Thread: Experimentation with stamps

That is cool as (grandsons expression) but really it is..................cool as

undies

Looks great Darren.
Many possiblities for different colour combinations there, you just need a good supply of different stamps.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

Looks great Darren.
Many possiblities for different colour combinations there, you just need a good supply of different stamps.

Yes that is true, I have some Ginger Meggs stamps, and thinking of making it as a main feature of the pen. A good supply I have and always looking for more.

Lookin good there darren did you clear cast or build them up with CA ?. Plenty of cheap stamps on Ebay all of these things are steps in the creative process and lead to different paths at times , the only thing that sets apart one pen from another is the individual thought and processing that goes into it and makes it unique cheers ~ John

Nice work, looks great.

Originally Posted by gawdelpus

Lookin good there darren did you clear cast or build them up with CA ?. Plenty of cheap stamps on Ebay all of these things are steps in the creative process and lead to different paths at times , the only thing that sets apart one pen from another is the individual thought and processing that goes into it and makes it unique cheers ~ John

Thanks John, No haven't got to casting yet, not confident. I have started to make a former to make 3/4 x 3/4 x 130, it will be able to hold 6 blanks. This is my process of make the blank.


I used mango as a base, it is a common timber and not expensive. I turned the blank B2B just under size to allow for the stamp and CA finish. I could have put a curve in it, but it would have meant more stamps to use.

I sanded with 400 grit and removed the dust with a tack cloth. I used Selleys indoor PVA glue to glue the stamps on.Position your stamps and allow for over hang on the ends of the tubes. Once all the stamps have been glued in place I set it aside to dry.

You then have to seal the stamps as in decoupage to protect the colors on the stamps. You can buy a special sealer for this or you can mix some PVA glue with water, 50 : 50. Let it dry. Then carefully trim the ends flush with an stencil knife.

After that I actually used Les Elm's tutorial on medium CA finishing. I always use thin CA for finish as a rule, but I though it was a good opportunity to try it as you need the medium CA to fill the edges of where the stamps over lap. I didn't have 0000 steel wool so I used Micro Mesh, then cut it back with EEE Ultra and a second buff on the wheel.

Well after all that work , I am glad I took the casting method to do mine just glued straight onto a painted tube ( to help them stick) then into a resin saver mold ,clear cast and turn as normal . I never use pressure for clear casts and have had very few failures so for , thanks for your rundown though as it will guide others who may be tempted to branch out with something attractive and unique Cheers ~ John

The stamps look great, great mix of colours and the angled layout done well

You method of wood and CA may not be as easy as casting, but the dia is larger and hence more of the stamps are shown.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

The stamps look great, great mix of colours and the angled layout done well

You method of wood and CA may not be as easy as casting, but the dia is larger and hence more of the stamps are shown.

Thank you Neil, the angle was ok but can be better I think. I have a lot of old stamps I want to use but will practice with foreign and more modern stamps first.

Casting the stamps allows you easier turning of the blank, Ca finishing has more risk of sanding through as you can see on the ends of the blanks. Someone said they liked the way it softens the blank. Will deliberately do it and see how it looks.

I creased a stamp when I glued it onto the blank, need to take more time and position it once. Also have to use a high quality brush to paint the size on the stamps so no bristles are left on it. Finally trim the stamps better and more carefully before I use CA.

This is what I have learned from the first blank, hopefully that will be the only time.

Well done with the stamps Darren ...
stick with 'em.

Allan

Great idea. Well worth the effort. Mind if I try it please?

Originally Posted by cookie48

Great idea. Well worth the effort. Mind if I try it please?

Cookie go for your life mate, I have made some adjustments with the laying out of the stamps and I think I have a more visually pleasing blank. So as they say watch this space

Hi Darren

Cool experiment.

I am sure you will be able to find a market for the stamp collectors out there.

Next thing you can try is the Royal Stamps for the Royal watches out there.

Thanks for sharing.

Timberbits.