15/32 for the stamp that I have. I think I could use the same concept using the "I" type boarder tool to creat an interesting boarder (seen that somewhere???).

[steveb]

that was great kate, very clear - only one quesiton till i begin turning scraps into trash is = how did you some up with the 15/32" gap number - is that a "what looks good" number or something conjured off some measurement? and is there some trick to rounding corners?

thanks again!

steveb

[CitizenKate]

In computer programming, we have what is called a "magic number", which my computer science professors frowned upon. It was a number that, rather than going to the trouble of writing our programs to calculate and solve for, we would just find the number (with a calculator or using some other low-tech method) and plug it into the program. You just caught me using one. Heheh!

I got the 15/32" figure simply from trial-and-error. Scribing lines 1/2" apart made the resulting curves on the sides look too "fat" compared to the middle. 7/16" made the sides look too "skinny" compared to the middle. 15/32" was the halfway point between them. For this tool, that gap was "just right". So for each of my meandering stamps, I waste a little scrap to find the best gap, and keep notes on what gap I use for each.

For going around curves, it's necessary to make the impressions slightly closer together on the inside of the curve, and slightly farther apart on the outside of the curve. There's a limit to how tight of a curve you can meander around without it looking very choppy, but I see a lot of meandering on saddles where it follows the curve of the skirting, for example.

Corners are yet another matter. If I have time, I'll make a meandered corner and snap a photo of that.

Kate

Edited October 14, 2007 by CitizenKate

[steveb]

Well after getting guidance on the finer points of meandering from both Kate and Wayne Christensen - I have decided to share my not quite ready for prime time first attempt at using the tool, time to get humble in public!!. To add insult to injury i am working out a map case pattern (which in my case ususally look like hell till Ive done it about 3x and have worked the kinks out of my pattern and sewing efforts) - yeah so anyway I am making excuses, enough of that.

I was going to use a scrap, as my cross piece and said, what the hell, let me really make it scrap and well, this is what I came up with. Ok for a first attempt, but I learned a shite load using the tool and negotiating curves - this is a slow moving and carefully aimed tool, this meander, if your effort is going to satisfy you and your customer..gotta take your time and breathe - lots of looking over the tool

anyway, i also figured, really go for it and throw the lame beader blade effect (I love it but dont reach for it regularly - obvioulsy) in the mix and take the sloppy way and out and dimple the poorly cut corners with a seeder - ha!! If you look not too closely - you'll see i used a piece with a scar and worked that in- seems all of the work i have of mine is made from scraps....anyway - thanks Kate, I am going to apply myself a bit more till I can say I have a handle on this meander beasty

b/r

steveb

Edited October 16, 2007 by steveb

[Romey]

Kate that Tutoial should be pinned here for future folks it was excellent. I did not realize that tool was mean for 2 sides,making the serpentine!! I dont know much so its not suprising to most! Thank you for that.

And thank you Steve for posting your work!

[skipj]

Thanks Kate, great job.

SkipJ

[abn]

Steve, that looks like mighty fine work to me. Thanks for sharing your pics and your experience with this tool. I was curious about it myself...

Best, -Alex

[Rawhide]

Steve, one addition to Kate's tutorial that I usually do is cut the border lines with my swivel knife, either with a single blade or a beader blade, then bevel toward the design.

Just my $.02

Marlon

[steveb]

Marlon - do you bevel inwards towards the cented of the meander design or outwards?

I could see both effects being useful depending on the layout and design

steveb

[skipj]

Rawhide, whats a beader blade?

SkipJ

[Rawhide]

Steve b,

I bevel on the outside of the design where the toe of the beveler is next to the design facing the design. In other words I want to "raise" the meandering. If you face the toe of the beveler toward the outside, the heel of it could interfere with the design itself if you stamp heavily.

A beader blade is one that has two cutting surfaces, and a rounded top. The cross-section looks like the letter "U". when you cut, it cuts two parallel lines and leaves a "bead".

[Guest]

Great walk through Kate,

I'll be trying that on a motorcycle seat! I really like the look of it.

Again,

real nice job

Dave Theobald

[Rawhide]

Kate,

I like the "calculated" measure you use for the border lines. I usually just let my stamp tell me how wide. What I do is scribe my first line near the edge of the material, 1/8 inch or 3/8 inch or so. I just eyeball it and cut it with my swivel knife, then I take the stamp and stamp one impression near the corner of the workpiece. next I set my dividers to whatever spacing I want and "walk" it down the scribe line making tick marks. At each mark I then stamp another impression. This guarantees even spacing. then I align the stamp in reverse in-between the first row of stamps (like you did in picture no. 10). I stamp the one impression, scribe my other line using the end of the impression to gage it, cut this line with my swivel knife, and eyeball the centering of the remainder impressions.

Marlon